![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Upper School “HOSCARS” talent show dazzles audience
The Upper School hosted its annual multicultural talent show, dubbed HOSCARS, run by student council and Global Empowerment and Outreach (GEO) club in the gym today.
The show consisted of a first assembly dedicated to 19 student and teacher acts, showcasing individual talents including gymnastics, jazz music, and vocal performance, and group performances, including a teachers-only performance to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and appearances by the Upper School jazz band and lab band. HOSCARS also had emcees Efrey Noten (12) and Kenneth Zhang (12), who peppered the breaks between songs with witty banter that followed the chosen theme of “Star Wars.”
The show began with an introduction set to the Star Wars theme music and a written segue into the show projected on a screen. Decorative elements consisted of a red carpet leading from the entrances of the gym, golden streamers, balloons, and suit-clad student council members wielding lightsabers and wearing Star Wars masks. ASB President Arjun Goyal (12) shared his thoughts on preparation.
“It went really well. I was really surprised that we pulled it off. We [had been] planning since first semester,” he said. “It started with publicity and getting the word out, and, once we got all our acts, we auditioned them to make sure they were good for the show. Then, yesterday we did a full run-through of the show.”
Avinash Nayak (12), who sang as part of a group performance of “Snow (Hey Oh)” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, said he felt “exhilarated” to be onstage.
“I honestly felt satisfied, because I was able to perform music in my last year at Harker,” he said.
Awards were announced at a follow-up assembly at the end of the day. The “Han Solo” award for best solo performance went to Noa Sasson (9) for her poi routine, the Stormtrooper award for best group performance went to the teachers’ rendition of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” the Imperial March award for best dance performance went to the Bollywood dance troupe, the Galaxy Far Far Away award for most creative performance went to Connie Li (12) and Jessica Chang (11)’s traditional Chinese dance routine, and the best overall award went to Varun Cherukuri (12) for his Michael Jackson impersonation.
Connie shared some of her own feelings about the win.
“I had a ton of fun doing it, and I knew that regardless of how much I might mess up on stage, I would regret it if I graduated without doing something ridiculous in front of the whole school,” she said.
HOSCARS remains a favorite event for many students.
“[My favorite part] was getting to see all the talent in the community, especially the teachers’ act,” audience member Madhu Karra (10) said.
Following the HOSCARS awards show was a surprise guest appearance from the Massachusetts’ Institute of Technology’s (MIT) male acappella group, the Logarhythms. They performed a wide variety of love songs, as well as their quintessential theme song, “We Are Super Logs.”
HOSCARS continues to be a tradition through the years of the Upper School.
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