![“[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)
Orchestra Preview: Chicago Trip
The orchestra practices for the Chicago International Music Festival. The group flies out to Chicago tomorrow.
Eighty-seven orchestra members along with eight chaperones depart on a trip to Chicago to partake in the Chicago International Music Festival tomorrow.
Chris Florio, Upper School Instrumental Music Teacher, applied for this trip about a year ago and the Upper School orchestra was accepted based on its video performances.
“That was exciting to begin with, of course, because we are going to go there and perform at the Symphony Center in Chicago, and Chicago’s one of the top symphonies in the United States and the world,” Florio said.
Florio also described the features of the Symphony center.
“Their hall is a really great place to perform, because it’s really well-known and has great acoustics and is beautiful and all that,” he said.
This is the first time the Harker orchestra will go to this particular festival. Previously, they have performed and competed in London, Los Angeles, and New York City. This festival differs from others as previous ones have been specifically for either competing or performing. This Chicago trip is intended for ratings, but also for being able to perform. They will also be meeting other groups and sharing what they do with other schools.
The orchestra group was selected to receive a commission with Jeremy Van Buskirk from the Boston Composer Coalition. The Coalition teamed up with the organization that runs this festival. Florio and the students have been working with the composer to learn his works for the past several months. They will be premiering them in front of the other schools.
“[This is] extra special and it’s sort of a unique process that we have been doing and it’s been really exciting and fun and I’m really looking forward to it,” Florio said.
During the trip, students will also have down time to tour Chicago and bond with friends.
“I’m really excited for the Orchestra Trip, because last time I went to London in Freshman year, and I got to talk to other people in orchestra that I usually wouldn’t talk to, and I became friends with a lot more people that weren’t in my grade, so I’m excited for this year,” Madelyn Wang (11) said.
The group will return next Thursday after five days of performing.
This article was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on April 4, 2014
Riya Chandra is a reporter of Harker Aquila. She is a freshmen and has a passion for photography, as well as writing. She is also part of the DECA Club...