![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
SPIRIT WEEK: Fictional Character Day
Students and teachers alike get spirited for Fictional Character Day
Catherine Huang
Members of the sophomore class participate in the mattress racing held at lunch. – See more at: https://harkeraquila.com/17735/news/students-and-teachers-alike-get-spirited-for-fictional-character-day/#sthash.eZJJ1mAw.dpuf
Members of the Harker community dressed up as their favorite fictional characters for today’s Spirit Day.
Students were able to register for class points during lunch, and the points will be added up to see which class was most spirited. Points will be awarded for amount of people who dressed up and signed in.
Spirit day costumes featured physics teacher Miriam Allersma and Jerry Shen (12) as Waldo from “Where’s Waldo,” Melinda Wisdom (9) as Belle from “Beauty and the Beast,” and drama teacher Jeffrey Draper as Sherlock Holmes.
“Dressing up is so fun because you can have a new perspective on your clothes in the closet,” Crystal Jin (9), who wore a Winnie the Pooh sweatshirt today, said.
For today’s event, spirit club carried several mattresses out to Rosenthal Field for the races during both lunches. Students from all classes gathered to watch as each class picked its lightest member to lie on the mattress as four others lifted them up.
Though the juniors did not have enough people during fifth lunch, the freshmen provided Kayvon Solaimanpour to ride on the mattress and Aditya Dhar to help carry it.
“I was just sleeping,” Kayvon said jokingly after the race.
Because juniors are busy with many things right now, very few came to the races at fifth lunch. “I think that with things like the junior questionnaire, APs, and a generally difficult time in classes currently, the junior class spirit is degrading,” Fred Chang (11), next year’s ASB vice president, said. “While it’s understandable to some degree, it’s sort of disappointing, and it would be great if our class came together, stepped it up a notch, and pulled through this week alive, spirited, and of course, victorious.”
During fifth lunch, freshmen came in first, sophomores in second, seniors in third, and juniors last after dropping Kayvon, the freshman, twice before giving up entirely. Sophomores got first, then freshmen, seniors, and juniors during sixth lunch.
Freshman Medha Shah, the lightest among the crowd, volunteered to be carried halfway across the field and back.
“It’s a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s really scary at first, but then it’s okay.”
Tomorrow will be Favorite Sports Team Day, and Powder Puff football will be held on Davis field during long lunch.
