![“[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)
![“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 wasn't 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 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)
![“[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)
![“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)
![“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)
Rumeenations: 18 going on 8
As my classmates and I dragged ourselves into our seats at the beginning of period 2 on a slow morning last week, Dr. Adler looked at us for a moment and asked us point blank: “Do you ever wonder anymore?”
Despite the simplicity of the question, I was stumped. I knew what I hoped the answer to be: as a Harker student who loves to learn for the sake of learning, of course I still wonder! But I also knew what the real, unfiltered answer was: Over the course of the past year, I probably haven’t paid enough attention to my surroundings to know.
Siloed into my insular world of college applications during first semester, I narrow-mindedly cared more about framing the perfect opening sentence to my personal statement. And during the past few months of second semester, I have approached school more mechanically than I’d like to admit, doing coursework for the sole intention of completing it. Perhaps Senioritis muffles our unaffected sense of wonderment, but I think it’s unfair to attribute my potentially decreased general curiosity to simply being a second semester senior.
As a recently legal adult, I want to embrace my inherent childlike characteristics more than ever. If there is anything that turning 18 has reminded me of, it’s not that I can now legally buy a lottery ticket or sign a contract; instead, it’s that I now have more reason to intentionally approach my surroundings with awe and appreciation as a kid would. After all, I only have two more months of high school to learn authentically without the added pressure of grades that will affect my college admissions or resume.
Granted, this proposal probably sounds idealistic, especially to seniors who may be counting down the days until graduation. I don’t think wonder can be forced, but it can be cultivated. A genuine interest and desire to question our surroundings might allow us to better understand the world around us rather than isolating ourselves in our own opinions and experiences.
Despite my rote attitude towards life over the past few months, I hope to be able to maintain a childlike curiosity as I transition into college so that I can approach the next few years with fresh, open eyes and be in constant admiration of the world; life seems to be more inspiring that way.
I may be 18 in age, but I’m now aiming for 8 at heart.
Meena Chetty is the co-Editor-in-Chief of The Winged Post. As a senior, she has been part of the journalism program for all four years of high school....