![“[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)
Performers Sell tickets for “The Wedding Singer”
Performing art students have been selling tickets this past week for this year’s spring musical, “The Wedding Singer,” a musical comedy based off of a movie that takes a look back to the 1980s.
In “The Wedding Singer,” Robbie Hart is dumped at his own wedding and falls in love with Julia Sullivan, who is already engaged. The plot follows the adventures of the two main characters as they confront their feelings for each other in the pursuit of love. The 1998 movie was later made into a well-received Broadway musical in 2006.
Last year, students performed the musical “Oklahoma!,” a romantic story set in the early 1900s about a farm girl and her journey to discover love. The musical was directed by Director of Performing Arts Laura Lang-Ree and won eight nominations at the “Bay Area High School Musical Theatre: Stage Top Honor Awards.” In June, the cast’s performance also won awards in the genres of sound and choreography.
Seniors Ian Richardson, Shenel Ekici, Kevin Moss, and Namrata Vakkalagadda, along with juniors Jeton Gutierrez-Bujari and Caroline Howells will perform the lead roles in the musical. They will act as Robbie Hart, Julia Sullivan, Robbie’s bandmate Sammy, Julia’s best friend Holly, Robbie’s other bandmate George, and Robbie’s ex-fiancé Linda respectively.
The cast has been practicing for the musical for the past four months. They will perform in the Blackford Theater on Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m; Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m; and Saturday, April 26 at 2 p.m and 7 p.m.
Rishabh Chandra (10) thinks that regardless of the role the musical is a nice opportunity, and believes that the performance will reflect the long hours of rehearsal that the students have put in.
“I think it’s a really great opportunity to learn from, even if [the part] is a supporting role. Even if you are not interested in watching the musical, you should still come by as it’s sure to be an entertaining event,” he said.
Admission fees are eight dollars for students, 15 for adults, and 25 for reserved seats. Tickets will continue to sell throughout next week during both lunches, and on the school’s website.
Vineet Kosaraju (12) is the STEM Editor for both Harker Aquila and Winged Post. He is a senior and has been part of the journalism program for the past...