![“[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)
5 ways to stay fit
Seniors Adithram Rengaramchandran, Gaurav Kumar, Nikhil Dilip, Krish Sanghi, Nathan Dhablania, Meena Chetty, Arjun Kumar, Anika Gupta, Adarsh Battu, and Rohan Kapatkar take a rest at the top of Mission Peak before heading down and finishing their sunset hike.
After eating buckets of popcorn and binge watching an entire season of a show in one day, think about what happens to your body, especially after sitting down for such a long period of time. It is important to stay active in order to prevent health problems in the future. Five fun activities you can do alone or with friends to keep in shape are: hiking, swimming, jogging, biking, and yoga.
Hiking
Hiking is an activity in which you will not only be with your friends, but also get a workout. By climbing up steep hills, you strengthen your core, which helps improve balance. Hiking also works out your hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes. In addition to strengthening your body, hiking helps prevent certain diseases, such as diabetes, breast cancer, and heart disease.
Senior Krish Sanghi hikes with his friends every weekend.
“One of the best things about hiking is having the opportunity to hang out with your friends while enjoying a beautiful time out in nature,” Krish said.
Some places to hike in the Bay Area are Mission Peak and the Stanford Dish Hike. Adarsh Battu, another senior who participates in the weekly hikes, suggests going to Windy Hill Open Space Reserve and Castle Rock State Park.
“Windy Hill in Portola Valley has a really awesome view point and is a good hike.” Adarsh said. “Castle Rock also has a lot of rock formations that are nice to see.”
Both Krish and Adarsh hike with their friends almost every weekend.
Swimming
In the hot sun, swimming is another way to pass time. Not only does swimming burn calories and help tone your body, but it also increases your endurance, which may come to your benefit once school sports begin. Swimming does not solely have to be done in a pool; swimming in the ocean or rivers can give you just as good of a work out.
Upper School English teacher, Dr. Benedict Spencer-Cooke comments about where he likes to swim.
“I like to swim in rivers and the ocean and those kinds of things. I’m not so keen on just plowing up and down a pool,” Dr. Spencer-Cooke said. “I feel at one with the water.”
He encourages students to swim when possible.
Jogging
Jogging is one activity in which you can do it any time of the day in any weather. You can run around your block for however long you want, and whenever you want, something that may not be possible with other sports.
Alayna Richmond (9) comments about her experience with jogging.
“I think that jogging is a practical way to stay fit because I can do it on my own time and just listen to music and run until I’m tired,” Alayna said.
You can jog both indoors and outdoors. If it starts raining, you can head to the nearest gym or get a treadmill. Jogging also helps lower blood pressure, burn calories, and increase your stamina. Running is a simple way to stay fit.
Biking
Going for a bike ride anytime is another way to remain active. If your friends are over, you can take your bikes out to the nearest park, or simply ride around your neighborhood.
Andrew Irvine, the Upper School Chemistry teacher and Head Coach of Harker Girls’ lacrosse, stresses the importance of being outdoors, biking and remaining active.
“If you can push yourself to bike up a hill, you can push yourself to get that extra work done, to get that homework done thats really challenging,” Irvine said. “It’s an analogy for life.”
Biking helps maintain your body in a healthy way. It increases stamina, tones muscles, and even improves the heart. These qualities help you lead a healthy lifestyle, preventing diseases for your long term health.
Yoga
Yoga is an exercise that is much different than other activities. It is another way to calm down and center yourself. By doing breathing exercises and various stretches, you can improve your body–if you do it on a daily basis, you’ll notice some changes: you may be more relaxed, sleep better, or even get sick less often.
A practitioner of yoga, Shivani Awasthi (9) talks about why she thinks yoga is important.
“I think yoga is a really great exercise and I would encourage more people to do it especially in Harker,” Shivani said. “It really calms you down and destresses you.”
Yoga is an exercise that does not require you to leave your own house, making it very practical.
Raveena Kapatkar (12) is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Harker Aquila. She is a senior and this is her fourth year on staff. As a freshman, she was a reporter...