![“[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)
Key Club kicks off Club Week
Students swarm around the Key Club table after school to buy food. Baked goods sold for various amounts of money and frozen yogurt was sold for $5.
Key Club is raising money for the Kiwanis Cal-Nev-Ha Foundation’s Pediatric Trauma Program (PTP) during its club week this week.
PTP’s mission statement, according to its website, “is to develop local projects which will reduce the number of children in our three-state District [California, Nevada, and Hawaii] who are killed or injured by trauma, ensuring all children live happy, healthy and safe lives.” It also states that pediatric trauma is the biggest contributor to death and injury rates in the United States for those 14 years old and younger.
In order to raise money for PTP, club members will have baked goods, Pinkberry frozen yogurt, and AP test survival kits—which include rubber ducks, bubbles, bubble wrap, and candy—for sale throughout the week.
“We had a tradition of selling frozen yogurt, so we just continued our tradition from last year,” Key Club member Panny Shan (10) said.
Key Club sold original, chocolate hazelnut, vanilla bean, and tangerine-flavored frozen yogurt today. Meanwhile, various club members, like sophomore Chandini Thakur, helped make food such as cookies for the bake sales.
“The bake sales are a huge source of profit for Key Club especially because so many members love to bake,” said Chandini, who made dulce de leche brownies. “A lot of people tell me they really enjoy the baked goods I make because they tend to be different from the usual kinds of things people sell.”
Key Club also has sticky notes available for students to write messages to their teachers as part of Teacher Appreciation Week—students who do will receive a free treat. Members also plan to sell smoothies as part of “Thirsty Thursday.”
“I’m excited for Thirsty Thursday,” Key Club secretary Austin Lai (11) said. “It’s gonna be [very] hot.”
More information about PTP can be found on its website. Key Club will continue to sell until Friday after school.
Alex Jang, Student Life Editor for the TALON Yearbook, is a senior this year and has been a part of journalism for three years. In his free time, he enjoys...