![“[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)
6.0 earthquake strikes Napa on Sunday morning
Math teacher Jane Keller and junior Nikita Ramoji demonstrate proper earthquake preparedness in the event of an earthquake. A 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Napa early Sunday.
A magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area early Sunday morning at 3:20 a.m., about six miles from Napa.
In what scientists say was the largest earthquake to hit the region in 25 years, over 120 people were injured, 15 buildings were left uninhabitable, 64,000 were without power at some time, and property damage costs amassed over a billion dollars.
Though the epicenter was in the American Canyon, six miles away from Napa, the effects of the earthquake were felt around the Bay Area.
“I could feel it, though it was only a little more than ten seconds so it wasn’t scary at all,” Nikita Ramoji (11) said. “We’ve been through a lot of earthquakes before, and I think the Harker preparedness drills are pretty good, so I think most of us know what to do if an earthquake happens.”
Math teacher Jane Keller also commented on her feeling of safety if the school were to face a similar occurrence.
“Harker has more organized, effective safety drills and rules than any school I’ve been to before. Our rules and procedures are very clear cut, and I think we’re in good shape if something like what happened in Napa, happened here. I think we all know what we’re supposed to do,” she said.
Other students felt unprepared if such an event were to occur, having not faced anything similar before.
“My family doesn’t really take those kinds of measures, which we should, but we don’t,” Briana Liang (12) said.
If caught indoors during an emergency, The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends dropping to the ground, getting under a sturdy table or piece of furniture, and protecting your head until the shaking stops, as most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to move to a different location inside the building or try to leave. Also, be aware that the power might go out during and after an earthquake.
Four aftershocks of Sunday’s magnitude-6.0 earthquake rattled the North Bay early Tuesday morning, including a 3.9 quake.
Kavya Ramakrishnan (12) is the managing editor of the Winged Post. This is her fourth year on staff, having previously held the positions of reporter and...