![“[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)
Drop off loop changed to ease traffic flow
Shay Lari-Hossain
Upper school drop-off and pickup traffic patterns have been modified to ease congestion entering and exiting the school and on Saratoga Avenue.
As per the new rules, cars entering the front loading zone between 7:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. will be directed through the visitor parking area and will turn to follow the path in front of the Main building. Students can be dropped off at any point in front of the administration building. Before 7:45 a.m. and after 8:00 a.m., cars in the front loading zone will follow the regular drop-off loop.
The traffic pattern for those entering the back loading zone is unchanged. As before, students may disembark at any location along the back of the Main building. Parents are also asked to pull up to the front of either loading zone when picking up students.
According to Upper School Attendance Officer Sue Prutton, late arrivals up to 8:30 a.m. will be excused for the first two weeks of school as parents and students adjust to traffic. Prutton emphasized, though, that students should not use the increased lenience as an excuse for late arrivals.
The new rules intend to reduce traffic on Saratoga Avenue. According to Assistant Head of Student Affairs Greg Lawson, campus traffic flowed smoothly on the first day of school.
“If [Monday] morning is any indication, we had traffic flowing in from Saratoga Avenue much more smoothly than we’ve had in the past,” Lawson said. He added that there were fewer tardies on the first day of school than in other years. “For the first day, it was a very good omen.”
Jeremy Binkley (12) thought that the new traffic pattern had little effect for student drivers who park on campus.
“It hasn’t really affected me at all.” he said. “It only affects people who are dropping people off. My [parking] spot is at the end of the row anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.”
The new traffic policy also encourages students to keep backpacks out of the trunks and discourages parents from lingering in the loading zones. Details of the new rules can be found in the Upper School section of the student portal under the heading “Traffic and Transportation.”
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on August 29, 2014.
Vivek Bharadwaj (12) is the co-Editor-In-Chief for the Winged Post. His favorite subject in school is computer science, and he enjoys swimming and watching...