![“[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)
A guide to the Gaza conflict
Fighting resumed between Israel and Gaza, a region of Palestine, on July 8, when Israel retaliated to rockets fired by Palestinian political group Hamas.
Israel and Palestine’s hostility towards each other has continued for more than 50 years, centering on border disagreements and religious incongruity. Although Palestine and Israel have maintained a somewhat peaceful relationship over the past couple of years, recent peace negotiations have been unsuccessful.
The unrest was sparked by the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teens who were in the West Bank, a major portion of territory in Palestine, in June, according to ABC News. When the bodies were found two weeks later, Israel accused Hamas of kidnapping the teens and, as a result, arrested over 300 Palestinians.
Gaza responded to this arrest by launching airstrikes into Israel, initiating a period of violence in July.
According to CBC News, one of Israel’s airstrikes killed three Hamas leaders, causing Gaza to kill 18 Israeli spies on Aug. 22. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, “vowed a tough response to the killing.”
Only a day later, a missile from Israel destroyed an 11-story apartment in Gaza, wounding ten civilians, four of whom were children.
Donna Gilbert, the History and Social Science Department Chair commented about her opinion on the coflict.
“So far, over 2,000 Palestinians and 68 Israelis have died,” Gilbert said. “The recent kidnapping, airstrikes, and murders have escalated the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and gen
erated disorder in Gaza.”
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on August 29, 2014.
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...
Trisha Dwivedi (12) is the Managing Editor of Harker Aquila. She was a reporter her freshman year, Business Manager of the Winged Post her sophomore year...
Shay Lari-Hosain (12) is the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Wingspan Magazine. Shay has interviewed 2013 Nobel Laureates, authors like Khaled Hosseini...