![“[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)
4 fool-proof methods to secure a date to Homecoming
As Homecoming approaches, more and more couples upload photos of their successful asks on social media, eliciting countless “AWW”s and “cute!!!!”s from their peers. Do you want to wallow in your room this Saturday night, or do you want 200-plus likes on a picture of you and your prospective date to the dance? Regardless of whichever option you prefer, here’s a short list of creative Homecoming-posals that are guaranteed to succeed!
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Surprise
You know that you’re hip, and we know that you’re hip, but you want to let the person of your dreams know that too. What better way to flaunt your unparalleled trendiness and incredible altruism than by doing the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge… to your crush! Because let’s be real: at this point, who hasn’t been challenged yet? Your prospective date is probably too scared to ruin a flawless outfit to take the initiative to actually do the Ice Bucket Challenge. Be a hero and douse him or her with a giant bucket of sub-zero, freezing water. The bigger and colder, the better!
(Bonus points if you dress up in a fox suit and dance to PSY’s Gangnam Style just to show that you’re extra cool.)
Pepperoni pizza, hold the cheesy
“I know this is cheesy, but… Homecoming?” We all have seen this terribly tragic ask before. This “punny” method of proving just how clever you are has become cliché faster than the time it will take the object of your affection to reject you and your soggy pizza. Instead of going through the trouble of lugging a huge box of pizza to school and facing the embarrassment from your peers in the aftermath of your rejection (read: your face pelted with mozzarella and tomato), just have the deliveryman bring it to the person’s own house. Better yet, fail to show up at all — anonymity just adds to the mystery. Arrive at the dance in a giant pizza costume to stand out against everyone else and reveal that it was you who sent the pizza. At this point, he or she will have fallen more in love with the idea of going with you than the reality of actually going with you that he or she will definitely say yes. Okay, so… maybe it’s not exactly the result that you wanted, but hey, at least you can count on getting a date.
Don’t know the address? No problem! You have so many resources available to you, like the student directory. Taking the time to conduct such thorough research will surely impress.
Roses are red, weeds are green
Roses? B-O-R-I-N-G. We recommend asking with weeds. They symbolize strength and resilience, just like your love. No matter how much he or she tries to push you away, you’ll always come back, strong as ever. Show your crush how persistent you really are by popping up everywhere, always with a new batch of weeds in your hand. Never take no for an answer, and you’ll eventually get a date.
Preemptive strike
Now, some of you might not need our previous three tips. You feel confident that your crush will accept your ask, and maybe he or she will. Or maybe you are just an awkward turtle who is too scared to talk to people in real life. In that case, just announce to your entire Facebook friends list that you two are going to the dance together. After all, it would have been all over social media anyway. Use this as a chance to impress by displaying your awe-inspiring organization skills and preemptively publicizing your budding relationship, all before even he or she knows! There’s no way you can be rejected once everyone knows.
Kathy Duan is a senior and Co-Editor-in-Chief for TALON Yearbook. After three years on staff, she practically lives in the journalism room. She enjoys...
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...