![“[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)
Album Review: People Keep Talking by Hoodie Allen
Artist Hoodie Allen self-released his own album titled “People Keep Talking” on Oct. 14. The style of the songs varies dramatically throughout the album.
American hip-hop artist Hoodie Allen self-released his first studio album titled “People Keep Talking” on Oct. 14.
The album consists of 14 tracks, all of which follow an underlying theme of being oneself and not worrying about what others think. As always, Allen exemplified his distinctive style by bringing a unique fusion of music to the plate by merging the best of pop and hip-hop music.
The first song in the album is “100 Percent of Something.” The song provides a smooth introduction to the album with its relatively slow and relaxed, yet cheery beat. It feels like a more modern pop-inspired song as compared to the hip-hop genre. The song, like many others in the album, seems to be more focused on Allen singing as compared to rapping. However, the vocals work well with the beat, causing the first song to be a great start to the album.
The next few songs, such as “People Keep Talking” and “Movie,” increase in tempo as compared to the opener and are more rap-focused. The lyrics discuss individuals’ personal characteristics and how they should not be changed based on what others think.
The middle of the album, starting with “All About It,” is monotonous, as it does not manage to keep the listener hooked. The lyrics of the songs do not have an exact focus and are mostly generalized statements. The beats all sound very similar, creating an almost tedious effect.
Despite the dull middle, the final four songs provide a faultless end to the album. The vocals are an equal balance of singing and rapping and the lyrics continue to follow the overarching theme of the album. The beats are simple, but still extremely catchy. The end of the album was able to make up for the lack of creativity in the middle.
All in all, Allen struck gold with “People Keep Talking,” providing lyrics with a relatable theme and beats that were fun and catchy. Allen will be coming to The Warfield in San Francisco on Nov. 14 to perform in his concert.
Varun Baldwa is a senior and Managing editor for TALON Yearbook. This is Varun's fourth year on staff. In his free time, Varun enjoys volunteering, listening...