![“[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)
Sweater weather
Madelyn Wang (12) and Archana Podury (12) wear sweaters during the fall.
With average temperatures finally in the 60s this week, giving students the chance to bring back their fall wardrobe, including sweaters, sweatshirts and scarves, into rotation.
Cardigans : Great for transitioning between summer and fall, cardigans come in a variety of textures, materials and colors. Elina Sendonaris (11) layers a brightly colored cardigan over a flannel shirt. Though they offer less warmth than traditional sweaters or jackets, cardigans can easily dress down an outfit to appear more relaxed and casual while still adding an additional layer to keep you warm.
Festive Patterns: As the holidays are approaching, more students are wearing Christmas-themed sweaters. Juniors Aishu Murari and Lisa Liu match outfits, wearing the same black sweater featuring a white festive holiday design. While their look is more subtle, others choose to be more showy in ironically wearing “ugly” Christmas sweaters, which is a newer trend.
V-neck Sweaters: Sweaters can also dress up a look. Freshman Randy Zhao wears a black v-neck sweater over a collared shirt, giving him a professional appearance.
Scarves: In addition to other forms of outerwear, scarves are an easy additional source of warmth that can be taken off during the course of the day without difficulty. In addition to a marled grey sweater, junior Angela Huang wears a matching scarf. “Sweatshirts never fit me right, and sweaters are cuter,” Angela said on her choice to wear a sweater today.
Sweatshirts: Rivaling the popularity of sweaters on the Upper School campus, sweatshirts are an easy way for students to keep warm. As most students have accumulated quite a collection over the years from various clubs, activities, and sports teams, many prefer the comfort and ease of sweatshirts to sweaters. “Sweatshirts are a lot more convenient than sweaters. You have a hood and this giant pocket that you can throw everything in. I can store everything in there — my phone, pencil pouch, calculator,” Aparna Yellapragada (11) said.
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...