![“[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)
School meeting recap – 10/27
BEcon took place on Saturday, Oct. 18 and featured many keynote speakers and venture capitalists.
Berries in the orchard will be dedicated to the late Jason Berry this Friday at 3 p.m. Students who plan to attend but have conflicts should inform their coaches or appropriate faculty members.
Red Cross Club is hosting a blood drive from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 3. Sign-ups will take place during lunch two weeks from now. Students must be 16 or older to donate.
Neil Movva (12) won the Harker Tank at BEcon with his invention PathFinder, which aims to assist visually impaired people by translating sight to touch.
The annual pumpkin carving contest will take place tomorrow during long lunch. The competition will begin at the start of lunch, and requires four carvers per grade.
This year’s fall play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will take place at the Blackford Theater this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tickets are being sold in the edge for $8 for students and $15 for adults.
Eagle Update: Girls’ volleyball had two wins last week over Notre Dame San Jose and Menlo School. Girls’ tennis defeated Kings Academy and Crystal Springs last week, and face Sacred Heart Prep and Castilleja this week. Football defeated Emery High School 64-4, and boys water polo lost to Los Gatos and Wilcox last week. Girls’ golf defeated Notre Dame San Jose, and begin the league qualifying tournament tomorrow. Winter sports begin Monday.
There are no alternate schedules this week.
Maya Jeyendran (11) is the Lifestyle Editor of Harker Aquila. She been a part of Harker's journalism program since her freshman year, and has previously...
Justin Su (11) is the Aquila sports columnist. He has been a part of the journalism program since his freshman year. He hopes to bring his passion for...