![“[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)
Faculty quickfacts: What you don’t know about your teachers
English teacher Marc Hufnagl sang songs from his new CD in the Nichols Auditorium during Wednesday lunch. He released his album “Lunden”earlier in May which is now available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.
While Upper School teachers have a reputation for presenting new material to their pupils in an effective manner, students may not know as much about their teachers as they thought.
When most Harker students see English teacher Charles Shuttleworth strolling down Main Hall, they think of him as stern, with bursts of humor in his teachings. What they have yet to learn is that he biked across the country six times, and rode around 50,000 miles during his travels.
“When I was living in New York, I spent twelve years without a car,” Shuttleworth said.
He relied mainly on bicycle, rollerblading, and walking to make his way around the city.
Shuttleworth also explained that he is a “big enthusiast of the theatre,” as that was another activity he enjoyed in New York immensely.
Although math and physics teacher Anuradah Aiyer may often seem omnipotent, she disclosed the fact that she was not in an Honors math class until her high school senior year.
She eventually taught at Hong Kong International School, where she faced more challenges.
“Space was always a problem,” Dr. Aiyer said, “The same space would be used for classroom and lab work. Everything would be smaller and more compact.”
Dr. Aiyer also elaborated that the Hong Kong International School was “very transient,” whereas some Harker students may even attend Harker from Kindergarten until their graduating year of high school. Despite the changes in her career, Dr. Aiyer already made an impact on students during her first year at Harker.
Chinese teacher Shaun Jahshan, known for her excellence in teaching a difficult foreign language, disclosed the fact that she was “a ski racer on the ski team in high school.”
“I grew up in a ski resort,” Jahshan said.
Another exciting event for her in high school was participating as an exchange student in Sweden.
English teacher Thomas Wicklund, a “Lord of the Rings” enthusiast, revealed that he has “donated [his] hair four times to charity.”
Aside from helping a good cause, “I would love to play guitar again,” Wicklund said.
“My friends and I had a band together for ten years.”
Unlike the other teachers above, math teacher Jane Keller, who has taught at Harker since 2007, said, “I don’t know anything that my students don’t know about me.”
Sure students spend hours a week in class, but it’s often surprising how much more there is to every teacher than that 50-minute class period.
Kshithija “KJ” Mulam (12) is the Winged Post Editor-in-Chief. Serving as the Winged Post News Editor in her junior year, Winged Post Photo Editor in...