![“[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)
‘Tis the season for cans for charity
Juniors work with one another to put together the cans their class donated to the food drive.
After a day of using weed wackers and hackers in the overgrown orchard, Spanish teacher Diana Moss and Kevin Moss (‘14) fought until they could see the remaining fruit trees.
Like the Moss family, students and faculty have begun donating their time and money. The holiday season comes with an influx of charity and donations. Partnered with the Spirit Club and Distributive Education Club of America (DECA), the Students for Charitable Causes (SFCC) Club held the Second Harvest food drive, collecting non-perishable foods to donate in a class competition format.
SFCC president Glenn Reddy (12) hopes to see the classes work together to donate as much as possible.
“We’ve seen donations drop off in the last couple years, so we’re really hoping to turn that trend around,” he said. “We’ve partnered with Spirit [Club], and we’re working with DECA to support the Second Harvest food drive.”
Several faculty members extend their donations to the entire year.
Moss, who supports many organizations, also donates online on a monthly basis. Evenly spread out donations are typically a better way for groups to receive money because they can expect an income, according to Moss. In December, each of Moss’s family members pick and organization for another family member to donate to in their name.
History teacher Carol Zink also volunteers in homeless shelters, food banks, and veterans’ organizations among other groups throughout the year.
“I feel that I am a very fortunate person, I have a good life, I’m comfortable and I feel that I have the obligation to help the people who are not as comfortable as I am,” she said.
Recently, some classes have been learning about the theory behind charity and giving. Zink’s classes are currently studying universal obligation, a term that refers to how much people are willing to extend themselves to help others, who typically include their immediate family and close friends.
“I think it’s a matter of empathy,” she said. “Maybe you don’t think you’ll ever be homeless, but if you just imagine for a few minutes what it must be like to sleep outside and not know where your next meal is coming from, how can you not try to help?”
Several students from SFCC in varying performing arts groups will set up a show and sing songs from choirs to those at the Bridgepoint Senior Living Point later in the year.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on Nov. 21, 2014.
Priscilla Pan is the features editor for the Winged Post and co-creator of In a Nutshell. She is a senior and has been part of the journalism program for...