![“[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)
Cyber Monday sales growth lags
Courtesy of Amazon
The beginning of the holidays. Filled with festivities, merriment, and… web surfing?
Yes, Cyber Monday is the consumer industry’s attempt to entice buyers across the country (and, increasingly, the globe) annually as retailers slash prices. Cyber Monday sales grew by 8.5% over the same day in 2013, according to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark.
The term was coined by a trade group, the National Retail Foundation (NRF), in a 2005 press release.
“While traditional retailers will be monitoring store traffic and sales on Black Friday, online retailers have set their sights on something different: Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, which is quickly becoming one of the biggest online shopping days of the year,” the group declared. “For the past few years, online retailers have found that sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving have been creeping higher, giving retailers an additional reason to be jolly during the ceremonial kickoff to the holiday season.”
Five years later in 2010, Cyber Monday became the biggest national online shopping day, the Associated Press reported. According to NPR, Cyber Monday hit a record of $2 billion in sales last year, up nearly 20 percent over the same time in 2012.
Apple and Google have attempted to capitalize on impulse buying with smartphone services such as Pay and Wallet respectively, which allow for purchases at stores with the touch of a finger. Mobile sales accounted for 22% of all Cyber Monday sales, the Associated Press said.
Amazon, Target & Walmart, among many others, have even extended the occasion, promoting a “Cyber Monday Week”. Amazon has been offering deals since Nov. 21.
Some compelling Cyber Monday tech deals on Amazon.com included an unlocked Fire Phone for $199, down from $649, and an LG 49-inch 4K TV for $999, down from $1599. Clothing stores such as Macy’s and Gap had clearance sales of up to 40 percent.
To compete with online retailers, brick-and-mortars have introduced discounts once reserved for Cyber Monday in advance, such as free shipping. Walmart said it received the most online orders in history in a single-day period. Their top sellers yesterday in electronics included Apple’s iPad mini tablet and Sony’s PlayStation gaming console.
On campus, attitudes ranged from indifference to elation at the prospect of deals. Sophomore Sarisha Kurup views the day as more hype than reality.
“America has a huge consumerism problem, and I think Black Friday and Cyber Monday are only pushing that problem further toward the edge,” she said.
Abhinav Ketineni (11) projected his general disinterest for Cyber Monday, but conceded that the discounts are sometimes tempting.
“I’ve never been particularly invested in the idea of a big shopping day,” he said. “Admittedly, every now and then I do peruse the deals online.”
2014 is the first year that the rate of growth of Cyber Monday sales declined.
Shay Lari-Hosain (12) is the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Wingspan Magazine. Shay has interviewed 2013 Nobel Laureates, authors like Khaled Hosseini...