![“[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)
Holiday spirit spreads on campus
Delaney Martin (12) decorates the Senior Christmas tree in Manzinita today at lunch.
Colorful lights adorn the hallways of Main, red and silver bulbs embellish the campus greenery, and neatly-wrapped gifts float among students. As the Christmas season quickly approaches, here are a few ways the Upper School is bringing the holiday flavor to campus.
Movie Showing
This Friday, to promote the holiday season, Spirit Club is offering a free screening of Will Ferrell’s Elf, along with art activities and a Christmas-themed dinner.
“We have put together a fun event where there is going to be an opportunity to make crafts and eat Elf’s favorite dinner, which is pasta with syrup,” Upper School clubs coordinator Eric Kallbrier said. “And then we will watch the movie in the Bistro and have some holiday spirit all together as a Harker family to bring in the holiday cheer and get everyone excited about the Christmas break.”
The event will take place at 6 P.M. in the Manzanita Bistro.
BAD Assembly
Next week, on Dec. 12, performing arts groups from all three campuses will be staging the annual Big Assembly Day (BAD) holiday tour.
The performers will start their show at the Blackford Campus, and then travel to the Saratoga and Bucknall campuses during the last Friday before finals week.
Upper School singing group, Camerata, has been preparing for the event, according to Shivani Awasthi (10).
“We are performing to Winter Wonderland, a jazz piece and Christmas song,” she said. “Right now, we are just solidifying the notes and practicing over and over again, trying to get the harmonies right.”
Downbeat member Rishabh Chandra (11) looks forward to spreading the holiday spirit through BAD.
“In the lower school, the students are so excited about christmas time and the holiday season. They can barely stand straight,” he said. “And, in the middle school and upper school, the students are terrified for finals, and the assembly helps to relax that a little. I can see it on everyone’s faces.”
The assembly will take place after lunch, as a part of an alternate schedule.
Decorations
Student council members, along with the maintenance staff, decorated the Upper School campus with Christmas lights, ornaments, and ribbon during the Thanksgiving break.
This annual tradition began a few years ago with the intentions of generating a holiday ambience on campus.
“The decorations are just to foster some christmas spirit when the student come back from campus, and, in some way, to distract the students’ attention away from finals and other stresses,” ASB treasurer David Lin said.
In place of previous years’ window painting competition, Spirit Club and Student Council decided on implementing a christmas tree-decorating class competition to encourage class bonding during the holiday season.
“We got rid of the window painting competition, in favor of the Christmas tree decorating competition, because the window painting got a little messy and was wasting a lot of water,” senior Spirit Coordinator Arjun Ashok said.
On Wednesday, the classes will congregate in Manzanita to decorate their trees with ornaments and handmade “toppers.”
“[Through this activity], we are hoping to adorn the campus with beauty and make it look nice for the holidays,” Arjun said.
Secret Santas
Each year, sports teams, journalism students, and advisories celebrate the holidays by engaging in individual Secret Santa gift exchanges, in which students are anonymously paired up with a “Secret Santa” and a “Secret Santee.”
The Lieberman advisory is participating in its own Secret Santa, carrying on the tradition from last year.
“We did it last year, and it was cool to get a random gift from someone, especially if you didn’t know them too well, so we are doing it again,” Kavya Seth (10) said. “It’s just a fun thing to do.”
Senior Gabi Gupta, a captain of the Girl’s Soccer Team, is organizing a Secret Santa for her team to engage in during their season.
“I want to promote team bonding, and I think it’s a great way to get to know people you aren’t really friends with,” she said. “It’s always nice to have people surprise you.”
As students and faculty members wrap up first semester with finals and college apps, these activities are aimed at decreasing stress on campus, while creating an aura of joy, gratitude, and Christmas cheer.
Anokhi Saklecha (12) is the Global Editor for the Winged Post. She has been in the journalism program for the past three years. She loves the creativity,...