![“[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)
Secrecy in Secret Santa
A notification popped up in the corner of my screen, bringing my attention to five unread messages. I clicked on the jumping icon at the bottom of my desktop and began to read the series of texts from one of my friends: “Hey…I’m just going to tell you. Don’t worry about getting those gifts you want because I’m your Secret Santa.” And in that moment, my only thought was “Why did you have to tell me!”
It’s finally that time of year again: the holidays. Amid the chaos of college applications, preparation for finals and excitement for the upcoming break, the entire community also finds time to celebrate the spirit of the season with Christmas decorations in Manzanita, winter-themed spirit events, and perhaps the most popular and anticipated activity of all, Secret Santa.
Despite the title, the ironic truth of Secret Santa begins to manifest within minutes after drawing names: it is almost never secret. A few hours after the gift exchange begins, most people begin to speculate who their Secret Santa is due to various hints or rumors, and many figure out their Secret Santa within days of the gift exchange beginning.
One year, my Secret Santa had never spoken to me or met me before the gift exchange occurred; I highly doubt she even knew that I existed up till then. On the first day of Secret Santa week, she walked into the room where she had to deliver the present, placed a gift labelled with my name under the Christmas tree, and left. Since she had no idea what my face looked like, she didn’t realize that she had actually placed the present right next to my chair and given herself away within two hours of the Secret Santa exchange beginning. Accidental reveals like this have happened to me several times in my Secret Santa experiences over the years. These blunders are understandable; everyone makes mistakes at times.
Students pick their Secret Santa presents from a table in the back of the journalism room. This week, many organizations on campus are participating in the Secret Santa gift exchange.
Sometimes people discover who their Secret Santa is by hearing it verbally, whether from the person themselves or others. Most people fail at being secretive in the one activity that values keeping secrets so much that it is in the title: Secret Santa. I’m also guilty of not being able to keep the person I’m buying gifts for a secret from my friends, and it’s one of my guilty pleasures to constantly bombard others with questions until they give up the identities of their chosen people out of irritation.
Although I always make a resolution beforehand to keep the person I choose a secret, I am never able to do it like many others. The question remains unanswered: Why are we unable to keep these small secrets?
At times, it may be insecurity over what to buy as a present. Occasionally, I confide in another person at the cost of not keeping a secret because it’s always difficult to determine what present would be most appropriate for someone who is most likely a complete stranger to me. Choosing gifts usually isn’t a major problem for me though. I learned early on in my Secret Santa experience that chocolate is usually the answer to all of my gift-related conundrums.
For other people (including me), keeping a secret just isn’t fun. What’s the fun in being the only one to know something instead of sharing the secret with everyone else and enjoying it together as a group? I always make sure that I don’t ruin the fun for the gift receivers by revealing their Secret Santas to them because I know how disappointing that can be, so I personally consider it okay to disclose Secret Santas to other people with caution. I’ve heard the saying “secrets don’t make friends” throughout my life, and I’m not going to forget it now.
Many don’t share my view on not keeping Secret Santas a complete secret; for them, it’s an act of rebellion against the tradition. But I believe that the drama and lack of secrecy surrounding Secret Santa just adds to the overall enjoyment and what I perceive as “holiday spirit.” Even though I think it would be interesting for me to actually keep my Secret Santa a secret for one year, its probably not going to happen. After all, sharing is caring.
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...