![“[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)
Uber closes new financing round
Courtesy of Uber
Uber raised $1.2 billion in financing on Thursday. The company is currently valued at around $40 billion and is looking to expand its services to more countries.
Uber closed a new funding round, raising over $1.2 billion from investors, on Thursday.
Uber is a new form of taxi transportation that allows users to request a car within minutes. Users can ask for cars through their mobile phones and have various options with regards to the type of car they want. From most cost-efficient to most luxurious, Uber offers the UberX, Taxi, Black, SUV, and LUX cars that users can choose from. With this new funding round, Uber is now worth approximately $40 billion, up from its prior value of $17 billion. Uber is now worth more than companies such as Twitter and Tesla.
“Uber has offered a new way of traveling that rests on the power of mobile technology,” Rishabh Jain (12) said. “I personally think Uber will replace the conventional taxi in the coming years.”
Through Uber, customers also have the option to split car fares with the person they ride with. Using Uber’s mobile app, users can carpool with another person and then pay half the price compared to if they ride alone. Through this service, Uber is encouraging customers to ride with each other.
Another feature that Uber allows for is the ability to view prices before requesting a ride, instead of having it vary based on mileage. If users accept the rate and request a car, they can then pay through their mobile phones using e-commerce.
“If I didn’t have a car I think [Uber] would be useful, it’s basically a more efficient taxi,” Justan Su (11) said. “It gives you more possibilities for traveling.”
Uber currently operates in 51 countries and is “expanding globally” according to the company’s website. Popular cities where Uber functions include San Francisco, New York City, Oxford, and Amsterdam.
Uber’s main competitor is Lyft, another company that allows users to request cars whenever they need to get from one place to another. Competition between both companies has been aggressive and both have been trying to steal business away from one another, especially in cities where driving and parking are tough. For example, Uber booked out 5,560 Lyft cars so that Lyft would not be able to provide its services to other customers that same day.
Back in April, Lyft also raised $250 million to more effectively promote its services and compete with Uber. With Uber’s new investment, however, the company plans to expand on its range of services and expand into more countries worldwide.
Vedant Thyagaraj is the Science & Technology Editor for Harker Aquila. He is currently a senior and has been on staff for the past three years. Vedant...