![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
Noel Banerjee and Darby Millard will dance at the London New Year’s Day Parade
Seniors Darby Millard and Noel Banerjee perform at the Santana Row Tree Lighting Ceremony with the rest of the Varsity Dance team. The two will be traveling to London from Dec. 26 to Jan. 2 to perform at the London New Year’s Day Parade.
Seniors Noel Banerjee and Darby Millard, accompanied by dance teacher Karl Kuehn, left for London on Friday to perform at the London New Year’s Day Parade.
The two dancers earned the invitation after receiving the All-American award for their technique, style and showmanship at a dance camp hosted by the United Spirit Association (USA) over the summer. The two will join 107 other USA dancers on the trip.
“I’m honestly just excited to see London itself, spend time with [Kuehn] and Noel and meet tons of new people,” Darby said. “And then, of course, I’m stoked to perform in the parade. It will be such an incredible experience.”
The girls are excited by the magnitude of the opportunity.
“This trip is something different than other dance trips I have been on because it is the first time I am traveling to another country to perform, and I could not be more excited,” Noel said. “This is also something that will potentially be televised and is the first time that I will be performing in front of this many people, so I am so lucky and can not wait to have this experience and share it with others.”
To prepare for the performance, USA sent all of the dancers their uniforms and a DVD of the dance they were required to rehearse for the New Year’s parade.
“I feel prepared; it just hasn’t hit me yet. I cannot believe we’re actually going,” Darby said. “It’s so surreal. It feels like just yesterday we were at dance camp.”
Their itinerary, besides the dance rehearsals, includes sightseeing, shopping, a disco cruise and the musical “Wicked” at the West End Theatre. The three will return back to the Bay Area this Friday.
Neha Sunil (12) is the Social Media Editor and Seniors Editor for the TALON yearbook. She has been part of the publication for four years and was previously...
Cindy Liu, Academics Editor for the TALON Yearbook, is a senior and has been on staff for four years. Her favorite part of journalism is being able to...
