![“[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)
Mobile apps to help exercise
Courtesy of Nike
Many mobile apps can health track fitness. By monitoring various metrics such as exercise quality and food intake, such apps can help individuals monitor their health.
New year, new you. The most common new years resolution is to lose weight, and if yours is getting fit, there is a surplus of apps to get you started. We have rounded up some of the best fitness apps out there, some free and some paid, to get you moving and reach your goals in 2015.
Nike+ Training Club: It features over 100 workouts, all inspired by Nike Master trainers, and helps you achieve your fitness goals. Whether it be strength, toning, or even toning, Nike+ Training Club is there for you.
Incorporating Nike+ Running (for those who want it), you’ll be able to track your progress, number of workouts, minutes and average calories in NIkeFuel, and the level of workout you want.
Runtastic: Runtastic tracks runs, jogs,, bikerides, and walking. Using GPS, it maps your workouts in real time, calculating your time, distance, pace, elevation change and calories, and others to feature a personalized training diaries to monitor your progress.
Not to mention, an integrated music player lets you listen to your favorites to listen to your favorite tunes. Optimise your training goals by selecting your heart rate zone, pace goal, or calorie goal, but for some of those you’ll need Runtastic Pro.
Fitocracy: One of the most talked about apps is Fitocracy, enabljing you to work with trainers to reach your fitness goals, and stay motivated by joining the Fitocracy community.
Use the free workouts or create your own. You can also rearrange workouts, add supersets, and circuits or save routines.
You can also follow other “Fitocrats” for daily inspiration or conversation to support you or even compete for motivation.
Strava Running and Cycling: An alternative to Runtastic, Strava Running and Cycling is a top-notch app for tracking running and cycling.
Recording your running speed and distance traveled, the app also monitors your course taken, combining it with leaderboards, achievements, and challenges.
Fitstar Personal Trainer: FitStar Personal Trainer is one of the Apple App Store’s Editors’ Choice and, like many of the other workout apps, allows our to craft a personalized workout and plan you’ll actually want to use.
FitStar offers videos you can watch on your phone, TV via AirPlay, and fun achievements and social features to motivate you in between workouts.
Kaity Gee (12) is the assistant Editor in Chief of Wingspan. Serving as a reporter for TALONWP freshman year, Kaity has written pieces for Winged Post...