![“[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)
LIFE self defense workshop teaches students basic skills
Students who attended the workshop practice a skill taught to them. The workshop was held in the Nichols Atrium during long lunch.
LIFE held a self defense workshop in the Atrium to teach students skills that are useful in the outside world during lunch today from 11:20 p.m to 11:50 p.m. The LIFE Board is headed by Jane Keller.
Students involved in planning the workshop expressed the importance of self defense.
“It’s always good to know how to defend yourself when situations arise. LIFE Board member Shannon Hong (11) said
It’s always good to know how to properly defend yourself and I think its a really good skill for our juniors and seniors especially to learn before they go out to college.” Students from all grades attended the class, which not only taught self defense, but also awareness.
“I learned that everyone is suspicious and the most important thing is to be aware,” Aria Coalson (9) said.
People can use self defense during various occasions to protect themselves.
“I’ve been to places that are not so safe before and my neighborhood isn’t so safe so it’s good to be prepared,” Karen Tu (11) said.
Natalie Simonian (11) and Shannon mainly headed the workshop.
“At the meeting, we presented that post from Tumblr and I’ve seen it a lot on my dash, and our friends were complaining about how they were going to survive in later life, so we came up with this program to as much as we can to be able to survive,” Natalie said.
LIFE will also offer more classes in which students can learn useful skills in order to manage their lives. Some of the classes include car basics, cooking, budgeting and first aid.
Sanjana Avula (9) is a reporter for The Winged Post. In her free time she enjoys biking, watching movies, and spending time with her family. Sanjana also...