![“[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)
Famous symbols of love
Heart-shaped cookies, mixtapes and red roses. February is coming soon, and love is everywhere. Throughout history and literature, love has taken many forms, ranging from apples to Romeo and Juliet. Love symbols from around their world have found their way into all cultures.
1. The Heart: The most popular symbol of love, a heart is used to represent the center of emotion, including affection and love, especially romantic love.
2. Golden Arrow: Eros (Cupid) pricked himself with a golden arrow, causing him to fall in love with Psyche. Long after the Greeks have come and passed, Cupid is still a symbol of love around the globe.
3. An Apple: No, not the computer. Also from Greek mythology, Gaia gave Hera apples at her wedding to Zeus. Similarly, Dionysus gave apples to Aphrodite to woo her.
4. Osram de Nsoromma: In this depiction, “The Moon and the Star” is a figure of love, faithfulness, and harmony.
5. The Swan: The swan holds a multiple of representations throughout time. Love, grace, purity, beauty and sincerity, the swan has also symbolized chastity. The Celts believed swans were benevolent deities and legend has it that their images were forged into medallions worn around the neck for protection. In Hinduism, the Swan is known as the Hamsa bird, signifying the divine mind and breath of spirit. Likewise, the swan is a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the purity and love she symbolizes.
6. The Starfish: Biblically, the starfish represents the Virgin Mary. She creates safe travel over troubled waters and also a safe emblem of salvation. They represent infinite divine love, guidance, vigilance, inspiration, brilliance and intuition.
7. Romeo and Juliet: They’re probably the most famous lovers, ever. They have become a synonym for love itself. A tragedy by William Shakespeare, their love story is tragic, breathtaking but nonetheless romantic. Two teenagers from feuding families fall in love at first sight, marry, and become true lovers then die for their own love.
Wherever you go in February, the influence of these famous figures is everywhere, in love, in culture and in art.
Maya Kumar (11) is the Features Editor for the Winged Post. This is her third year in Journalism and her favorite part is collaborating with fellow journalism...