![“[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)
Fashion Apps for iPhones
The Hunt is an app that enables users to peruse fashion from their iPhones. The primary purpose of The Hunt is to locate clothing seen in pictures online.
1. Polyvore
Although Polyvore did not start as an app for smartphones, its convenience for shopping and putting together potential outfits has spread to more platforms than just a computer. This fashion app gives users the unique experience of shopping for clothes, shoes, cosmetics and home decor all in the same place. The app serves as a database to easily access users’ favorite designers and stores in addition to building outfits with any “liked” pieces. When users download the app, it sends notifications when “liked” items are on sale or about to become sold out. If you interested in expanding your style or closet, Polyvore is the app for you.
2. Stylebook and Stylebook Men
Although this app costs $3.99, it certainly pays off. The app is used to curate a user’s own closet to build everyday outfits for them. As opposed to the Polyvore app, this app does not serve to sell items, but instead provides an easy platform to create outfits. After downloading the app, the user simply takes pictures of each item in their closet and fills out basic information about each piece. With a simple click, Style Book builds unique outfits from the clothes uploaded while taking into consideration the information given by the user. When outfits are generated, users also have the ability to edit and change certain pieces out for others to see how it looks before putting it on. The app also offers statistics of the users outfits over the past month by showing how many times pieces were worn.
3. The Hunt
Do you have outfit envy? This app allows users to either upload a picture or a description of any piece of clothing, jewelry, makeup or pair of shoes and allows fellow users to give advice as to where to find the piece. If a particular piece of clothing catches the user’s eye that is already uploaded to the app, a user can choose to “follow” the hunt and receive the same updates as the uploader. This app enables users to shop in the most efficient way possible. Instead of forcing a person to hunt down pieces of clothing they covet, this app creates a community that makes being fashion forward with hard-to-find pieces so much easier.
4. Stylekick
Although Polyvore is not exclusively for women, the selection for male-identifying users is slim. Stylekick offers a wider selection for the users to pick from the men’s section. This app combines Polyvore and Stylebook, allowing users to upload pictures of their own clothes in addition to looking for new pieces to build their own outfits. The app then collects information about the user’s choices in pieces and suggests new items based off this information.
Melina Nakos (12) is a reporter for The Winged Post. This is her third year as a part of the journalism program. She loves to spend time with the rest...