![“[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)
Archery club shoots into action
Dylan Hwang (10) prepares to shoot an arrow. Dylan is the 9th ranked junior archer in the United States.
Archery Club held its most recent meeting to discuss plans for the coming weeks on April 6 during long lunch.
The leaders of the club are Dylan Hwang (10), 9th ranked junior archer in the United States, president of the club, and Jay Paranjpe (10), the vice president.
“Since I already had some background in practicing and teaching archery, I figured it would be a good idea to try and seek the opportunity to create an archery club in order to not only promote archery, but also to teach archery not only as a physical sport but also mental,” Dylan said.
They will be instructing club members on form while holding the bow and safety issues that are to be avoided before going to practice. They will train with the equipment at an archery range called Black Mountain Bowmen on Saturdays. Dylan states that, by teaching the members beforehand, they can go straight to shooting.
Jay also explains how the club will teach its members.
“We also have programs in which we can learn about Olympic or competitive archery and different styles,” he said.
Archery Club is open to all students regardless of skill level and is willing to students the basics.
Member Raveena Panja (9) has shot before, but is still a beginner.
“I joined the club because I’ve always been really interested in the concept of archery. I always find those kind of things fascinating. It’s just a little hobby I like to do in general. So I was really happy when they actually had an archery club because I don’t always get the time to do it regularly,” she said. “I usually only do it over the summer. So now, I can go to the range every Saturday.”
Member Linus Li (9) did not join the club to learn because he is already an experienced archer. He believes that archery is assumed to be a sport that utilizes only brute strength and agility.
“I joined because one, it’s one of the few times I can access an outdoor range because I’m practicing for national and international competitions and also, I wanted to be able to spread the idea of archery to get rid of any preconceived notions that are affiliated with the sport,” he said.
Alejandro Osorio, computer technician and Archery Club advisor, strongly supports the creation of the club because he has also played the sport.
“So this is definitely something really cool and positive in my eyes because of the direction they actually want to take this. They don’t want to make this a group of people that kind of get together and talk about archery,” he said. “We actually have plans of development for people who haven’t been involved in the sport and have no knowledge of it to actually come in and get training.”
As an advisor, his job is to guide Dylan and Jay in becoming the leaders the club needs.
Club meetings will usually be held on Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. in Room 007 in Main Hall.
This piece was originally published in the Winged Post on April 22nd.
Emma Yu (9) is a reporter for The Winged Post. In her free time, she usually draws, surfs the internet, and hopes for no tests in the upcoming weeks of...