![“[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)
This week’s student activities included a fundraiser at BJ’s, the annual club fair, and three volleyball games.
“The club fair was definitely the highlight of the week. We’ve seen over 40 registered clubs already, and I’m sure there are going to be more […] it’s another way for kids to get involved and be leaders and have fun,” said Butch Keller, Upper School Division Head.
The senior class held a fundraiser at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse on Labor Day for all Upper School students. The profits will ultimately go towards funds for various expenses throughout the year, according to senior class treasurer Will Chang.
According to Kerry Enzensperger, Director of Community Service, the Club Fair this year included around 50 clubs, several of which are new. Clubs that have not been featured in previous years include Pep Band and the Fishing Club. Additionally, the Harker Improv Troupe provided live entertainment during the Fair, while Robotics utilized the stage to showcase their creations.
Led by team captains Aura Dave (12), Alisha Mayor (12), and Lucy Xu (12), the varisty volleyball team played a total of three games this week. Though this week’s first game against Homestead High School resulted in a loss, the team was victorious against San Lorenzo Valley High School on Thursday with a final score of 25-23 for the third game of the match. Today they will play a home game against Santa Cruz High School.
More events to look forward to next week include the first club meetings of the year, a varsity water polo match, and the Sophomore ropes course.
