![“[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)
AP exams: the stress factor
Stanley Zhao (11) walks with his pencil case out of an AP exam. AP exams end on May 15th.
As AP exams continue in full swing for the next two weeks, students begin to focus more on studying and preparing for their exams, attempting to manage their time to avoid unnecessary stress.
AP tests began May 4 and the entire school grows quiet during the event. Some people missed classes and others found a seat in the library to open their AP books and study to the end. However, the stress factor does not relate to all students.
Naomi Molin (11) is not stressed about her APUSH exam and feels prepared.
“I would do just a little bit of review everyday but our teacher has been prepping for us all year for this and I trust them,” Naomi Molin (11) said. “I prepare, I study, but I don’t stress out and so before the test and after the test don’t feel different to me. Usually this is like a big relief when you get it done, there’s that, at least it’s over. At the same time, my stress levels haven’t changed.”
Some students felt less stressed due to their experience with the exam. Harry Xu (12), who believes that his score is now out of his control once he turns in his exam, has gained knowledge of the years of taking APs.
“I feel that Harker prepares you really well for APs. Especially the ones I’m taking, like physics and statistics,” he said. “The class structure is really based around previous AP questions and older AP exams and my past experience just taking APs is just like a really big test from the class.
Similar to Harry, Allen Huang (12) interprets his AP exam merely as a large test.
“I guess the closer you get to the test, the more stress you actually have, it’s pretty typical,” he said. “I think it’s no more than a final, but it’s still stressful. You’re a lot more relieved when you’re done with the test and usually I felt pretty good about the past APs I’ve taken so it’s a lot more relief than worry at the end.”
Victor Shin (9) does not take any AP classes.
“I feel relaxed, but next year’s going to be interesting because next year I have two APs,” he said. “I think it’s all about confidence, if you feel prepared, you probably won’t feel frightened about taking APs.”
AP exams continue tomorrow as well, with morning exams on Computer Science A and Spanish Language beginning at 8 a.m. and afternoon exams on Art History and Physics 2 at 12:30 p.m.
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...