![“[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)
FitBit takes the extra step to go public
FitBit Inc. filed for initial public offering (IPO) on May 7 as it aims to raise stock investments over $100 million.
FitBit Inc. specializes in wearable technology that revolves around maintaining a healthy and fit lifestyle. FitBit Flex, FitBit Charge, and most recently, FitBit Surge are some of the products in FitBit’s line of technology. In the past year, FitBit has sold over 11 million devices of varying models, bringing it revenue of $745 million. The capabilities of the newest model include counting steps, keeping track of sleep activity, monitoring exercises and calories burned and behaving as a normal watch. Besides just monitoring activity throughout your day, FitBit inspires people to gain confidence and work towards their fitness goals. Since its inception in 2007, FitBit has faced rapid growth as as a startup and has attracted consumers with its uniquely tailored exercise programs.
FitBit’s immediate competitors in the market would be Apple Watch, Samsung and Microsoft who all have developed different models of wearable technology. Apple, for instance, already has ideas about how the Apple Watch can be used for fitness as well as extend the capabilities of a normal smartwatch using a bluetooth connection.
“I don’t think the FitBit will exactly get attention from the market because there are so many other competing watches, so I think the Apple Watch will get more attention,” Albert Pun (10) said.
On the other hand, due to its specific use, FitBit might appeal to a different population interested in fitness.
“I think that FitBit will target a very specific audience because there are a lot of people who enjoy fitness, and they want something specific for that. It will come at a cheaper price too,” Andrew Gu (10) said. “In addition, its probably more durable and able to endure certain conditions unlike the Apple Watch for example.”
FitBit will continue its development of wearable technology as it raises investments for future growth.
Vijay Bharadwaj (11) is one of the opinion editors for The Winged Post and Aquila. She served as the assistant opinion editor and the Wingspan copy editor...