![“[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)
Rain, rain, come again
The recent shower reminds us of how little we can take for granted.
Kurt Schwartz (12) and Stephanie Huang (12) react to the rainfall on Wednesday afternoon. Students have started appreciating rainfall much more following the severe drought.
On Wednesday afternoon, the clouds suddenly turned a murky gray and the air became humid, forecasting rain. Sure enough, a few droplets soon fell from the sky as students looked up eagerly, anticipating more.
Then, the rain stopped. Less than thirty minutes of drizzle.
This is the fourth consecutive year of California’s severe drought, with its highest average temperature in 120 years and numerous recurring wildfires. Lake levels are down to around fifty percent of their original height. Recently, Californians have responded with drastic measures to conserve water, reducing their average water consumption by over 31 percent in July, exceeding Governor Brown’s goal of percent.
We rarely take time to stop and appreciate the little things that nature gives us, like water. Only when a drought becomes so severe that lakes are threatening to dry up do we truly start to understand the important role that nature plays in our daily lives. Only when the Governor declares California in a state of emergency do we start to take action.
An overcast sky looms over Davis Field on Wednesday. The clouds were a rare sight in San Jose where temperatures rose as high as 97 degrees Fahrenheit in September.
Despite the relatively short duration of rain, many students took the time to appreciate it even in its small quantity, as the rain that day was a good premonition of more to come.
“I thought it was very pleasing,” Jonathan Hochberg (12) said. “I, for one, very much enjoy rain, and I understand that it’s beginning to alleviate the drought.”
Students and teachers alike recognize the importance of conserving water because of its shortage and many have taken unique approaches to save water.
“Three years ago, I made a deal with my advisory,” Spanish teacher Isabel Garcia said. “We would time ourselves in the shower and put a watch or a stopwatch outside to time ourselves. Five minutes for boys and people with short hair, and ten minutes for the girls. I still do it now.”
Due to the drought, both students and teachers are also learning to appreciate water more.
“It’s good to appreciate nature while we can,” Garcia said. “Now because of the drought, we see a cloud and feel a few drops from the sky and everybody’s so happy and thankful about it. In a few years we might be desperately lacking something something else, so we should learn to enjoy everything we have right now.”
Rain is such a precious commodity right now, and we need to cherish it more than ever because of the drought. The old proverb that says to “learn to stop and smell the roses” has never been more true. We should all take some time to smell the roses — before they dry up. The next time it rains, treasure the moment, for it may be a long time before it rains again.
Lavinia Ding is a senior and the Organizations Editor for TALON Yearbook. This is Lavinia's fourth year on journalism staff, and she enjoys making atrocious...