![“[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)
School meeting recap–10/5
Performing arts students talk about plays for SDS. Audition signups begin tomorrow, and auditions will take place on Oct. 13.
Students who are interested in engineering programs can sign up for the Tests of Engineering, Math, Aptitude and Science (TEAMS) competition, which will take place in February. Interested participants can sign up on Athena by Oct. 31 or visit head of the math department Anthony Silk in his room in Dobbins 204 for more information. Previous contestants will not be automatically entered into the competition.
The Harker Eclectic Literary Magazine (HELM) created an online presence for the club. Students can submit poetry, prose and art to HELM by Oct. 31. The topic for this year’s magazine is duality. Past submissions for the magazine can be viewed here.
Career Connect is hosting a LinkedIn workshop during long lunch this Wednesday to. Career Connect will also hold a speaker series during the spring, as well as mentorship programs. The workshop this Wednesday will review the aspects of maintaining a LinkedIn profile.
Clubs who have not yet contacted the yearbook staff for photos should do so by Wednesday.
Student Directed Showcase (SDS) announced the plays for performance this year. The plays are: “The internet is distract- Oh look a kitty!” directed by Mary Najibi (12), “The Final Dress Rehearsal” directed by Maxwell Smitherman (12), “Selfie” directed by Rachel Renteria (12) and “Cheating Death” directed by Janet Lee (12). Sign ups will start tomorrow and auditions will be held next week on Oct. 13. For students in the certificate program, attending the audition qualifies as a workshop.
The Challenge Success team worked with staff members to create a new bell schedule. The new bell schedule will be piloted January and implemented in the upcoming school year.
Assistant head of student affairs Gregory Lawson reviewed the protocol for students in the event of an earthquake. The general procedure for a student is to duck and cover, shield head and body and keep away from fragile objects and windows.
Varsity football defeated Santa Cruz at the homecoming game on Saturday with a score of 23-13. The team will travel to Oakland on Oct. 3 to face Emery High School for the second league match of the season.
Varsity girls’ tennis beat Pinewood, Crystal Springs and Tamalpais, but lost to Bishop O’Dowd in the Battle of the Bay tournament. The team will face Sacred Heart Prep tomorrow at the Santa Clara Tennis Center.
Girls’ volleyball won against Menlo School. They travel to Notre Dame on tomorrow and will play Mercy Burlingame at home.
Varsity girls’ cross country placed second overall. The team will compete this Saturday at Crystal Springs High School.
Girls’ water polo lost to Santa Clara High School last week but earned a victory over Wilcox High School. Boys’ water polo beat Lynbrook High School and Santa Clara. Both water polo teams host Milpitas tomorrow.
Girls’ golf won against Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory and Mercy High School Burlingame. The girls have a game against Menlo tomorrow.
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...