![“[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)
Obama speaks at Democratic National Committee fundraiser in San Francisco
President Barack Obama spoke at the Democratic National Committee fundraiser. The fundraiser took place at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco on Saturday.
President Barack Obama appeared at the Democratic National Committee fundraiser, raising support for his party on Saturday morning at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco.
The Golden State Warriors, Oakland mayor Libby Shaaf and Kanye West were also in attendance at the event.
Obama addressed a crowd of 1,300 donors. The crowd in the theater welcomed him with cheers of support.
In his short speech, Obama spoke about the actions of his administration, from the Affordable Care Act to the creation of jobs.
“There’s almost no measure by which we’re not better than when I took office,” Obama said.
He also addressed climate change and gun control, heavily disputed topics amongst Democrats and Republicans.
Revisiting the economic crisis and Osama Bin Laden, the president joked about Republican negativity towards his actions throughout his term and questioned the energy of his critics.
“Why are so many Republican politicians so down on America,” he said. “Why are they so grumpy?”
After West announced his 2020 presidential campaign in August, Obama gave the musician a couple political pointers. The president talked about how in politics, one has to deal with people who think they are on reality TV. To end his advice to West, the President joked about his opinion for the musician’s political ambitions.
“Do you really think this country is going to elect a black guy from the south side of Chicago with a funny name to be president of the United States?” he said “That’s crazy.”
Tickets for the venue ranged from $100 for students to $10,000 for a picture and prompt meeting with the president.
Logan Drazovich, who attended the event, reflected on his experience.
“Overall it was amazing event. Both Obama and Kanye are big leaders and influencers politically and culturally so it was fun to hear them,” he said. “The Warriors being there was really the icing on the cake.”
Before Obama’s appearance, Shaaf introduced the Bay Area’s 2015 NBA champions: the Golden State Warriors. The team was welcomed onto the stage wielding the massive championship trophy. League MVP Stephen Curry related the hard work of his team to the commitment and determination of the Democratic Party and its supporters, manifested by donations at fundraisers like the one he spoke at on Saturday.
Though they never stood on the stage together, Democratic advocate, Kanye West, demonstrated his advocacy by putting on a performance. Obama has a rocky history with West, after condemning his behavior at the 2009 VMAs and again in 2012 for acting irrationally.
After spending less than 24 hours in the Bay Area, Obama flew to Los Angeles for more fundraising to ensure the success of his party.
Michael Sikand (11) currently serves as a social media editor for Harker Aquila, managing the outward appearance and reach of the online news site. This...