![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
2015-2016 SDS cast list announced
Courtesy of the Performing Arts Department
The four SDS shows this year are “The internet is distract- Oh look a kitty!” “The Final Dress Rehearsal,” “Selfie” and “Cheating Death.” Rehearsals for SDS will begin on Nov. 9.
The cast list for the 2015-2016 Student Directed Showcase was posted on the door of Patil Hall last Friday afternoon.
The four SDS shows this year 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). Auditions were held on Oct. 13 and qualified as a workshop for anyone in the certificate program.
Mary described the process of how she chose her cast.
“During callbacks, we had the people we [had] called back for certain roles read for each part in various scenes,” she said. “I looked at how well they took direction, how enthusiastically they went with interpreting the character and their choices, and how well they worked with others in the scene.”
The director of each show selected the people who were most appropriate for their plays. Factors used to select these people included enthusiasm, character interpretation, and how well each person fit into a role.
Markus Wong (10), who was selected to be part of “The internet is distract- Oh look a kitty!” expects this year’s Student Directed Showcase to be a different experience for him than last year’s, which he was also a part of.
“I think this year is a whole different thing,” Markus said. “I’m playing a whole different character.”
Similarly, Sana Aladin (11) also references her past experiences with SDS in her projection for this year’s show.
“I’m really excited,” Sana, who is a member of the cast for Janet’s play “Cheating Death,” said. “I’ve done SDS for two years. It’s low commitment and it’s always really fun. It’s always a good experience and I can’t wait for this year’s.”
Many cast members for SDS are currently working on their roles in the play, “The Laramie Project,” but rehearsals for SDS will begin on Nov. 9.
Alex Wang (12) is the opinion editor for Harker Aquila in his fourth year on staff. He was previously sports editor in his junior year. His favorite part...
