![“[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)
Upper School reacts to first rainy day of the school year
Droplets of rain cover the statue dedicated to Jason Berry. Last Monday was the first day it rained during the school year.
November 9, 2015
Raincoats, rain boots and umbrellas stored in closets finally saw the light of day.
Today’s rain added to the rainy season kickoff that began in the Bay Area last Monday. Students wore raincoats and carried colorful umbrellas to protect themselves from the cold downpour. Compared to the relatively warm weather San Jose recently experienced, the rain was a change and caused varied reactions among students. Students will see rain again today as they commute to school.
On April 1, Governor Jerry Brown put in place a water restriction, requiring California cities to reduce their water usage by 25 percent and fining households that did not restrict their water use. To fix the drought, California needs about 11 trillion gallons of water.
“[Because of the water restriction], I’m no longer to take extremely long showers, and my grass is turning brown, which my dog absolutely hates,” Sameep Mangat (10) said. “I know that California is in a serious drought, though, so we need to cut back on water until rain comes.”
This fall marks the fourth year of California’s drought. Students recognized the necessity of rain, while still noting its disadvantages.
“We are in a pretty serious drought, so you have to think for the greater good,” Doreene Kang (12) said. “Since people aren’t that used to it in California, they feel bothered by it.”
Although the rain signified a small step towards fixing our drought, it also had negative consequences for the commute to school. Certain students came late to school because of the rain.
According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the first rain after period of dry weather makes the roads most slippery, leading to accidents. Akshaya Vemuri (10) arrived late to school because of the traffic.
“There’s usually a ton of traffic already on the highway since I take 101 and 280, so if I start at seven, depending on the traffic it usually ranges from 7:40 [a.m.] to sometimes 8 [a.m.],” Akshaya said. “With the rain we decided to take a different route but every single possible road to get to school was full of traffic, so it took me an hour and a half.”
Although California obviously needs rain, the effects of one day of rain hardly make a dent in California’s required amount of water. The few hours of rain marked a small step, nonetheless, towards rectifying the drought, despite the longer commute it caused.
