![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.jpg)
![“[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–11/9
The upper school acoustics group sings “God Bless the Child.” They will perform at the concert “I Dream A World” at 6 p.m. in Nichols auditorium.
November 9, 2015
Assistant head of student affairs Gregory Lawson reviewed the procedure for a school shooting.
The protocol is known as “Run, Hide, Defend.” To indicate a lockdown, the sound of a dog barking will be played on the loudspeaker. Any students indoors should remain inside a classroom; any students outdoors should run away, take shelter from danger and dial 911 immediately.
In the situation of a lockdown, the teacher decides the best course of action to protect the students. All windows and blinds must be closed and all doors must be blockaded with any accessible items, including tables and chairs.
If an intruder does happen to enter the classroom, students must fight back with any weapon and delay the attacker. Once the police arrive on the scene and the intruder is arrested, students will evacuate the premises until the authorities deem it safe to return. Belongings other than keys or cell phones must be left behind in such an event.
Niki Iyer (11) won the girls varsity individual cross country crown for the second time in three years with a time of 17:48 at Crystal Springs. The girls team qualified for the CCS championships which will be held this Saturday at Crystal Springs Uplands School.
Football won against Richmond High School with a score of 50-7. Their current record for the season is 8-2. The team will play Fortuna High School this Friday.
Girls volleyball earned a #3 seed in this week’s CCS tournament. Their next game will be at Harker on Saturday night against either The King’s Academy or Santa Cruz High School. Admission will be charged at all CCS volleyball matches, the fees being $8 for adults and $4 for students.
Girls tennis drew a #8 seed in the CCS team tournament and the doubles team of Pamela Duke and Elizabeth Schick (10) drew a Harker best with a #2 seed in the individual tournament. Girls tennis will play at Santa Clara Tennis Center this Wednesday at 2 p.m. against either Sacred Heart Preparatory or St. Ignatius College Preparatory.
Boys water polo beat Fremont High School, placing third place in the league overall. The team ended their season with a 15-9 record.
Girls water polo beat Milpitas High School with a score of 18-6, concluding their season.
Harker’s Eclectic Literary Magazine (HELM) chose the winners of last month’s submissions for the theme of duality. Lisa Liu (12) won in the writing category and Andrew Skrobak (9) won in the visual art category. This month’s theme is catharsis, and submissions are due by Nov. 20.
Spanish National Honor Society is moving its articles online to their newsletter “El Portico.” The website will include original songs, interviews, comedies and various articles.
The upper school choir is holding a fall concert featuring music of the western hemisphere called “I Dream a World.” Bel Canto, Camerata, Guys Gig and Cantilena will perform in the event at 6 p.m. in Nichols Hall on Thursday. The acoustics group previewed the concert singing “God Bless the Child.”
Permission slips are due Wednesday for the Spirit Club beach trip. The beach trip will take place on Nov. 21.
This Wednesday, Spirit Club is holding a pumpkin pie eating contest outside Manzanita.
There are alternate schedules on Wednesday and Friday to accommodate the GSA assembly and the lockdown drill.
