![“[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 students celebrate Diwali
November 16, 2015
Flickering flames in intricately painted oil lamps light up people’s houses and yards as they celebrate Diwali. Lights shine brilliantly all around the world on Wednesday and Thursday as Indian families everywhere celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights.
Diwali marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. During the festival, some families and friends conduct a religious ceremony, called a puja, to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. Following the puja, Hindus light lamps, called diyas, and enjoy elaborate meals followed by special desserts with family and friends.
There are many variations in how people recognize Diwali, so the way it is celebrated differs between families. Ayush Alag (9) and his family have a relatively simple way of honoring Diwali.
“We just do a religious prayer, and we lit a candle, not much actually,” Ayush said.
Others attend large social events and have a less religious view of the festival. Instead of pujas or going to the temple, they honor Diwali by enjoying time with friends.
“We usually have parties every year over the weekend where we do firecrackers and everyone just gets together and eats sweets,” Akshaya Vemuri (10) said.
Certain families have detailed festivities involving several different Indian customs, and have both social and religious aspects to their celebrations.These rituals are more traditional for North Indians to part take in.
“We light the diyas and we put them all around the house, we have family over, we do the firecrackers, we go to the temple, we eat a lot of sweets and we give each other gifts,” Payal Patel (11) said.
Even though Diwali is celebrated a different way by each family, it’s significance remains the same to the Indian community.
Diwali is a major festival to a large number of people, and President Barack Obama delivered a speech talking about it’s significance to those who participate in it while wishing everyone a Happy Diwali.
“Diwali– the festival of lights. When members of some of the world’s greatest faiths celebrate the triumph of good over evil,”Obama said.“This coming Saturday, Hindus, Sikhs, and some Buddhists here in America and around the world will celebrate this holiday by lighting diyas, or lamps which symbolize the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.”
Obama concluded his speech by saying, “I am happy to light the White House Diya and wish you all a Happy Diwali and a Saal Mubarak.
