![“[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)
Student body “blackout” to show support for the world
The French National Honor Society, set up a table outside Manzanita encouraging people to write cards for the victims from all around the world. The words on the cards were mostly thoughtful, concise messages such as “stay strong” and “you are in our hearts.”
November 19, 2015
Students and faculty wore black today to support the victims and their loved ones involved in the recent tragedies in places around the world such as Paris, Beirut and Baghdad.
Students at other high schools and universities across the country also chose to wear black today to demonstrate their solidarity with those affected by the terror attacks.
“I think that wearing black was a great way to show support and empathy for places that had to deal with some awful things recently,” Lily Wancewicz (9) said.
Along with encouraging the student body to wear black, French National Honor Society (FNHS) cut out paper hearts and made them available for students and teachers to write supportive messages to people affected by the recent events all over the world during lunch. The cards will be sent out to those grieving in Paris.
“I believe that it’s important to show our support for any kind of cause, especially with the recent terror attacks,” Samali Sahoo (12), the president of FNHS, said. “It’s not just Paris. We are supporting this cause across the events that have happened in Beirut and Baghdad, and all over the world.”
French teacher Galina Tchourilova, co-advisor of the French National Honor Society, shared her opinion on the school’s solidarity movement as well as the support America has for the citizens of Paris.
“I feel very grateful. The United States went through a similar time after September 11th, and this is a time for French people to go through the same,” Tchourilova said. “We understand them very well after our experiences, and if we all stay together, it will help us get through this difficult time.”
A moment of silence was held at the beginning of school meeting on Monday in honor of those whose lives were affected by the tragedies that occurred around the world.
