![“[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)
Harker Spirit holds annual pumpkin pie eating competition
Arthur Ye (12), Luke Wu (12) and Maile Chung press their faces into the plastic plates. “When I was eating it I made sure to not look all gross, so when I was sucking it I made sure it didn’t get onto outside my lips so I didn’t look disgusting,” Luke said.
November 21, 2015
Harker Spirit held its annual pumpkin pie eating competition in front of Manzanita during both lunches today.
Participants needed to eat a slice of pumpkin pie without using their hands, and whoever finished first could win a five-dollar Starbucks gift card. At least six rounds of the competition were held during each lunch, the first starting 15 minutes after the bell rang.
Luke Wu (12), the undisputed winner of the fourth round of fifth lunch, won his round several seconds ahead of opponents Maile Chung (11) and Arthur Ye (12).
“The secret is not chewing,” he said. “The secret is to vacuum it to suck it and swallow it.”
Using social media to spread the word, Harker Spirit publicized this event by posting on their Instagram account and their Facebook page.
When Harker Spirit officers plan events, they categorize them into three different levels: low-risk, medium-risk and high-risk. They created these distinctions to allow the entire student body to participate at their level of comfort.
“I’d definitely call this one a high-risk one,” Harker Spirit president Layla Walker (12) said. “You kind of have to put yourself out there. It’s a little intimidating because you come up with your face all covered, but there were so many people watching and so it was fun for the people doing it and for the people watching. That’s really what it’s meant to be.”
The competition occurs each year in order to foster more participation in spirit activities as well as help students unwind.
“We hope that everybody comes out and at least tries to get involved in spirit in some way,” Assistant Director of US Activities Eric Kallbrier said. “That’s what’s going to give you a connection to Harker for now and for your future as alumni. You’ll look back on these events and think, ‘Wow, I missed that. It was a lot of fun.’”
Upcoming spirit events include the gingerbread house contest as well as the tree-decorating contest. Specific dates and times will be announced at the school meeting following Thanksgiving break.
