![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–1/5
Student Directed Showcase, American Math Council exams and the Harker Winter concert are coming up in January and early February. Many of these announcements were presented by clubs during school meeting on Jan. 5.
January 6, 2016
Harker HELM is launching its magazine this semester. The theme for the 2016 issue is space, which is open to interpretation. Submissions must be emailed to [email protected] by Feb. 15.
The American Math Council (AMC) exam will be held on Feb. 2. Interested participants must sign up for the test by Jan. 8 here.
Track and field signups will be held by Coach Chisam this Thursday during long lunch outside Manzanita Hall.
The Saratoga Gym will be open for boys volleyball tryouts on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Boys soccer won against Cupertino High School on Jan. 2 and Valley Christian High School on Jan. 4. Their next game will be at Sacred Heart Preparatory on Jan. 6 at 3:30 p.m.
With a record of 11-2, varsity boys basketball will play today at 6:30 p.m. against The King’s Academy High School.
The Harker Archery Club is selling brownies and milk tea outside Manzanita Hall during long lunches and after school this week.
The Harker School Performing Arts Department will hold the annual Winter Concert on Jan. 15, where middle school and upper school bands will perform at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. respectively. The concert will be held at the Mexican Heritage Theater, and tickets can be found at [email protected].
Harker Spirit is hosting a ski trip to Squaw Valley on Jan. 16. Details have been sent in an email, and students must RSVP by Thursday to confirm participation. Spirit will also hold an ice skating social on Jan. 22.
Student Directed Showcase (SDS) will be held on Jan. 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. in the Blackford Theater. Tickets can be purchased at [email protected]. Auditions for the next showcase will be held next week, and students can join the Conservatory class on Schoology for more information on the auditions.
ASB is implementing the emoji system to rate cleanliness in Manzanita Hall. If the students receive a “poor rating” for three consecutive days, the kitchen staff will not serve fries the subsequent week. If they receive the highest rating for five consecutive days, student council will hold an ice cream bar outside Manzanita.
Academic dean Evan Barth discussed course planning and selection for the upcoming school year. On Jan. 21, students and parents can attend an information session on course selection. Additionally, a form detailing planned course selection is due to Derek Kameda on Jan. 26. Students can log into the Naviance Portal through the Harker website to choose courses for the upcoming year.
