![“[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)
Course selection information night preview
Academic Dean Evan Barth speaks at the annual Harker Summit. Each year, he meets with every member of the freshman class to discuss a course plan for all four years of high school.
January 20, 2016
Academic Dean Evan Barth will host the annual course selection information night tomorrow in the multipurpose room at Blackford at 6:30 p.m. to give students and parents advice about course selection for the coming school year.
He will deliver a presentation with information about new courses, graduation requirements and standardized testing. Additionally, he will give attendees the opportunity to ask specific questions.
Ultimately, he hopes that students are already set in their decisions based on the meetings he has had with each freshman in the fall semester.
“My goal is to empower the students to be informed and make the decisions. This maybe is confirming to their parents that their child has a good plan in place,” he said. “That would be my ideal.”
Some of the most common questions revolve around advancing to honors and advanced placement classes, sports requirements, and taking an academic class in the extra period option slot, which is not permitted.
Kelly Shen (9) does not plan to attend the event because she already has an idea of the courses she will take throughout the rest of high school.
“I just had my meeting with Mr. Barth today, so I think I’m pretty set for course selection for next year,” she said.
For those students who are less certain of what classes they plan to take, the event can prove beneficial.
“Especially when you’re considering into the future maybe two or three years from now, you may not really be clear what courses you’re going to take or what your interests are,” Karena Kong (10) said. “So asking Mr. Barth about the prerequisites and how you can organize your plan is a very good idea.”
In his presentation, Barth will attempt to dispel common misconceptions about courses and expectations for students in general. His “90-10 rule” suggests that 90 percent of common rumors originate from only ten percent of the population.
“When somebody says, ‘No one here gets eight to nine hours of sleep. It’s impossible here at the Harker School,’ well, that’s false,” he said. “There are lots of people, but guess what? They’re not out there broadcasting it.”
The course selection form for the 2016-2017 school year is due next Tuesday for freshmen, sophomores and juniors.
