![“[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)
Students prepare for AMC 10/12
Ryan Adolf (9), who will take the AMC 10A, reviews a recently passed back Precalculus quiz. The main purpose of the AMC 10 and 12 is to increase interest in mathematics and to develop talent through solving challenging problems.
January 28, 2016
The American Mathematics Competitions 10A and 12A (AMC 10A and 12A) will be held on Feb. 2 at the upper school.
The exam will take place in the morning on a special schedule so students will not have to miss class.
Held by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), scoring high on the AMC 10 and 12 allows students to move on in a series of examinations, including the American Invitational Mathematics Explanation (AIME) and the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO and USAJMO).
Every year, there are two chances to take the AMC 10 and 12. The second offering of the exam, AMC 10B and 12B, will take place on Feb. 17.
“The reason for that is in case a student is not able to take it on the A day, they have an alternate,” said Dr. Anuradha Aiyer, upper school mathematics teacher and Math Club advisor. “The other reason is that some students want to have a second shot, because then they feel they may be able to get a higher score. The A comes first, so they get a preview and then they can take the B, hoping they can get a higher score.”
Signups for the A exam concluded on Jan. 8, and people interested in taking the B exam were required to speak to Dr. Aiyer or math teacher Anthony Silk. In order to take the AMC 10B or 12B, participants had to be active Math Club members as determined by the officers.
In previous years, the upper and middle schools had around 110 to 130 students take the A exam and approximately 30 to 40 students take the B exam. About 10 to 20 students then qualify for the AIME.
For any nervous students, Dr. Aiyer offered some advice.
“You actually get penalized for guessing. The best thing to do if you don’t know the answers or you’re not able to eliminate some of the answer choices is to leave it blank,” Dr. Aiyer said. “I think the best way to prepare is to do some of the older questions.”
The next math competition that Math Club will participate in is the A-Star Math Tournament on Feb. 13.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on January 27, 2016.
