![“[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)
Class of 2016 receives senior privileges after February break
Students cross the street after school to buy snacks and drinks. Senior privileges will be enforced after February break.
February 4, 2016
The Class of 2016 will receive their senior privileges starting from Feb. 16 because on-campus construction for the new Events Center will cause them to lose their current parking spots.
These privileges allow the seniors to make use of Harker’s open campus policy. During academic hours when the seniors have free time, they will be allowed to leave campus.
The Feb. 16 date is notably earlier than in past years, as seniors usually have to wait until after Spring Break to be given these privileges. Since the seniors will be losing on-campus parking during the construction later this year, the administration decided to allow the seniors to fully enjoy their new privileges by enforcing them earlier.
“The decision this year came down to the fact that they’re losing their parking a week early due to the new construction so that it wasn’t leaving them with this negativity,” senior class dean Dr. Matthew Harley said. “To start senior privileges early is something they can be excited about.”
In order to use these privileges, the seniors must first get parental approval. Then, they exchange their current student IDs for a red ID that they must show to security when they are leaving campus. Additionally, seniors can only leave campus when they do not have a required commitment, such as a class or a school meeting, and they must sign out before doing so.
Upper School Head Butch Keller is confident that the seniors will be responsible about leaving and returning to campus.
“If I didn’t think that this was a good idea, I would have argued against it,” Keller said. “We’ve had a pretty good year for the seniors, so let’s give them the benefit of the doubt and hope that they take advantage of the privilege without abusing it.”
Senior Luke Wu is excited about the open-campus policy because he can now leave campus during his free period.
“I have a free period, so I really don’t want to stay on campus,” Luke said. “I’d rather go out with friends and enjoy life before college.”
However, seniors who do not have parking spots will not be able to use their new privileges as much as those who do.
“I do not have a parking spot, so I’m not sure how much it will affect me, but I know that the rest of my grade is super excited,” Victoria Ding (12) said. “I’ll probably just go off campus for lunch during long lunches and maybe in the mornings.”
Next year, the Class of 2017 may receive their senior privileges as early as the week after Thanksgiving, also due to the ongoing construction.
