![“[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)
The secret history of egg hunting
March 23, 2016
As a child, Jane Keller enjoyed participating in Easter egg hunts in Arkansas and spending time with her family on the holiday.
“Every year my grandmother and then my mother made cupcakes in the shell of ice cream cones that looked like a basket,” Keller said. “They would dye icing green and fresh coconut green as well, so the basket would have grass; then, they put jelly beans for eggs and used pipe cleaners for the basket handle.”
Many recall Easter as the day which is symbolized by the Easter Bunny and artificially colored eggs. Although the holiday is often associated with playful traditions, Easter also holds religious significance to Christians and is one of Christianity’s most important holidays.
The history of Easter eggs is rooted in the Christian religion. Christians believe that Jesus Christ rose from the dead after being killed on the cross, an event showing the dominance of life over death. For Christians, the egg symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“In the past, before Christianity, there would have been no reference to Jesus or his resurrection from the dead,” World religions and philosophy teacher Dr. Ruth Meyer said. “People would not have attended church services to celebrate Easter Sunday, but there would have been nature based celebrations with eggs and rabbits.”
According to Dr. Meyer, the Saxons of Northern Europe believed in the fertility goddess, Eostre, and worshipped her during the spring equinox, a time of rebirth after the long days of the winter. Many believe that Eostre and traditions associated with her gave rise to Easter.
In the 21st century, Easter has become a commercialized holiday surrounded by the Easter Bunny, eggs and celebration, with pieces of historical background attached.
A popular celebration is the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, hosted by the First Family. This year, dubbed “Let’s Celebrate,” marks the 138th White House Easter event. Some festivities include live entertainment, sports and the tradition of rolling Easter eggs.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on March 23, 2016.
