![“[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)
Seniors travel to Southern California for class trip
Visitors relax on Laguna Beach. Normally, the water closest to the shore is mild, anywhere from 60 to 70 degrees (courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).
May 5, 2016
The class of 2016 will travel to the Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, California, and Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, for its class trip from May 14 to May 17.
Trip adviser Anthony Silk organized the trip to celebrate graduation and to provide a last chance for the senior class to bond. The seniors will spend time at Laguna Beach on Saturday and Monday and will visit Disneyland on Sunday. The itinerary features an advisory dinner held on the first night, a pizza and ice cream party on Tuesday, and a movie showing with popcorn on the final night of the trip. Optional activities include morning yoga in front of the ocean, a sandcastle building contest, and a beach volleyball competition.
Other activities offered at the Surf & Sand Resort include swimming, kayaking, and surfing. Seniors can also enjoy themselves shopping in the town of Laguna Beach.
Students will leave at 8 a.m. on May 14 by bus and will be back by the night of May 17.
The trip marks the conclusion of the seniors’ high school careers.
“[I’m looking forward to] school ending, to be honest, and just to be able to go somewhere like a beach with all of my friends,” Calvin Kocienda (12) said. “We don’t have anything explicit planned in mind; we can just improvise on the go, and I think that’s where most of the fun lies.”
With school out of the way and graduation just a few days away, seniors will be able to relax, rejuvenate and take a break from schoolwork, extracurriculars and other obligations.
“I just want to enjoy the time, relax, get my mind off a lot of things like schoolwork and a bunch of other things and just hang out with my friends and have a nice time,” Elijah Edgehill (12) said. “I’m looking forward to laying on the beach and swimming.”
Along with beach activities, students will be able to enjoy what the Disneyland theme park has to offer.
“We’re going to go to Disneyland, chill on the beach and eat food,” Kristen Park (12) said. “I’m most excited about going to Disneyland, the happiest place on earth.”
Advisers and organizers of the trip hope that the trip will give seniors the opportunity to have fun and relax while making memories with their classmates.
“I hope that [the seniors] spend the time reflecting on their last four years, the friends they’ve made and perhaps reconnecting with friends they haven’t seen for whatever reason,” trip adviser and math teacher Anthony Silk said. “Mostly just letting them spend some time with each other with a no pressure situation, no grades, just having a good time and thinking about their memories at Harker.”
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on May 4, 2016.
