![“[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)
Green Team revamps itself with the start of the school year
The Green Team advises students to keep in mind all rules for the Wet and Dry trash system. The Green Team announces its Green Tips every week during school meeting.
August 30, 2016
The Green Team announced the first of their weekly Green Tips during the school meeting on Monday as a part of an effort to reduce the school’s carbon footprint.
The Green Team is a student-based club that aims to increase awareness of environmental issues and promote a more sustainable campus and community. This year, the leadership team consists of President Kshithija Mulam (12), Vice President Satchi Thockchom (11), Public Relations Officer Rachel Cheng (12), Secretary Anika Banga (11), Green Tip Chair Sanjana Marce (12), Earth Week Chair Lindsey Trinh (12) and Picnic Chair Aria Coalson (11).
“[The Green Team] has a lot of great ideas this year,” Green Committee Co-Chair Dr. Kate Schafer said. They’re going to sponsor some service trips that are related to sustainability and green activities, and they’re going to be part of the coastal cleanup in September.”
During the school meeting, the club advised students to bring their own reusable forks instead of using the plastic ones provided by the school, which are not compostable. The use of plastic forks began when the school began remodelling the kitchen, which included the dish station.
“Using plastic forks every day during lunch isn’t preferable, but we are doing what we can to remind students to correctly place their paper bowls and plates in the wet bin, and their plastic forks in the dry bin,” Lindsey said. “If everyone brought their own reusable forks in for lunch every day, this would help the school reduce its carbon footprint.”
The Green Team advised students to bring their own fork from home rather than wait in line to obtain one in the lunchroom. The Green Team announced the first of such Green Tips on Monday.
One of the goals the Green Team set for this year is a larger social media presence. In addition to posting student tips on saving resources at school on Facebook, they also created an Instagram account, which they use to publicize green initiatives and connect club officers with the student body more effectively.
“We decided to become more active and accessible in social media this year in order to get the entire Harker community involved, including the middle school,” Lindsey said. “Everyone can do little things in and out of school to help the environment, and social media is the most effective way to publicize our green tips.”
Sophomore Rohit Mullappalli believes that the Green Team has had a positive effect on the student body, but prefers using the plastic forks.
“I think the Green Team is doing a good job in the distribution of waste and recycling,” he said. “I prefer the plastic [fork] because it is more convenient to use and now people don’t just throw away the silver forks accidentally.”
Students can check out the Green Team’s bulletin board or follow their Facebook and Instagram @harkergreenteam to learn more about the club and receive updates on activities the Green Team will be hosting.
