![“[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)
Harker holds annual homecoming dance
The homecoming court walks down the Nichols staircase to make their entrance. The dance took place on Friday, Nov. 4 in the Nichols Atrium.
November 5, 2016
The Upper School’s annual homecoming dance was held on Friday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the Nichols atrium.
Usually, the dance takes place in the gym, but due to construction, the space was too limited. Typically a senior fundraiser, the dance this year became a junior fundraiser when the seniors decided to drop it.
“In terms of the actual dance, there’s not much planning that has to go in,” junior spirit coordinator Amitej Mehta said. “Kerry [Enzensperger] said that she handled just the basic snacks and the basic decorations. Our job is to basically just check in, set up, and clean up.”
Amitej and Vanessa Tyagi (11) took the job of checking people in before the dance.
Around the dance floor, small tables were set up with food such as jelly beans on them for dancers to snack on. Additionally, a larger table at the entrance offered more snacks and drinks.
Similar to last year, the dance occurred the night before an SAT testing date, deterring some students from attending.
Those who did attend enjoyed themselves dancing with friends.
“I think it’s fun to get a moment to hang out with friends and get a break from school,” Karen Krause (10) said.
The homecoming DJ was the same DJ as 2016 prom. Because he was popular, the school decided to use him again. He played older songs such as “Juju on That Beat” and “Partition” in addition to slower songs such as “You Belong With Me” and “A Thousand Years.”
Those who chose not to dance sat outside in Rothschild Commons in the chilly nighttime air.
The homecoming game starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5.
