![“[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)
Students perform at Santana Row Tree Lighting Ceremony
Varsity dance kicks in their routine at the Santana Row Tree Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday. Multiple dance groups ranging from the Lower School to the Upper School participated in this annual performance last year.
November 16, 2016
Downbeat, Kinetic Krew and both the junior varsity and varsity dance dance teams performed at the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Santana Row.
They were accompanied by the lower and middle school dance groups Showstoppers, High Voltage and Dance Fusion. Many other Bay Area schools and dance studios also performed at the event.
In addition to the several performances, the event featured a scavenger hunt and live music as well as promotional offers on food and beverages. Miss California 2016, Jessa Carmack, served as the hostess for the tree lighting. Kida Burns, the winner of season 13 of “So you think you dance,” also performed as part of the ceremony.
This performance is unique in that it is one of the few times Harker dance groups performs for the public, and the performers themselves vary in grade from elementary school to Upper School.
“I especially enjoyed performing in front of the enormous and engaging audience,” varsity dance team member Chloe Chen (9) said. “The energy and support from both team members and the crowd added to the exhilarating experience.”
The junior varsity dance team performed a rendition of “What’s This,” a song from Fall Out Boy’s album “A Christmas Carol.” The dancers also used candy cane props to supplement their performance.
“It’s interesting because there’s audience on three sides of the stage, and the stage is a lot smaller than some of the other stages that we perform on,” junior varsity dance team member Miranda Larsen (11) said. “The environment is really fun because it’s super busy and chaotic.”
The next event for these dance groups will be at Big Assembly Day (BAD) in December.
Varsity dance perform with candy cane props at the Santana Row Tree Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday. Multiple dance groups ranging from the Lower School to the Upper School participated in this performance.
