![“[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)
Conservatory groups perform in annual Holiday Show
Conservatory groups from the Upper, Middle, and Lower schools performed in the annual holiday show for students and faculty to enjoy on Friday, Dec. 9.
December 10, 2016
Conservatory groups from the Upper, Middle, and Lower schools performed in the annual holiday show for students and faculty to enjoy on Friday, Dec. 9.
The show included orchestra performances of holiday favorites, dance numbers to dubstep renditions of Christmas songs and upbeat choir pieces.
“I loved the holiday show,” viewer Alex Chen (10) said. “Especially with the dance performances, you can tell that they put in a huge amount of time and effort into creating intricate and elaborate routines, and I was quite impressed with a number of them.”
For the performers, the holiday show was a chance to display their talent and a way to celebrate holiday spirit.
“[Cantilena] started preparing for the show after Thanksgiving break, so we had two weeks to practice. But I think that what was cool about this song is it’s unusual,” Cantilena singer Millie Lin (11) said. “You might’ve heard the theme from Frozen before, and it’s very low and very tribal, so I think that we prepared for that and approached that in a very creative way.”
This year, due to construction, the Upper School watched the holiday show via a broadcast from the Bucknall campus. The show was was live streamed to the Upper School by San Jose media company, CreaTV. Underclassmen watched the performance in the gym, while upperclassmen watched it in Nichols.
“Speaking for myself, I’d rather see a live performance, but it wasn’t that we thought that this was an improvement. This was about the only game in town,” said Daniel Hudkins, Director of Information Technology Service and Support.
Despite a new way of viewing the show and no shortage of streaming quality difficulties, students and faculty enjoyed the show.
“There were a few moments where the screen glitched or went back to the way it was in the beginning, but it wasn’t a big problem. The show was great, and I definitely enjoyed all of the performances a lot,” viewer Anay Karwal (9) said.
Upcoming conservatory events include the Middle and Upper School Winter Instrumental Concert and the Upper School Dance Production in January.
