![“[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)
Winter Ball themed New York, New York took place Saturday
January 22, 2017
At around 10:30 p.m., red and gold balloons began falling onto the 360 students who attended Winter Ball. Lights flashed and changed colors from purple to pink, blue and green. A miniature Empire State Building stood in front of cardboard that mimicked the New York skyline. The junior council and Spirit Club hosted the dance, themed New York, New York in the Nichols Atrium from 8 to 11 p.m. on Saturday for students to enjoy themselves.
New highlights accompanied the annual Winter Ball. DJ Myty Myke from the radio station 99.7 NOW played music for the students. Other accents included NY-themed food, such as mini-cheesecakes, a cheese plate and crackers, decorations and a photo booth for the entire night.
“My friends were going too, so I decided to go,” Sara Min (10) said. “It was fun. I like the photo booth, and we ended up taking a lot of selfies in the mirror. The music was pretty good. For some of the songs, I really liked the chorus, but [the DJ] made the instrumental part softer.”
Starting from November last year, Spirit Club and the junior council brainstormed different ideas for the theme, decorations and DJ. Once the theme was selected, the junior council sorted out the logistics, including ticket sales, announcements, and decorations.
“We definitely wanted it to be [a] classy type of vibe yet also a really lively atmosphere for students to have fun and get together with the community,” junior class president Jimmy Lin said. “I think there are definitely a lot of new perks this year. We just definitely feel like it’s going to be a memorable experience for everyone who attends.”
Assistant to Directors of Activities and Business and Entrepreneurship Program Eric Kallbrier offered his parking spot on campus to a student for one week as an incentive to buy a ticket.
“I wanted to help the junior class get as many people as possible, and since nobody could park on campus this year I thought it would be nice to use the parking space as an incentive,” Kallbrier said. “I was just thinking of things that would mean a lot to people. [I feel like] being able to park on campus, not having to worry about walking and being late to class would mean something to some of the older kids on campus.”
Having won the raffle, senior Chris Hailey describes his reactions at the news.
“I was just elated; I can finally park on campus for one week,” he said. “It’s that week of glory where I can come to school with convenience. I was thinking about not going this year, but at the last minute I had this gut feeling to go because it’s my last Winter Ball as a senior, and it definitely paid off.”
Winter Ball was the last dance for seniors before Prom on March 18.
“I usually like dances, and I like hanging out with friends and listening to music,” Noa Sasson (12) said. “I already signed up before Winter Break when they had that half of the advisory [sale], so I got a discount, and that’s basically what incentivized me to buy [a ticket].”
Prom will be the following dance for students.
DJ Myty Myke plays music during Winter Ball. Students from all grades attended the annual dance in the Nichols Atrium on Saturday night.
