![“[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)
Protestors participate in marches following Trump inauguration
Courtesy of Levi Truong
Protestors congregated at a women’s march last Saturday to vouch for women’s rights. Many marched to vouch for numerous causes the day after the Trump inauguration.
January 28, 2017
More than 2 million protesters took to the streets around the world last Saturday to voice their support for women’s rights and gender equality. These protests come just one day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump thus many were also there to protest their new administration.
Here in the Bay Area, hundreds of thousands of people marched and peacefully protested collectively in cities such as San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and Walnut Creek. A predominant theme during the marches were to wear pink hats with cat ears, often called “pussy hats.” These special hats were inspired by Donald Trump’s leaked audio tape where he boasted to radio and television host Billy Bush about non consensually grabbing multiple women’s genitals.
Diane Main, director of learning innovation and design at the Harker Upper School marched in San Jose this past weekend. She thinks the marches helped to unite certain people discontent with the new presidency.
“The march was tattered as a women’s march kind of about equality for women and also guaranteeing women’s health care, but I think it was also an opportunity of people to get together and see how many other people are concerned about the policy changes on the horizon of the new administration,” Maine said.
Alongside women’s rights, the marches expanded to include LGBT rights, gun control, climate change and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Alicia Xu (9) flew to Washington D.C. this weekend with her mother and friends to join the half million protesters then planning to march.
“There is a lot of causes that Trump supports that me and my friends really don’t agree with,” Alicia said. “So a few of my friends and I decided to go to Washington D.C. to make a really big statement and to show what we stood for.”
The march was supported by political figures such as former Republican candidate for governor and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Meg Whitman, San Jose mayor Sam Liccardo, Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez and California Representative Eric Swalwell.
Apoorva Rangan (‘15) marched in Boston with, according to The Boston Globe, more than an estimated 175,000 other protesters, far more than the original 80,000 organizers had expected.
“I think the march was held to show solidarity with other people who are being ignored or put down by recent rhetoric in the white house and in the nation at large,” Rangan said. “That could be women, religious groups, immigrant and refugee communities, and environmental groups.”
