![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
Valentine’s Grams brought back: Students buy flowers and chocolates to send to peers
Selin Sayiner (11) types her name, recipient’s name and the type of gram that she wishes to purchase on an online order form outside of Manzanita during long lunch. A Google form was sent out to all students on Jan. 23 to expedite the process of buying Valentine’s Grams and was available until Feb. 3.
February 21, 2017
Student Council sold Valentine’s Grams in person from Jan. 23 to Feb. 3 to raise money for their individual classes.
This year, Valentine’s Grams came in three different options. A single rose could be sent to a person of your choosing for $5, a box of chocolates for $5 and a rose and a box of chocolates combo for $10.
“You can write your name down and select which gram you want, or you can order them online, which is what everyone’s doing,” freshman class spirit coordinator Adhya Hoskote (9) said.
A Google form was sent out to all students on Jan. 23 to expedite the process of buying Valentine’s Grams and was available until Feb. 3.
On the Google form, students were required to fill out their email address, first and last name, grade level, recipient’s name, grade level and advisory, a message that they would like to have displayed on the Valentine’s Gram as well as the contents of the gram.
The form stressed the importance of keeping the personalized messages clean and appropriate.
Junior class spirit coordinator Amitej Mehta (11) volunteered to sell Valentine’s Grams and enjoys them more this year in comparison to previous years.
“In other years, students just got a rose,” he said. “This year, you get the option of buying just a rose, chocolates or both. It’s a bit pricier, but way better than other years’ grams.”
This year, the prices of the grams increased, causing sales to decrease from last year.
“They’re so expensive,” Lauren Napier (11) said. “I used to be able to buy Valentine’s Grams for all of my friends, but because of the jacked-up prices, I can only send them to two or three of my best friends, which is bad because I want to buy everyone one for Valentine’s spirit.”
Students will receive their Valentine’s Grams during advisory on Feb. 10.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on February 21, 2017.
