![“[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)
Red Cross Club hosts annual blood drive
Michael Auld (12) lies down on an examination table as a Red Cross technician prepares him for the donation process. Signups for the 15-minute appointments began last Thursday.
March 2, 2017
The Red Cross Club held their annual blood drive today from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m in the Nichols Atrium.
Students who donated had to be 16 or older and meet certain weight requirements based on their height and age. Students must have received parental approval to participate in the blood drive. Teachers were also allowed to donate blood.
“It’s something that I’ve done for a whole lot of years. I usually donate anywhere between two to four times a year,” biology teacher Gary Blickenstaff said. “I think it’s important that students see that as well and understand the need.”
Red Cross Club President Abha Patkar (11) and Activities Director Andrea Simonian (10) started planning the blood drive towards the beginning of the school year. Due to the ongoing construction on campus, the blood drive this year was moved from its usual location in the gymnasium to Nichols Atrium.
“I think it’s really important because obviously, donating blood is a really good thing; it’s a really good cause,” Abha said. “What the Red Cross does is help people that need aid and who are in need of blood [following] a disaster. One donation can potentially save more than one life, which is a really good thing.”
The other challenge in organizing the drive involved working around the new bell schedule. This year’s block schedule made it more difficult to find a day suitable for the event. Prior to the blood drive, a member from the Red Cross chapter inspected the school to look for optimal locations for the event.
“Having a blood drive here, where it’s definitely much more accessible for students, is really helpful because it’s a facility that happens at the Red Cross chapter.” Andrea Simonian (10). “Some students that might not be willing to drive all the way to the chapter still do want to donate blood and do want to help other people. It’s nice to bring that kind of event closer to where they are on a daily basis.”
If construction of the new performing arts and athletics building finishes by the second semester of the next school year, the next blood drive may be held in the gymnasium.
