![“[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)
Students find enjoyment in collecting sports “swag”
A variety of collectible sports items. Many students at the upper school show their support for their favorite teams by either wearing apparel or collecting items such as posters.
March 9, 2017
From apparel and homeware to stationery and pet supplies, collectible sports “swag” has become a popular way of supporting one’s favorite sports team.
Whether it be football, basketball or any sport for that matter, all sports have a wide variety of apparel and other tangible collectible items for public consumption.
Many individuals in the Harker community often support their favorite sports teams by wearing clothing and accessories or maintaining a collection of posters, photographs, mugs and other collectible items.
“[Supporting a team] makes you feel like you’re a part of something big especially if you’re someone who’s moved away from this team,” Jay Paranjpe (12) said. “A lot of seniors are going to college, it makes you feel like you still have ties to your hometown, or you’re still a part of where you grew up.”
Apparel has become a popular way of representing support for one’s favorite sports team. The Golden State Warriors, a basketball team centered in Oakland, CA, has a plethora of jerseys, sweatshirts, shirts and hats on the NBA official store. Similarly, the official online store of the San Francisco 49ers offers a variety of clothing options, including customizable jerseys.
I have my lucky Warriors sweatshirt and I have a pair of Warriors socks and a Warriors beanie,” history teacher and Warriors fan Andrea Milius said. “I don’t have a jersey, but I was thinking about getting a jersey. I would get Shaun Livingston or maybe [Stephen] Curry.”
While numerous students enjoy wearing apparel of a certain team, the notion of collecting jerseys is also common among students.
“I like collecting jerseys,” Constance Horng (10) said. “They’re a great way to show your enthusiasm and pride for a team or for a player.”
Some decide to wear clothing such as jerseys and shirts with a specific team’s logo on them to show confidence in the team they’re supporting.
Besides clothing, sports fans can also purchase and collect a number of items such as cups, flags, blankets and even pet supplies to show their support.
