![“[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)
STEM Scene
September 8, 2017
HARKER
Siemens
Provided by Siemens Foundation
Research reports for the 2017 Siemens Competition are due on Sept. 19. Reports must be submitted on topics in the following fields: mathematics, engineering, biological and physical sciences. Social and behavioral science research projects are not eligible. Semifinalists will be announced on Oct. 17 and regional finalists will be announced the following day. There will be a Technical Writing workshop on August 31st for people writing papers for the Siemens and Regeneron competitions.
Human Ecology trip to Alaska
Harker’s Human Ecology students spent 10 days in UC Davis, followed by 10 days in Alaska, researching the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems and learning about the issue of sustainable farming. Upper school students also travelled to Costa Rica and learned about conservation efforts and the impact of biodiversity.
GLOBAL
Permafrost Melting
Wikimedia Commons
Permafrost in Alaska and other areas near the poles is currently melting. Researchers monitoring the melting say that by 2050, the frozen ground could completely thaw.
Permafrost, which consists of frozen plants and other organic matter, stores vast amounts of carbon. The melting will worsen the impacts of climate change by releasing this carbon into the air.
As the organic matter thaws, the carbon will be converted to methane and carbon dioxide.. Researchers are currently monitoring the situation to see if there is a way to slow or stop the thawing.
Hurricane Harvey
Wikimedia Commons
Hurricane Harvey, which began as a tropical storm and strengthened into a hurricane over the last week, has passed over multiple cities in Texas, including Houston, where parts of the city have received over 30 inches of rainfall.
Scientists attribute the unprecedented magnitude of the hurricane to several factors, such as the warm water in the Gulf of Mexico and a lack of wind in the upper atmosphere.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on September 6, 2017.
