![“[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)
National Coming Out day to be observed
Members of GSA sell boba outside Manzanita during a fundraiser for their club week last year. GSA members handed out stickers to passing students and faculty on Tuesday.
October 12, 2017
National Coming Out Day, an observance created to raise awareness for the LGBTQ+ movement and community, is coming up tomorrow. National Coming Out Day is a day to celebrate those who have already come out and support those who have not yet done so.
Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) members handed out stickers in front of Manzanita during lunch yesterday and requested that the Harker community wear red to school to commemorate the occasion. Many people also took the opportunity to post their support for the LGBTQ+ community on social media.
“It’s support for the LGBTQ+ student community and teacher community,” GSA co-president Lou Sanche (11) said. “A lot of people choose to come out on National Coming Out Day, because they feel that it’s official and they feel more comfortable coming out.”
Every year, Harker has had a speaker come and talk about the importance of the day and share their personal story during the school meeting preceding the holiday.
National Coming Out Day was founded by gay rights activists Jean O’Leary and Richard Eichberg on Oct. 11, 1988, the one-year anniversary of a National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
“I consider myself an ally of the LBGTQ+ community, and I have many friends who are in the community, both here at school and also in my personal life,” English teacher Ohad Paran said. “I post on all my social media feeds my support and I pledge to help in any way I can, and I facilitate dialogue between members inside and outside of the community to foster better open communication.”
After honoring National Coming Out Day, GSA plans to make a list of important LGBTQ+ figures throughout history on the GSA bulletin board in Main.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on October 12, 2017.
