![“[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)
Spooky Halloween stories
Harker Journalism took upon the challenge of creating spooky stories with only 55 words. Read what we came up with below!
Johnny, Jill and the Doctor’s Office
“How long will this flu shot take?” asked Johnny from the little red stool at the corner of the doctor’s office.
“It should start working in two hours,” said Dr. Jill. “By the way, do you know where I put my lethal injection?”
She turned around and saw Johnny on the ground, his mouth foaming.
Sweet Dreams, Baby
“I can’t believe it happened so fast!” said Anne.
“I know!” said Mike, cradling the baby in his arms. He gently placed the baby into the white bed, breathing in the clean air surrounding them. Anne let out a single tear.
“It’s getting late,” said Mike, as they left the funeral home.
The Attic
Everyday, I heard a rattling sound from the attic. My mom explained it was just a squirrel.
I tiptoed up once, but didn’t see an animal. My mom saw and yelled at me.
She gave me a cookie, so I didn’t ask her why the boy in the attic was locked in chains or why he had no hands or feet.
Mr. Gilligan’s not-so-happy victory
“And the winner of the Alaskan Costume Competition is… Mr. Gilligan!”
As Gilligan stood up from his seat and accepted his trophy, tears of happiness dripped down his face.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for centuries, thank you so much.”
It was a trap; there was no applause. He fell into never-ending darkness.
Hi, Harvard?
Jane and Lola run to the mailbox, expecting a letter from Harvard, Lola’s new school.
Lola finds an envelope inside, ripping it open to one word in red: “rescinded.”
“What? I did nothing wrong!” Lola exclaims.
Jane smirks.
A month earlier:
“Hi, Harvard? I’ve some interesting news about one of your accepted applicants, Lola…”
Meena Gudapati (12) is the Editor-in-Chief of Harker Aquila. Her favorite part of journalism is making her humorous podcast "Get Skool'd" and writing interesting...
Varsha Rammohan (12) is the co-editor-in-chief of Harker Aquila. This is her fourth year on staff, and she likes journalism since she can meet new people...
Michael Eng (11) is the multimedia editor for Harker Aquila who doesn't do much writing. This is his third year on staff. He enjoys editing videos and...
Aditya Singhvi (12) is a co-managing editor of Harker Aquila. This is his fourth year on staff. Outside of journalism, he enjoys running and watching...
Anjay Saklecha (12) is the Senior Winged Post Copy Editor and Columnist. This is his fourth year on staff. He was the Copy Editor last year and former...
Vijay Bharadwaj (11) is one of the opinion editors for The Winged Post and Aquila. She served as the assistant opinion editor and the Wingspan copy editor...
Zoe Sanders is a freshman reporter for Harker Journalism in her first year on staff. In her free time, Zoe enjoys playing lacrosse, shopping, playing with...
Arushi Saxena (12) is the co-managing editor of Harker Aquila. This is her fourth year on staff, and she hopes to develop her skills as a writer, photographer...
Jenna Sadhu (10) is a Social Media Reporter for the Winged Post and has been a part of the Harker community since Kindergarten. She plays on lacrosse,...
Sahana Srinivasan (12) is the Editor-in-Chief of the Winged Post and Wingspan, having previously served as Managing Editor, Asst. STEM Editor and a reporter....
Andy • Oct 31, 2017 at 10:05 pm
It seems that this article is perhaps not aptly named–most of these stories hardly qualify as “spooky.” Though some may disagree, a Harvard rescind letter, albeit spurred by a friend’s tip, is not “spooky.” After all, the OED defines “spooky” as “1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of spirits or the supernatural; frightening, eerie.” Perhaps Harvard has been overwhelmed by ghosts as of late? The OED’s second definition is “Surfing slang. Of a wave: dangerous or frightening.” I suppose we could construe a rescind letter metaphorically as a wave of disappointment, though the register of surf talk would seem more than a little out of place. Though I have focused this argument on the final story, it just as aptly describes the previous examples. For instance, the story of a baby who passed away is not “spooky,” and the nature of its telling, along with its indiscreet title of “Sweet Dreams, Baby” feels just a little more sick–not used in the register of surfer slang–than spooky. Thanks, and Happy Halloween!