![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
Ideas worth spreading to the world: Students and families attend Harker’s annual TEDx talk
TEDx event attendees visit Inboard Technologies’ booth to learn more about their products. Inboard Technologies CEO and co-founder Ryan Evans was one of the event’s five featured speakers.
November 16, 2017
The upper school hosted its annual TEDx event, which featured guest speakers from startups who spoke to students and visitors about their visions, in Nichols Auditorium on Nov. 4.
Guest speakers Julie Campistron, Ryan Evans, Alan Kropf, Ray Wang and student speaker Andrew (Andy) Semenza (12) presented their insights on topics ranging from economics and technology to mindfulness.
“The Gen Z [and] the millennials think very, very differently,” Wang, founder and chairman of Constellation Research, said. “[Current high schoolers] are going to have the biggest impact on society in the next 20 years. I think it’s really, really important that the lessons shared between generations are told, and that those conversations are told, and those ideas spark a different way of thought.”
In between lectures, attendees interacted with several tech booths. Students learned more about new inventions and were provided with the opportunity to directly talk to the people who were part of the teams that created them.
“3D printing is taking off and is being used in more and more real world applications,” said a representative of ONO, the company who ran a booth promoting the first smartphone 3D printer. “Learning it at a young age [and] learning how you can do it can actually help push that technology forward.”
The team of students who organized the event this year started preparations soon after the end of last year’s talks. They contacted companies for the booths, arranged the logistics of the event and most importantly, found speakers who are not only qualified to speak to students but will also talk about unique topics.
“TEDx a couple years ago used to be focused on just entrepreneurship,” co-curator Anooshree Sengupta (12) said. “We’ve tried to grow past that and get speakers who are in the arts, who are in the sciences—really all areas.”
The team encouraged attendees to interact with the speakers, booths and mentors to gain a better understanding and possibly an interest in the advancements of the different fields presented at the event.
“Our goal is to bring students here in Silicon Valley to greater intellectual heights,” co-curator Kaitlin Hsu (12) said prior to the lectures. “We hope you find wisdom, rebellion, innovation and passion in your experience.”
The team will soon be choosing a new set of curators who will begin planning for next year’s TEDx event.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on November 16, 2017.
