![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)
First Quadchella invites students, faculty to participate in informal talent show
Kaitlyn Nguyen (12) reads a self-written poem to the Quadchella audience. A total of nine acts were featured in the Nov. 3 Quadchella.
November 16, 2017
Student council hosted the first iteration of the upper school’s newest talent showcase, Quadchella, on Nov. 3. Teachers and students from all grades performed a variety of acts, including self-written poetry and piano pieces.
Student council co-student event committee heads, Shania Wang (11) and Avi Gulati (10), who serve as the conduits between administrative concerns and student action, organized the event.
Student council intended for Quadchella to promote school enthusiasm and solidarity and not only to allow students to showcase their talents, but also to permit teachers to share their passions as well.
“I know we have some really talented teachers, and it’s always cool when you see [them] doing something outside of the classroom,” Shania said. “In terms of students and attendees, we just want[ed] them to stop by if they [had] time so it [would be] a fun time to relax.”
Student council got the idea and name for Quadchella from Palo Alto High School. Because Hoscars did not occur last year, the addition of Quadchella as the upper school’s newest talent show is especially relevant.
Each act lasted around two to three minutes, making the entire event about an hour.
“There [was] some comedy involved, some magic, some dancing, some poetry,” Avi said, “kind of like an open-mic.”
For Millie Lin (12), who sang at Quadchella, the show provided her with a stress-free and laid-back performance opportunity.
“When I heard about the event, I was thinking that it would be an amazing opportunity to bring the school together and for students and teachers to share their talents,” Millie said. “We can see from the performances how supportive the school is, which is great.”
Many attendees of the event were pleased that Art Club was hosting activities to participate in while watching the performances. This club’s presence drew in audience members.
“There were flash tattoos and we got to paint bananas, and it was all just really exciting,” Calais Poirson (9) said.
Students can sign up to perform at future Quadchellas via the link tiny.cc/quadchella.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on November 16, 2017.
