![“[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
November 18, 2017
HARKER
Math Competition
Members of Math Club attended a competition at Santa Clara University on Nov. 4. They participated in a three-hour exam involving several different types of problems. Students who earned high grades were eligible for recognition. There were nine problems, covering the topics of Combinatorics, Number Theory, Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry.
Synopsys Contestants
Following the change of the Synopsys Science Competition guidelines, only 30 projects from the upper school will be allowed at the 2018 competition. Students learned whether or not their projects qualified for Synopsys on Nov. 2.
GLOBAL
SpaceX
The InSight Mars Lander is a terrestrial planet explorer that will study the interior of Mars and the formation of our solar system over 400 billion years ago through tracking Mars’s temperature, seismology, and other features. Once it is released in May 2018, the Lander will take six months to reach Mars, and it will then take another month to begin gathering data. Scientists hope to begin conducting tests on the planet in Dec. 2018.
CRISPR-Cas9
Recently, CRISPR, is a powerful new gene-editing software that allows scientists to alter DNA using editing enzymes, created genetically-modified low-fat pigs. These pigs have 24% less body fat than normal pigs, and they were created to provide farmers with less expensive and easier to raise animals. Using a gene allowing them to better regulate their body temperature through burning fat, scientists hope to create sturdier and healthier animals.
Girl Scouts
The girls scouts have developed a new K-12 curriculum which encourages girls to study STEM. This “fun with purpose” program allows girls to explore scientific topics along with the arts. The curriculum offers opportunities to improve one’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on November 16, 2017.
