![“[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)
On the first Wednesday back from break, the Biology Club offered slices of pineapple grown from the greenhouse in front of Main Hall to Upper School students.
Plants in the greenhouse flourished as a result of years of care, and the pineapple was no exception.
“It was probably the most delicious pineapple I’ve ever tasted. It was so good,” Biology Club president Katherine Woodruff (11) commented.
Club advisor Dr. Spencer-Cooke harvested the pineapple not only to display the progress of the greenhouse, but also to teach students about the asexual reproduction of certain plants.
Shrreya Jain (11), a member of the Biology Club, stopped by the greenhouse to taste the fresh pineapple and watch Dr. Spencer-Cooke plant new ones. “I think it was a milestone in our move toward putting all the organic materials in the kitchen,” she commented, “[The pineapple] was very juicy.”
The fruit was the result of months of work and a complex growing process.
“We just got the top part of a pineapple, and then we just took off the bottom leaves and we dried it a little bit and planted it,” explained Dr. Spencer-Cooke. “We watered it and fed it for eighteen months, and [the pineapple] was the result.”
The stem of the fruit that was eaten was re-planted and is expected to grow into another ripe pineapple in 18 months. The Biology club is also growing guava, figs, and citrus fruits, integrating exotic fruits into the greenhouse’s many plants and flowers.
