![“[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)
BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse: Dessert Before Dinner
January 9, 2018
The aroma of hot, freshly baked pizookies permeates the air as the elaborate ambiance of the dimly lit restaurant glows with recessed lights. The lively atmosphere at BJ’s is open to customers from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. for lunch to dinner to midnight cravings.
At BJ’s, the temptation to eat dessert before dinner is powerful; their world-renowned pizookies, a warm and soft cookie in a pizza skillet, baked fresh in the oven for five to six minutes and topped with vanilla bean ice cream, melts in a burst of chocolatey flavor.
Saloni Shah
Since the opening of BJ’s Chicago Pizzeria in 1978 in Santa Ana, California, the restaurant has grown into a nationwide chain of BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse.
The ingredients make the food exceedingly special: fresh and hand-cut salmon, fresh guacamole, hand-pressed pizza dough, hand-rolled avocado egg rolls, and quinoa which comes directly from the Andes.
Consisting of over 18 signature flavors of pizza, BJ’s menu features pizzas from tavern-cut to deep dish to made-to-order combinations; the hand-pressed deep dish pizza dough is made to rise twice in order to both look and taste better.
BJ’s specialities are the Southern California twist on the Chicago-style pizza and BJ’s Favorite. The Chicago-style pizza is filled with cheese, sauce and toppings, in the form of hard to choose combinations: Pepperoni Extreme, Chicken Bacon Ranch, Mediterranean and Vegetarian; BJ’s Favorite includes oven-baked meatballs, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, black olives, white onions and seasoned tomatoes.
In addition to pizzas, BJ’s offers a wide selection of delicious appetizers and entrees, including burgers, pastas, sandwiches, tacos, garden fresh specialty salads and many more options. Additionally, for the health conscious customer, the Enlightened menu features a selection of low-calorie, vegetarian and gluten-free options, as well as superfoods.
Saloni Shah
If you are an avid sports fan, BJ’s is an exhilarating place to enjoy the game. The restaurant has 12 TVs that enable an exceptional view of the ongoing game from any angle, along with their award winning handcrafted beer, which has won over 160 awards.
Bustling with Apple employees due to its adjacent location to the current Apple headquarters, the Stevens Creek location is usually short of parking space, but they do offer complimentary valet parking from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The restaurant has one special each day, and it also has an adjacent party room in order to celebrate enjoyable times; this room can accommodate up to 200 people.
In spite of the fact that chain restaurants carry the risk of poor customer service, BJ’s is definitely a family favorite, creating gratifying and exceptional memories.
Richard Huang • Jan 17, 2018 at 5:28 pm
Cool Saloni! Sounds yummyy 🙂