![“[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)
Students take annual AMC 10 and 12 exams
Last year’s AMC 10 and 12 exams were held at 8 a.m. in Nichols Atrium on Feb. 20. According to Dr. Aiyer, around 120 students will be taking one of the exams this year, which will both be held next Thursday.
February 7, 2018
Upper school students participated in the Mathematical Association of America’s American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 10 and 12 math contests today morning at 7:45 a.m. in Nichols Atrium.
Every year, over 6,000 schools and 350,000 students in the U.S. take part in the AMC competitions. At the upper school, 130 students participated, a 20-person increase from the previous year. Because the first class of the day was pushed back to start at 9:35 a.m., students could take the 75-minute exam without missing classes. Following the exam, an office hours session was held from 9 to 9:25 a.m. There were no prerequisites for either exam, but juniors and seniors could only take the AMC 12 according to the association’s age and grade requirements.
“I only prepared for it a week in advance and I feel like I could have prepared more, but when it came to taking the test, I should have probably focused more on the time,” Nicholas Yi (9) said. “I think that I did okay but just could have prepared more.”
The AMC 10 and 12 contests are designed with students of varying math levels in mind. Students who score well will be invited to take the American Invitational Math Exam (AIME). Those who score well on the AIME can qualify for the USA Math Olympiad (USAMO). The top scorers of the USAMO qualify for the most prestigious AMC competition, the International Math Olympiad (IMO), which will be held in Romania in July.
“The AMC is a good math contest because it’s a stepping stone to qualify for the math olympiad so once you do well on this one, there’s a progression,” Math Club adviser Dr. Anuradha Aiyer said. “There are easier problems in the beginning and they get progressively harder, so that’s good as a test.”
Swapnil Garg (12), who has participated in various math competitions since middle school, finds the AMC essential for anyone looking to participate in math contests and expand their knowledge of math past the school curriculum.
“Everyone takes the AMCs, so you get to see where you stand in math contests on a national scale,” he said. “The AMC is pretty important, because it qualifies you for the AIME, and for example, MIT asks for AMC scores on its application. It’s a way to distinguish yourself mathematically.”
Those who qualify for the AIME will take the exam on March 6 in the hopes of qualifying for the USAMO, which will take place on April 18 and 19. Both exams will be administered at school.
