![“[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)
Spanish National Honor Society hosts Spanish Cultural Night
Spanish National Honor Society members serve paella to Spanish Cultural Night attendees. The event was hosted in the auxiliary gym from 6 to 8 p.m. today.
March 9, 2018
The upper school’s annual Spanish Cultural Night took place in the auxiliary gym from 6 to 8 p.m. today.
Hosted by the Spanish National Honor Society, the event was coordinated by a committee of students, led by Spanish teacher Abel Olivas, the head of the organization. To begin the evening, Spanish teacher Diana Moss worked with the other Spanish teachers to cook paella as well as other traditional dishes. The food was followed by a talent show, and the event commenced with a salsa dancing competition.
As Spanish music blared from the speakers stationed throughout the auxiliary gym, students tapped their feet while savoring delicious paella, chicken wings, guacamole and fried rice. With the walls decorated with posters of cultural regions and silhouettes of Spanish patterns and designs, the space was transformed into the perfect setting for a fun night of Spanish food and games.
“This event is intended to encourage the participation of others in celebrating Spanish culture not only for the people in Spanish National Honor Society but also Spanish speaking-students in general, and it’s another way to get people interested in Spanish culture,” SNHS president David Wen (12) said. “I’m just hoping that as many people come as possible because the more people there are, the more exciting the events are, like salsa dancing, that’s ‘more the merrier,’ and generally, it’s a good experience for everyone.”
Among the talent show performers were singers Meilin Yen (9), Sumati Wadhwa (12) and Millie Lin (12) as well as dancers Eric Jeong (12) and Anthony Contreras (12). Mathematics teacher Jeanette Fernandez, who choreographed a routine for her and Jacob Fernandez (7), was one of the faculty performers in the show. Olivas also joined in for a special performance with a few musicians from Jazz Band, and Olivas’s second period AP Spanish Language class also performed a skit.
Previous SNHS events included their club week from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, when club members raised money to donate to San Jose non-profit Sunday Friends by selling tres leches cake, churros and Mexican hot chocolate outside Manzanita.
