![“[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)
Spring musical cast undergoes rehearsals for first musical in RPAC
Emily Chen
Markus Wong (12) and Ellie Lang-Ree (11) rehearse their lines for the spring musical. The musical will be held in late April in the RPAC.
March 16, 2018
Personating a character is hard enough as it is, but with a little bit of a twist, actors are able to shift perspectives and take on different roles each time. Encouraged to take new risks within every scene, principal leads perform with various styles, whether it be with over exaggerated gestures or even with British accents.
“My favorite part of rehearsal is when we’re just standing up, rehearsing it and actually going through the parts,” Akhil Arun (12) said. “It’s cool to see other people’s progressions in their characters when we do it different ways each time.”
From the beginning of February, rehearsals for the upper school production of 42nd Street have been taking place. Almost every day after school, performers gather in Director of Performing Arts Laura Lang-Ree’s room to review musical numbers, read through scenes and learn new dance routines.
“I love vocal rehearsals, especially in the first two weeks when we all learn our music together and everybody’s just singing their face off,” Ellie Lang-Ree (11) said. “It just sounds amazing, especially with the acoustics in the new building.”
Alongside vocal and acting rehearsals, students have also been absorbing choreography, including both Broadway-style numbers and tap numbers.
“I’ve been doing the musical since middle school, and I was excited to do it in the high school too,” Maya Franz (9) said. “The general skill level is definitely a lot higher in the high school, and rehearsals are just a lot more efficient. I’ve never done tap before, but I knew it was a core part of the show, so I wanted to see what it was like. It’s really fun to see everything come together so nicely.”
There will be four productions of this show, with one preview performance on April 19, one night show on April 20 and one matinee and night show on April 21. Tickets will be sold through Vendini, which will allow attendees to choose their own seat based on preferences.
“[42nd Street] is the quintessential opening of a show, opening of a theater and it’s the perfect musical,” Lang-Ree said. “The beginning has this amazing opening where the curtain rises and something magical happens, but you’ll have to come to the show to see it.”
