![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.jpg)
![“[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)
The class of 2010 did not come straight out of middle school dominating the rallies and spirit events. Every journey has a beginning.
Freshmen year, they found themselves in a new environment as they entered the realm of high school where spirit is highly valued.
“Freshman year we were not into spirit … we thought [it] was a kind of lame thing, at least [for] those of us who went to [the] middle school.” Vivian Huang (12) said. But to her surprise, when she came to the upper school it was really unexpected that spirit was such a big deal.
“Freshmen are, unfortunately or fortunately, a very different beast … so they don’t even know what to expect when they are told to do a synchronized swim or skit.” Dr. Naomi Schatz, Class Dean said.
Although Dr. Schatz was an advisor during the seniors’ freshman year, being a dean for three years has allowed her to observe them flourish.
“I’ve seen them take more leadership. It’s really been nice to watch them grow… they have changed so much,” she said.
The turning point for the seniors was during their sophomore year when they realized the importance of class unity. They created cabinet meetings, which were essentially gatherings called when they needed involvement in a class competition, and usually thirty or forty students would attend, according to Dr. Schatz. The main goal was to get more people involved, more heads, and most importantly more enthusiasm.
“After our downfall in freshman year, we sprung up,” Zaynah Sadiq (12) said.
Now it is their senior year and the several students feel that the senior class has bonded with each other.
“The senior class has developed a strong sense of unity and spirit throughout our four years together,” Akum Gill said (12).
Furthermore, Adam Perelman (12) said, “we have truly grown throughout our strong performances in the spirit activities.”
For their last year, having homecoming on campus was a change to students, but some cherished it as their last one.
“Honestly for me and speaking for the entire class, we really value today more than we have any other year, because it’s the last time,” Ankur Ahuja (12) said on the day of the Homecoming rally and game, and even though colleges have homecoming, he feels that it is much more close-knit here.
Similarly, Aadithya Prakash (12) said that having homecoming at home is special. “Having events on campus like this… it’s going to be very memorable.”
