![“[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)
Global headlines (Volume 20, Issue 1)
August 31, 2018
Wikimedia Commons
13 rescued from Thai cave
On June 23, a birthday party excursion into Thailand’s Tham Luang Nang Non cave complex turned into a deadly rescue mission for Navy SEALs across the world. Twelve youth soccer players and their coach were trapped in the cave for 18 days and later were evacuated on stretchers through a 5-mile stretch.
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Bangladeshi students protest road safety
High school students blocked major intersections in Dhaka’s streets for five days in early August, cutting off traffic and vandalizing vehicles to protest a bus accident that killed two teens. To end protests, authorities bombarded citizens with tear gas, assaults and threats.
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Activists in The Netherlands rename streets after prominent women
Dutch activists put up signs replacing 43 street names in early August to honor prominent women in history. The signs are scattered throughout 11 cities, including Amsterdam, and feature the names of individuals such as singer Beyonce, and Suze Groeneweg, the first woman elected into the Dutch parliament. Though the street renamings were not government-approved, actions have not been taken to remove the new signs.
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Italian bridge collapses, killing 43
The Morandi bridge in Genoa collapsed under dozens of vehicles in heavy traffic on Aug. 14. A 656-foot section fell 150 feet, injuring those in cars and on foot, as well as a few locals from a nearby apartment complex. Officials are still searching the rubble for bodies, and the Italian President and PM led a statewide funeral for the victims in early August.
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300+ Catholic priests accused of sex abuse
Following an eighteen-month investigation, a grand jury in Pennsylvania uncovered a large network of church leaders who covered up sexual abuse in their churches. Over seven decades, hundreds of priests across Pennsylvania allegedly sexually abused over a thousand children; similar scandals are currently occurring in Chile and Australia as well.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on August 31, 2018.
