![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.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)
Can’t find the perfect Halloween costume in time? Make your own using these creative ideas!
October 17, 2018
Sometimes Halloween seems to creep up on us. Before you know it, it will be just a few days away, and you still have not bought a Halloween costume to wear! Sure, you could try taking a trip to the store or hoping that your shipment arrives in time, but why not try making your own simple and fun costume?
How about you go down the punny route! Wear a medal around your neck and draw or attatch bread onto your shirt and now you’re a “breadwinner.” If you make your own fish costume, you can tell everyone that you’re “a fish out of water.” You can also be a “fork in the road” by taping white or yellow stripes of paper down the middle of your shirt to mimic a lane divider. Then tape a fork somewhere along the road. If you want to be “Kool Aid” simply attach some band-aids to yourself and add the word “Kool” above them.
If you’re really out of time, there are still options! You could be an “identity thief” by sticking name tag stickers all over your shirt, or be a “computer error” by writing “Error 404 Costume Not Found” on a shirt. You could even be “50 Shades of Grey” by covering yourself with different shades of grey or “a bunch of fives” instead by covering your clothes with the digit five.
There are also plenty of options if you’re feeling more creative. To be a “flower pot,” you must first find a bucket or bin that you can cut out and attach to yourself by using straps to go around your shoulders. Make sure that it is small enough so that it is still comfortable! Then, attach plastic flowers around the rim of the bucket and possibly one on your head.
There are tons of options you can be by fitting a cardboard box around yourself as well! These can range from being a LEGO brick by using small cups as studs, a juice box using toilet paper rolls as a straw or even a recycling bin with a lid cut-out on the top.
As explained, there are infinitely many options to choose from your own DIY Halloween costume. Hopefully our suggestions have sparked some ideas, but if not, asking a friend or a simple web search will certainly provide you with the inspiration needed!
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on Oct. 17, 2018.
