![“[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)
STEM Scene (Volume 20, Issue 2)
October 18, 2018
Co-founders of instagram step down
Kevin Systrom, CEO of Instagram, and Mike Krieger, CTO, founded Instagram together in 2010 in San Francisco. Six years after selling the company to Facebook for $1 billion, the duo resigned and plans to leave Instagram.
SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket
California based aerospace company SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base on Oct. 7, creating a vibrant display of light across the night sky visible in the surrounding region. The rocket carried Argentinian satellite SAOCOM 1A into orbit as its payload with a successful departure and return to base.
SiriusXM to buy radio company Pandora
Satellite radio company SiriusXM announced the deal to buy digital radio company Pandora in early 2019 in a deal valued at $3.5 billion in stocks. Currently, the two companies garner a total of 106 million monthly active listeners in North America.
Bipartisan bill takes step towards battling opioid crisis
The U.S. Senate passed a bill addressing opioids, backed by politicians in both parties, to battle opioid abuse on Oct. 3. through a combination of law enforcement and public health measures. The bill proposes increased funding for treatment through Medicaid, researching safer painkillers, and more, focusing specifically on addressing prevention, treatment, and recovery.
Uranus reaches an optimal viewing point
Uranus, the second outermost planet in our solar system, appears the biggest and brightest on Oct. 23 as it reaches the position that is both almost directly opposite the Sun and closest to the Earth. It is visible all night, and appears as a blue-green bright spot in the sky.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on Oct. 17, 2018.
