![“[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)
School will not be cancelled while unhealthy air quality, Camp Fire persist
Daniel Wu (9) wears a mask to protect from the unhealthy air quality today during lunch.
November 16, 2018
Updated: 12:52 p.m. Nov. 16, 2018
School will not be cancelled Friday despite unhealthy air conditions across the Santa Clara County school district, which includes Harker, according to an email sent this afternoon by the Office of Communications at the upper school.
School activities, especially those held outdoors, will be canceled or reduced accordingly to minimize exposure to harmful particulate matter in the air. Select outdoor sports practices have been canceled, and lunch has been moved indoors. The current air quality index (AQI) is 191, which borders on the range for “Very Unhealthy,” and the forecasted AQI for today is 158, which is categorized as “Unhealthy,” according to AIRNow.gov.
Nurse Claire Elchert has more than 1,500 N95 masks for students in her office and advises students to limit outdoor time and walk, not run, to classes. Her office also has a HEPA filter for students with respiratory problems.
The donation box in the journalism room to be delivered to the survivors of the Camp Fire in Butte County.
The journalism room is collecting gift cards for major stores, gasoline and restaurants in the area as well as donated items for people affected by the fire causing the smoke, Camp Fire in Butte County, which will be delivered on Friday afternoon by head athletic trainer Jaron Olson, whose parents lost their home in Paradise to the fire.
San Jose State University has announced that their campus will be closed today and tomorrow due to unhealthy air quality. UC Davis has also closed both their campuses and cancelled classes for today and tomorrow.
The Camp Fire is currently 40 percent contained and has become the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history, burning 140,000 acres and killed 56 people as of this morning.
Students and faculty are free to drop off any donations or notes of support for the survivors in the journalism room.
Additional reporting by Jessie Wang
