![“[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 meeting recap 1/18/19
Members of junior class council Evan Cheng, Avi Gulati, Roma Gandhi and Alyssa Huang announce the theme, “Midnight in Paris,” for this year’s Winter Ball, which will be held next Saturday.
January 22, 2019
As students clamored to their seats at the last school meeting of the first semester, ASB President Neil Ramaswamy attempted to settle the crowd as English teacher Charlie Shuttleworth’s made an announcement about the annual Shakespeare Competition, which invites high school students to perform a memorized monologue from one of the playwright’s works.
The competition took place on Jan. 18 at 12:45 in the auditorium, and sign-ups were posted on Schoology several weeks prior with a list of eligible monologues.
Simar Bajaj (11) announced a speaker event hosted by Medical Club, which took place from 12:45-1:30 on Jan. 18, featuring Dr. Paul Bollyky who spoke on wound healing and biomaterials.
Key Club talked about their upcoming fundraiser at the Chipotle branch in Cupertino, where Harker students can purchase food and specifically designate that their payment be donated to the club’s fundraiser.
The Junior Council encouraged students to buy tickets for this year’s Winter Ball, “Midnight in Paris,” which will be held on Jan. 26 from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Early-bird ticket prices ended on Jan. 18, and tickets are now being sold for $35.
History Club announced the second round of Shah Salons, which will be held on Jan. 23 from 3:15-4:30 p.m. Several history and art teachers will be hosting Salons, with Byron Stevens holding a session on “Impeachment: Historical Perspectives,” Mark Janda and Pilar Aguero-Esparza on “Toxic Masculinity,” Damon Halback on “Kendrick Lamar’s Damn,” and Clifford Hull and Julie Wheeler on “Apartheid.”
The Student Diversity Leadership Gathering will be taking place on Feb. 2 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Nichols Hall, where students can address issues such as social justice and equality while working with Rodney Glasgow, a prominent diversity facilitator. Attendance is free, and lunch and breakfast will be provided.
Student Council will be selling Valentine Grams for 5 dollars each through an email form available on Schoology. Sales end on Feb. 1.
Upper school Head Athletic Trainer Jaron Olson made an announcement about P.E. credit fulfillment, urging seniors to meet with him should they not have sufficient credit to graduate at the moment. Spring sports registration will open in a week, and three yoga classes and one Capoeira class will be offered next semester for students not involved in interscholastic sports. In addition to the previously offered options, there will be fencing classes held now as well. Interested students are encouraged to email Jaron Olson at [email protected].
To close the meeting, Upper school Academic Dean Kelly Horan presented about Course Planning and Selection. 2019-2020 school year course selections are due at 8 a.m. on Jan. 29.
