![“[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)
During school meeting on Monday, Red Cross Club announced the details about the upcoming week, which will feature a blood drive and daily activities.
Using a video about finding the perfect donor, Red Cross Club conveyed the message that donating blood is important because it helps save lives.
Next week, Red Cross will be hosting different events throughout the week. On Monday, there is a class competition to see who can build the strongest structure out of marshmallows. Tuesday is the blood drive; Wednesday there will be a controlled fire and a relay race. Thursday, there will be a first aid scavenger hunt, and on Friday, there will be a CPR class intended to teach students the basics of CPR (it doesn’t certify one to perform CPR, however).
They have a table set up outside Manzanita this week to accept signups for blood donations and also accept walk-ins.
Ananth Subramaniam (12), blood drive co-coordinator, said that “we want to get as many units [of blood] as possible for the organization we are working with – they work with 50 hospitals in the area, including the Children’s Hospital in Oakland.”
Ananth hopes that at least 75 people sign up; that way, even if they have only a two-thirds turnout rate, at least 50 people will still donate blood.
To donate blood, one must be 16 years of age or older, must not have traveled to a country with malaria in the past year, and must have a coach’s permission if they are playing a sport this season.
Vedant Thyagaraj (9) is disappointed that he cannot donate blood this year, but is looking forward to being able to donate soon when he turns 16.
“It’s a good way to give back to society and to people who need it more,” he said.
Those interested in donating blood can sign up for slots between 8:30 and 2:30 on Tuesday, March 6, in the gym. Parents are also welcome to donate.
![Winged Post Editor-in-Chief Katerina Matta and Managing Editor Young Min were selected as first place winners from a pool of around 2,000 students. “This page [shows] how much we paid attention to detail and how much we pushed ourselves to ensure the best quality that we could,” Young said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/IMG_4254-900x1200.jpeg)
