![“[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)
As school slowed down before spring break, events around campus did not. This week featured the Multicultural Carnival, a visit from author Vicki Leon, and an update on the Varsity softball team.
“It’s good for us to continue to be able to enrich the lives of the students here in such an interesting way. Multicultural week is always fun. Everybody had a good time at long lunch,” Butch Keller said. “It’s so much fun to be involved in so many things and watch what everybody is involved in.”
Hosted by the Global Empowerment and Outreach (GEO) club, the Multicultural Carnival was held on Wednesday, March 28 during long lunch. Performances began at the beginning of lunch; meanwhile, stalls teaching students about food and culture from around the world lined the gym. Some of the featured countries included Russia, China, India, Canada, and Iraq.
Also during long lunch on Wednesday, March 28, Vicki Leon held an autograph signing session in the library. As the author of Uppity Women of Ancient Times, Leon has written about 35 books. The next day, Leon visited Ruth Meyer’s World History classes to lecture about her content.
On Tuesday, March 20, the Varsity softball team played Alma Heights Christian Academy. During the game, junior Alison Rugar created a new record for the Upper School’s athletic history, pitching a perfect game. The eagles defeated their opponents with a score of 6-0. The team also won against King’s Academy 8-2 on Thursday, March 29. They will play their next game on April 10 against Saratoga High School.
More events to look forward to after the break include the Orchestra Spring Concert and a wellness session.
