![“[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)
Upper school Red Cross Club invites American Red Cross to conduct annual blood drive
K-12 Production Manager Brian Larsen and Anna Arnaudova (11) prepare to have their blood drawn. Blood collected from Monday’s blood drive will be sent to a Red Cross blood bank in Pomona, California to distribute to hospitals around the state.
February 19, 2020
The upper school Red Cross Club hosted their annual blood drive in conjunction with the American Red Cross on Tuesday in the Nichols Atrium, where registered nurses drew blood from a variety of volunteers. The blood collected will be sent to a Red Cross blood bank in Pomona, California to distribute to hospitals around the state.
“We hope by hosting a drive here, we can bring the message of Red Cross into our community,” Red Cross Club co-vice president Sachin Shah (12) said.
16-year-olds were able to donate with parental consent, while donors who were at least 17 years old did not need parental consent. Sixteen people donated this year, while 30 volunteered to have their blood drawn last year. The donation from one person can save up to three lives.
“The amount of lives that one blood bag can save is a great reason to donate,” club public relations manager Suman Mohanty (11) said. “People might be scared because of health risks or of the needles but the people who will be drawing blood are certified and are really good at making people feel safe.”
Upon arrival, volunteers checked in and underwent a small physical and questionnaire to make sure that they were eligible to donate. The volunteers then had 470 milliliters, about one pint, of blood drawn.
“The whole process is important to ensure that both the donor and the receiver aren’t at risk,” said Amanda Feist, a registered nurse for the American Red Cross, who helped collect blood at the blood drive. “I think it’s really cool that I get to do this. I’ve always loved helping people and this is a really cool way to see the people who volunteer to give up their time and their blood for someone else.”
The American Red Cross is one of the biggest suppliers of blood in the world but is suffering from a critical shortage of blood, specifically type O, that is affecting how emergency rooms are operating, according to the American Red Cross website.
“I don’t think people realize how much the blood shortage affects our local communities,” club treasurer Nathan Sudeep (12) said. “People you see every day, like elderly people or those involved in an accident recently, are getting affected by this blood shortage.”
The Red Cross Club sold donuts and iced coffee as a part of their club week during the last week of January. All of their proceeds went to the Red Cross chapter in Australia to be used for disaster relief.
