![“[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)
The week back from break proved to be eventful, with major events including the orchestra Spring Concert, a L.I.F.E. assembly, and the Green Teen Summit.
“Bill McKibben speaking at the Green Teen Summit is going to be amazing,” Butch Keller said. “I thoroughly enjoy watching our kids perform, so I am very excited about the orchestra performance. I’m a huge supporter of the wellness program, so I’m looking forward to the different activities going on. I might be more excited about the Eagle Buddies than anything because I know how much fun that’s going to be.”
The orchestra’s last concert of the year, the Spring Concert took place on the evening of Friday, April 13 at the Mexican Heritage Center. The performance was the group’s last of the year aside from Baccalaureate. They played pieces including Hector Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture, Op. 9 and Felix Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op. 21.
On the same day, students participated in the fifth L.I.F.E. assembly of the year, which featured guest speakers on topics such as substance abuse including Rey Cedeño, a member of the San Jose Police Department. Meanwhile, the junior class took a trip to the Bucknall campus to spend time with their fourth grade Eagle Buddies, partaking in activities such as face painting.
The first ever Green Teen Summit, featuring speaker Bill McKibben and organized by the BOSS club, took place on Saturday, April 14. Open to students all over the Bay Area, the conference served to contribute to environmental awareness. McKibben is the founder of 350.org and is widely recognized across the country for his green activism.
More events to look forward to next week include ASB speeches, the annual musical, and an update on Recreate Reading.
