![“[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)
Stories from quarantine: A game night to remember
Lavanya Subramaniam
Even though I spent every day at home with them, the only time my family congregated, if ever, was for short dinners. These game nights made me appreciate my family more and realize that a 15 minute dinner is not a sufficient amount of time with them.
April 28, 2020
Faded primary colors fill the different pictures and numbers on the six cards in my hand. In front of me, more cards lay stacked on top of each other, each with a different word written in a black graffiti font. I unknowingly toy with the fraying edge of one of my cards as I watch my dad contemplate his next move. Then, he draws his middle card and places it in front of me: a picture of a red traffic light and the word “stop” at the top left of the card.
Though normally I would be frustrated by his play against me, I share a small smile with my sister as I eye the leftmost card in my hand. The green and white background of the card contrasted the red truck in front of it and the words “right of way” are written in an arc at the top. My family stares at me expectantly, waiting for a reaction, and I pause momentarily before flipping around the wildcard for everyone to see and announcing my victory: “Kufre!”
Being quarantined during spring break prohibited me from doing my usual vacation activities, such as hanging out with friends and going out to eat at my favorite restaurants. So instead, my family suggested we start a game night tradition. Along with Milbourne, a family-favorite card game that involves players attempting to reach the goal of 1000 miles, we also played Pictionary, Codenames and completed two puzzles.
Originally, the idea of a game night didn’t entice me. I had never been a huge fan of board games, preferring to curl up in a blanket reading a good book or having a movie marathon. To me, game nights seemed like a futile attempt by my parents to force family bonding and prevent my incessant Netflix binge-watching. And in a way, it was exactly that.
What I didn’t expect was to be completely invested by the second night. As the last days of spring break approached, I found myself wishing for more game nights, and not just because of how much fun the games were. Even though I spent every day at home with them, the only time my family congregated, if ever, was for short dinners. These game nights made me appreciate my family more and realize that a 15 minute dinner is not a sufficient amount of time with them.
Although I’ll be overjoyed that I can see my friends or go to my favorite restaurants again once shelter in place is over, I’m definitely going to miss the side effect of forced family bonding. Being stuck at home has taught me that spending quality time with my family is important, and that won’t change after quarantine ends.
