![“[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)
STEM Spotlight: Research Club
“STEM Spotlight” is a new Aquila repeater showcasing STEM clubs and their initiatives.
March 5, 2021
STEM Spotlight is a new repeater exploring what clubs at Harker have been doing during remote learning. This week’s featured club is the Research Club, which strives to spread interest in scientific research and guide students through the research process.
Led by club adviser and upper school physics and research teacher Chris Spenner since 2010, the club has invited various guest speakers and held workshops ranging from preparation for the Synopsys Science & Technology Championship to presentations on summer research opportunities, which have continued into remote learning.
The club runs a mentorship program between upper and underclassmen to guide them through the scientific research process and has also held mock science fairs before Synopsys. They have continued their workshops virtually and plan on holding an online mock science fair this year to prepare for a virtual form of Synopsys.
“We’ve been able to continue all of our workshops virtually,” Alice Feng (11), co-vice president of the club, said. “We’re also able to continue having Q & A sessions through Zoom. We don’t get as close of a connection with the members through Zoom as if it were in person, but we’re still able to give out all the information that we usually give out.”
During remote learning, the club has continued preparing for Synopsys through workshops, such as a presentation on poster boards, where club officers explained the various components of a board and provided examples for students to look at. At the beginning of the year, the club also held an information session on the science fair, giving tips on what to expect. In addition, the club began a new Journal Club this year, where students discuss scientific papers chosen by club members and learn how to read research papers.
“We’ve had more students showing up to the guest speaker series and workshops because it’s so much easier for students to zoom in,” Spenner said. “What’s hard is that as with everything else, we don’t get to know each other quite as well. When you’re on Zoom, it’s not the same as being in person.”
