![“[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)
School meeting recap 10/28/21: National Coming Out Day announcement, pumpkin carving and ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) co-presidents Aastha Mangla (11) and Aniket Singh (11) spoke about the importance of National Coming Out Day, which took place on Oct. 11. “While most people know National Coming Out Day has the duty to remind queer people of the impact of being more open about their identity, it also serves as an awareness day for allies and members of our community to learn about queer history and politics,“ Aniket said.
October 29, 2021
Associated Student Body (ASB) President Dawson Chen (12) began the school meeting by introducing Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) co-presidents Aastha Mangla (11) and Aniket Singh (11).
Aastha and Aniket spoke about the importance of National Coming Out Day, which took place on Oct. 11.
“While most people know National Coming Out Day has the duty to remind queer people of the impact of being more open about their identity, it also serves as an awareness day for allies and members of our community to learn about queer history and politics,“ Aniket said.
Aastha then related a story about first discovering her identity in seventh grade and coming out to her mother, despite initially being worried about the stigma surrounding the LGBTQ+ community. After her mother grew more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community, Aastha opened up more to her.
“Due to this experience, I realized that waiting until you feel safe and supported is crucial when deciding who to come out to,” Aastha said.
Aniket spoke about how his experience differed from Aastha’s in that he did not have the opportunity to come out to others.
“I fully realize that it’s obvious based on the way that I dress, or speak, or the people I surround myself with, but I am not heterosexual,” Aniket said. “One aspect of my experience that is frustrating, though, is that people feel entitled to tell me what labels I should use to define my identity. I identify as a gay demimale person, and my understanding of my sexuality and gender identity develops as I continually learn more about myself.”
Aastha and Aniket shared their experiences with learning more about the LGBTQ+ community and surrounding themselves with the uplifting and inclusive community within GSA, where members discuss not only personal experiences with coming out but also issues in the LGBTQ+ communities around the world.
“Being an ally requires not only recognizing microaggressions and accepting feedback with an open mind, but also actively incorporating inclusive habits into your day-to-day interactions,” Aastha said. “One such example is asking people for their pronouns rather than assuming based on physical appearance and holding yourself accountable if you do accidentally misgender someone.”
She encouraged students interested in learning more or joining the GSA community to attend the GSA meeting that took place yesterday at 12:45 p.m. in upper school Spanish teacher and GSA adviser Abel Olivas’s room and to email [email protected] with any questions.
Harker Eclectic Literature & Media (HELM) co-editors-in-chief Alina Yuan (12) and Reagan Ka (12) announced that this year’s theme is Renaissance, or “a revival of or renewed interest in something.” Students can submit their art and writing to tiny.cc/helmart22 and tiny.cc/helmwriting22, respectively, by Jan. 14 of next year.
Tutoring Club leaders Anishka Raina (12) and Sara Wan (11) announced that students can now sign up to tutor or be tutored by their peers through a form that will be posted on Schoology. Tutors and tutees will be paired up by subject and can coordinate to meet based on their schedules. They noted that students can earn volunteer hours through tutoring. Students with questions should email [email protected].
ASB Spirit Coordinator William Chien (12) announced a pumpkin carving competition that took place yesterday during lunch outside of Manzanita. Harker Spirit Leadership Team (HSLT) adviser and chemistry teacher Andrew Irvine, HSLT adviser and director of community service and student activities coordinator Kerry Enzensperger, Dawson and ASB Vice President Ayan Nath (12) brought out four pumpkins. Class representatives senior Arvin Nidadavolu, junior Zubin Khera, sophomore Alice Tao and freshman Jiajia Jiang each chose a pumpkin for their grade to carve. The class of 2024 took first place in the competition, followed by the class of 2023 in second place, and the classes of 2022 and 2025 in third and fourth places, respectively.
Zain Vakath (11) led the upper school students in the “put your Eagles up” chant. BB Ajlouny (11), Elvis Han (12) and Zain delivered the Eagle Update.
Girls golf took home the title of league co-championship after defeating Notre Dame-Belmont on Oct. 21 and will contend for Central Coast Section (CCS) qualification in their league tournament on Monday in Carlmont.
Boys and girls water polo are both participating in the league tournament this week, with the boys facing Los Gatos at Palo Alto High and the girls facing Los Gatos at their campus yesterday in the semifinals.
Girls tennis earned a 6-1 victory over Crystal Springs during their senior night on Tuesday and will compete in an individual tournament at Menlo on Monday and Tuesday.
The varsity girls volleyball team lost to Notre Dame-San Jose in three sets 15-25, 23-25 and 18-25 on Tuesday.
Cross country will participate in its final meet to qualify for CCS on Tuesday. Signups for boys and girls basketball and soccer close on Tuesday.
Results for games and meets will be posted on @harkerathletics on Instagram.
The Conservatory at Harker played a promotion video for the fall play “Much Ado About Nothing,” inviting the upper school community to watch the show. Kris Estrada (11), Kai Due (12) and Anya Warrier (12) announced the showtimes. The first performance of the play took place yesterday at 7 p.m. and will be continued today and tomorrow at the same time in the Patil Theater, with a free matinee performance by the Swing Cast at 2 p.m. tomorrow. Students can purchase tickets for $8 per student and $15 per adult through Harker Pay online at our.show/muchado21.
ASB Treasurer Aaditya Gulati (12) announced that the Snack Bar will sell snacks for $1 each in the concession room outside the gym after every school meeting.
Dawson concluded the meeting by wishing everyone a Thoreauvian Thursday.
