![“[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)
Students explore poetry and writing at annual Writer’s Advocate Scholastic Awards workshop
Writer’s Advocate officer Sydney Ling (10) listens as Sarah Mohammed (11) provides feedback on a club member’s piece last Monday during the annual Writer’s Advocate Scholastic Awards writing workshop. “It was a very open and communal space where everyone felt pretty supported and held in their art, which is ultimately what we want to do,” Sarah said.
November 22, 2021
Five students attended the annual Writer’s Advocate Scholastic Awards writing workshop last Monday at 3:30 p.m in upper school English teacher Jennifer Siraganian’s room, where members reviewed each other’s work and club officers gave tips for the contest.
The workshop lasted about 50 minutes and served as an opportunity for students to openly share their work and receive constructive feedback while also discussing the meaning behind their pieces with other members. Additionally, members asked specific questions regarding the application process and types of submissions. Writer’s Advocate officer Sarah Mohammed (11) reflected on the workshop as a chance for everyone to gain insight and support on their writing.
“It was a very open and communal space where everyone felt pretty supported and held in their art, which is ultimately what we want to do,” Sarah said.
Planning for the event began in late October, when Writer’s Advocate sent out a form for students to submit their pieces for review. At the end of the workshop, Writer’s Advocate also mentioned a few upcoming writing contests, such as the Rattle Young Poets Anthology Contest, which is due Nov. 15, and the One Teen Story Contest, which is due Nov. 19.
“It was really nice seeing what other people have written and helping them,” club member Trisha Iyer (10) said. “I like appreciating other people’s work because I feel like at Harker the creative writing community is quite small.”
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards showcases the work of creative teens across the nation, featuring 17 categories for art submissions and 11 writing categories. The deadline for all Bay Area writing submissions is Dec. 6 and the deadline for all art submissions is Dec. 10.
