![“[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)
Harker Green Team discusses upcoming sustainability goals
Green Team co-president Camilla Lindh (12) talks about protecting Coyote Valley from industrial development during the club’s meeting last Wednesday during long lunch. This local place is a location Green Team has been working on saving since the beginning of the year.
December 7, 2021
Harker Green Team gathered for their sixth meeting to discuss updates regarding their goals for the school year in upper school Spanish teacher Diana Moss’ room on Wednesday, Dec. 1, during lunch.
Co-president Camilla Lindh (12) kicked off the meeting with an update on Coyote Valley, the Bay Area’s only remaining open valley floor. The area is useful for animal migration and agricultural workers. On Nov. 16, The San Jose City Council prohibited industrial development in the North and Mid-Coyote Valley region.
“We’re trying to keep our club members updated on the preservation of Coyote Valley since it’s something local that we’re trying to preserve,” Green Team vice president Gary Ding (11) said.
Secretary Thresia Vazhaeparambil (12) informed the club about the significance of the Bring Back Better Bill, which will alleviate the effects of climate change. She also called on members to write to their representatives to ensure the bill’s approval.
Thresia continued on to discuss the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and land that Harker is built on as well as the Green Education Foundation textile recycling initiative. Green Team plans to collaborate with the tribe and the Student Diversity Coalition (SDC) to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions caused by clothing and footwear production. The textile recycling initiative accepts any textiles, including soiled ones, and will collaborate with the tribe’s zero-waste factory in Guatemala that repurposes any textiles it receives.
“I never knew that our campus [land] was [occupied] by the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe,” Green Team member Sophia Degoricija (9) said. “It’s nice to know that we can give back to them and thank them for their land because I know a lot of places don’t really do that.”
Afterward, the club watched their video on Divestment, a movement to decrease schools’ use of fossil fuels, made during their previous club meeting on Nov. 12. Green Team filmed the video to encourage Harker to divest from the world’s top 200 publicly traded fossil fuel companies.
“So far the sustainability committee has seen [the video] and we’re waiting for the investment committee to give us feedback,” Gary said. “We’re hoping we can really make progress with Divestment at Harker since it’s something that is really important to focus on.”
One of the club’s major goals for the year is working with the Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL), a nonpartisan nonprofit that empowers United States residents to write to representatives and lobby for policies to benefit the environment. The Green Team discussed the need for the government to place a tax on fossil fuels to prevent carbon pollution. Hoping to work with more youth on making climate changes, they also gave updates on their communication with CCL for a workshop available to all Harker students on climate legislation, which is scheduled for June 2022.
Green Team is also looking to loan unused parking lots to support their clothing collection bins for their upcoming 2022 clothing swap initiative in which students bring old clothes to the collection bins and have the option to select others’ used clothes. The meeting concluded with a reminder for gift-giving during the holiday season, with club leaders suggesting more sustainable gifts such as shampoo or conditioner bars.
