![“[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)
On Tuesday, September 4 and Wednesday, September 5, interested students from all grades auditioned in the hopes of being cast for this year’s fall play, Hamlet.
Director Jeffrey Draper has worked on this play many times and believed it to be the perfect choice for this year’s production.
“[This play] is so good for the students; it stretches them in very specific ways: the demands with the comedy, the combat, the strong actions, and the language,” he said.
Students from all experience levels tried out. Some students auditioned for the first time, while others have participated in previous fall plays and gone through the audition process before.
Senior Alice Tsui auditioned for her fourth and final time in the Upper School.
“I think auditions are one of my weak points because I’m better in an environment where I don’t have to worry about being called back or get cast,” she said. “I think [auditioning] is one of the steps to bring me forward in my acting career.”
On the other hand, Vishal Vaidya (10) auditioned for the first time this year.
“I wanted to have a new experience,” he said. “I think it’ll be really cool to just see how I match up against other people and see if I’m any good.”
Any students were eligible to audition as long as they filled out the required form and signed up for an audition. At the audition, students presented various Shakespeare monologues, many with their coveted role in mind.
“It’s painful to cast this. I’m hurting because there is so much talent and there are so few roles,” Draper said. “I’m going to work hard to find a way around that problem.”
To increase the number of students who can participate, Draper has split characters with major roles, such as Hamlet, into smaller parts for multiple actors. Rehearsals for the play will begin after callbacks, and the show will take place at the Blackford Theater from October 25 to October 27.
