![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
Hotel hotspots: LA hotel features food and hospitality
An afternoon at Westin Bonaventure entails fragrant food and savvy souvenirs
Head chef of Korean fusion joint K’grill Kyung Yoon points at the menu board. K’grill is located on the fourth floor of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES — Take a stroll down South Figueroa Street and you will find a towering 367-foot conference hotel boasting 35 stories and 40 meeting rooms: Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites. The largest hotel in Los Angeles, Westin Bonaventure features architecture that encompasses the metropolitan city’s spirit. Four glass cylindrical towers encircle the main tower, in which a revolving restaurant sits at the top. Yet, behind its more well-known locations hides homely hotspots that hotel guests delight in. From scrumptious family-style Korean barbeque to miscellaneous trinkets, immerse yourself in the people and places that inhabit Westin Bonaventure.
Family restaurants: On the fourth floor of the hotel, a family of three runs K’grill, a Korean fusion restaurant, since 2017. One of the only Korean restaurants accessible in Downtown Los Angeles outside of Los Angeles’ Koreatown, K’grill sells a variety of dishes, from beef “bulgogi” short ribs to vegetable-based “japchae,” a Korean appetizer featuring stir-fried glass noodles.
Gift-shopping for memories: To the right of the escalator on the ground floor, the gift shop sells items ranging from medicine to souvenirs. Bounding back from a hiatus due to the pandemic, the gift shop now bustles with activity, especially during convention weeks such as the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention held the latter half of this week from Thursday to Saturday.
Alysa Suleiman (12) is the co-editor-in-chief of Harker Aquila. This is her fourth year on staff, and she previously served as Aquila's first A&E editor,...
Irene Yuan (12) is the co-managing editor of Harker Aquila with a focus on multimedia and social media. This is her fourth year on staff, and she hopes...
Sally Zhu (12) is the co-editor-in-chief of Harker Aquila, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Sally wishes to interview more people around...
Erica Cai (12) is the co-editor-in-chief of Humans of Harker, and this is her fourth year on staff. Her goals in journalism this year are to celebrate...
![Student creations sit on a wall in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center. “[Stripe Club] creates a fun sense of community,” Christina Rex (11) said.“It almost gives [me] purpose when I get ready every morning. [I think], I know what color is gonna happen today, I can dress up for it.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/stripe-1-475x244.jpeg)
