![“[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)
Upper school community practices lockdown drill
Elvis Han (12) adds a chair to the barricade of Upper School Science Department Chair Anita Chetty’s period 6 Honors Human Anatomy and Physiology class on Monday. Upper school students and staff participated in a “Run, Hide and Defend” drill to practice emergency response protocol from 10:20 to 10:50 a.m. on Monday.
April 20, 2022
Additional reporting by Kinnera Mulam.
Upper school students and staff participated in a “Run, Hide and Defend” drill to practice emergency response protocol during sixth period on Monday from 10:20 to 10:50 a.m.
The Run, Hide and Defend drill protocol takes place in the case of an intruder or active shooter on campus. In the lockdown drill, students and teachers constructed barricades in their classrooms, and staff, administrators and faculty members knocked from door to door to confirm that classes covered windows, made no noise, barricaded doors and created an interior barricade using tables, chairs and other available classroom materials. Science classrooms had plywood cutouts to place against the door due to the fixed tables.
“I think it’s important to practice these drills because we need to prepare for the worst-case scenarios and make sure that we all remain safe,” said Sania Gupta (10), who locked down in upper school English teacher Beverley Manning’s classroom.
Upper School Dean of Students Kevin Williamson recorded a video detailing the process of the lockdown drill that students watched at the school meeting on Monday.
If inside, students must stay indoors, lockdown and follow instructions from their teacher. If outside, students must run away from the danger, exit campus and call the police. Williamson also advised students to stay away from uncovered windows and to prepare themselves with classroom items to use for defense. Classes should also turn off lights unless one locks down in an office or closet with no window.
In a real lockdown situation, police would come to each classroom and advise those inside either to remain in place or to evacuate. The police would conduct a pat-down and eventually, students can check out with their parents from a safe area. Williamson also announced in the video that the school will always notify the upper school community of a drill before it happens. He also encouraged students to speak up and notify an adult or the police if they learn of a potential threat.
