![“[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)
Green Team relaunches ‘Buy Better Boba’ initiative during Earth Week
Leisha Devisetti (11) purchases boba from Green Team during lunch last Friday. The club sold the drinks in front of Manzanita Hall on Monday and Friday.
April 26, 2022
Additional reporting by Kinnera Mulam and Katelyn Zhao.
Green Team sold bubble tea in reusable jars and straws in front of Manzanita Hall during lunch last Tuesday and Friday as part of its “Buy Better Boba” initiative during Earth Week.
Created in 2018, the initiative encourages upper school community members to reduce their use of plastic waste, which causes pollution and negatively impacts the environment. Specifically, stores often package and sell boba, a popular drink among students, in a plastic cup along with a plastic cover and plastic straw.
“We wanted people to see that they could use stuff at home, such as mason jars, and use metal straws to get their boba,” Green Team Vice President Gary Ding (11) said. “That way, they’re using one container instead of throwing out a bunch every time they buy boba.”
This year, Green Team purchased the boba from Breaktime Tea, a boba shop located in Campbell. Together, a jar, straw, straw pouch and boba cost $8, and a boba refill in the same jar cost $6. By the end of lunch on Friday, the jars were sold out.
“I feel like plastic waste, it’s something that I [produce] a lot [of], so buying glass jars instead of plastic cups is something that was an improvement for myself,” Shanaya Dhawan (10), who purchased the boba on Friday, said.
Through the “Buy Better Boba” initiative and other projects throughout Earth week, including the Earth Day Raffle and the clothing drive in collaboration with the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, Green Team hopes to promote sustainability in students’ daily lives.
“I think people don’t realize how much plastic they can actually cut out of their lives,” Green Team Secretary Siddhi Jain (10) said. “There are so many alternatives to plastic these days like beeswax instead of plastic wrap and stasher bags instead of zip locks. Evaluate where you’re using plastic and then evaluate what [changes you could make] to help you use less.”
