![“[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)
Surf, swim and summer sun: Annual Spirit Kickoff excites with beach-themed activities
Jai Vir Mehta (12) rides on the mechanical shark, one of the main attractions at Friday’s Spirit Kickoff. Harker Spirit Leadership Team hosted the kickoff, themed Spirit of Summer, on Friday afternoon.
September 7, 2022
Over 200 students and faculty attended the Spirit Kickoff event themed Spirit of Summer in the quad on Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Harker Spirit Leadership Team (HSLT), who organized the event, distributed shaved ice, watermelon and various baked goods in addition to hosting a multitude of activities. The most popular — and crowded — activity was “Surf the Shark”: riding a mechanical shark for as long as possible before it threw the rider off. HSLT members used a leaderboard to keep track of the longest ride times. At the end of the competition, HSLT committee member Robert Fields (10) emerged as the victor.
“My favorite event has definitely been the mechanical shark,” Director of Student Organizations and HSLT Advisor Eric Kallbrier said. “It’s been hilarious watching people try to ride it for more than a few seconds. I think there’s only been a few people who have lasted for 30 seconds or more, which is really impressive.”
Other activities included guessing games, cookie decorating, a photo booth and a treasure hunt. For the guessing games, students submitted slips of paper with their guesses for the number of Swedish Fish and gummy bears placed in two separate jars. Near the entrance of the quad, HSLT arranged a prize wheel with rewards like head of the line passes and penalties like Man Overboard, where students were doused with a cup of water.
HSLT will release competition results on Tuesday with shark-themed prizes for Surf the Shark in addition to boba drinks and the candy jars for guessing game winners, according to Kallbrier. Additionally, around 20 students across all four grades began painting their respective class eagles white in preparation for homecoming festivities, which HSLT hoped to raise anticipation for through the event.
“We want to get everyone super excited about Homecoming Week, especially the freshmen because this is their first time experiencing the upper school spirit,” HSLT Competitive Events Secretary Cynthia Wang (11) said. “We really just want to set it apart from anything they’ve experienced in the past.”
For Janam Chahal (9), along with her friends, the kickoff event was an exciting introduction to Harker spirit at the upper school. In the future, she looks forward to participating in and attending more spirit events.
“Just seeing everyone out here and having fun together at the beginning of the year is really amazing,” Janam Chahal (9) said. “I’m also interested in doing spirit too, so it’s cool to see what is part of it, who’s doing spirit and what kind of events are included.”
Kallbrier thanks HSLT for all the effort they put into making the event possible and for energizing the students who attended. He commends them for the hours they spent last week setting up the quad in preparation for the event, and although this year’s turnout was much higher than last year’s, he still hopes for more students to join the festivities.
“Don’t miss out on your high school experience,” Kallbrier said. “Just like people came out today to play games, get involved and be silly — try new things, put yourself out there to be goofy and enjoy being a teenager in high school because it’s never gonna happen again.”
