![“[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)
75 clubs share new initiatives at annual Club Fair
![Divya Venkat (11) explains the goals of Make Our Schools Safe, a nonprofit organization devoted to combating gun violence. “The personalities of the people running the stands [were what drew me in],” Ryder Hewitt (9) said. “I got the vibe of the whole club. When I saw very invested, excited people, it made me more invested in their clubs."](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ClubFair1_EllaYee-900x499.jpg)
Divya Venkat (11) explains the goals of Make Our Schools Safe, a nonprofit organization devoted to combating gun violence. “The personalities of the people running the stands [were what drew me in],” Ryder Hewitt (9) said. “I got the vibe of the whole club. When I saw very invested, excited people, it made me more invested in their clubs.”
Students visited different booths set up by clubs and organizations at this year’s Club Fair, which took place in front of the Rothschild Performing Arts Center (RPAC) during lunch on Thursday.
The event featured over 70 clubs, allowing students to learn about various student-run organizations at the upper school. Club officers stood next to poster boards and described their plans for the year while students circulated around the booths. Many officers expressed a desire to reach a larger part of the community through their clubs.
“The main goal [of Art Club] is to get art out into the Harker community,” Art Club officer Laurel Davies (11) said. “We [as a community] are really interested in STEM, so we’re trying to get people who don’t think that they have artistic ability to get out, try it, enjoy it.”
Club Fair also offered an opportunity for new clubs to showcase their initiatives to the student body for the first time. One of these new clubs was Cooking Club, founded by Ian Gerstner (10).
“The point of Cooking Club is to promote a stress free environment and to allow students who don’t know how to cook, or those who already have some experience, to either further their skills or learn a little bit,” Ian said. “We’re going to be offering three lessons for basic [techniques], like knife skills, pan skills and prep skills.”
The frosh class experienced both new and returning clubs for the first time at Club Fair. While many clubs used interactive activities and prizes to entice new members, Ryder Hewitt (9) noted how the officers by the booths determined his interest in the clubs.
“The personalities of the people running the stands [were what drew me in],” Ryder said. “I got the vibe of the whole club. When I saw very invested, excited people, it made me more invested in their clubs.”
Many teachers also visited to see the different opportunities and booths hosted by students this year.
“I had seen a few of the clubs through my experience in business and entrepreneurship, mostly DECA, Career Connect and TEDx,” upper school business, economics and physics teacher Patrick Kelly said. “I just wanted to see the breadth of what we offer the Harker community.”
Students who are interested in joining additional clubs can submit a form created by Director of Student Organizations Eric Kallbrier.
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