![“[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)
Sophomores and juniors take PSAT exam, frosh participate in annual service trips
Students fill out PSAT registration in their advisory. The sophomore and junior classes took the PSATs on Wednesday.
The sophomore and junior classes took the annual Preliminary SAT (PSAT) examination from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday morning while the frosh class embarked on their yearly community service trip.
Testing for the sophomores and juniors took place at several different locations across campus including the Nichols atrium and Shah Hall. For sophomores, the exam served as practice for next year’s PSAT and other upcoming standardized tests such as the SAT, while the PSAT scores for the junior class will determine those eligible for the coming year’s United States National Merit Scholarship program.
“Personally for me, I don’t get pressured under time because when I’m feeling the pressure, I automatically just tell myself to stay calm and be logical about everything,” test-taker Julie Shi (11) said.
Students arrived on campus by 7:30 a.m. in order to take the test by 8 a.m., in accordance with the on-time testing guidelines outlined by College Board.
“It was nice that we were each in separate classrooms with our advisories,” Valerie Li (10) said. “It made [the exam] less stressful. For me, it was pressure free.”
English teachers also provided SAT practice and instruction to students in preparation for the exam, as well as test-taking advice.
“I think I could have taken advantage of the preparatory materials that our English teachers gave us, but I think because it’s still sophomore year, I didn’t put much into preparation,” Ananya Das (10) said.
As the sophomores and juniors took the PSAT, the frosh class participated in their annual community service trip. The entire class split between the Santa Cruz mountains, the Rose Garden, and Coyote Creek for their service activities.
“In our designated areas we started pulling the vines and ivy off of the land,” Pavitra Kasthuri (9) said. “We got to just chill with our advisory and do some manual labor lugging all of the bags down.”
As these activities took place for the other classes, seniors took the day off to work on college applications and rest.
Hima Thota (12) is a Managing editor for the Harker Aquila, and this is her fourth year on staff. Hima looks forward to capturing student and campus life...
Angelina Hu (12) is the co-editor-in-chief of the TALON Yearbook, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Angelina wishes to meet all of her deadlines...