![“[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)
Nation commemorates Martin Luther King Jr. Day with service
The nation observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day, named for the late activist who pioneered the American civil rights movement, as schools, including all Harker campuses, and businesses closed to create time for community service today. Born on Jan. 15, 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pioneered the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s through nonviolent protests and described his vision in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
The nation observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day, named for the late activist who pioneered the American civil rights movement, as schools, including all Harker campuses, and businesses closed to create time for community service today.
Earlier this month, upper school community service coordinator and activities director Kerry Enzensperger sent an email to the community with a list of local volunteer opportunities in honor of the holiday. For example, students can sign up for planting at Watson Park in San Jose or at Pearson-Arastradero Preserve in Palo Alto.
“What activists do and in the past have done, it wasn’t because they were getting paid to do it or because they had some type of reward for doing what they did,” Student Diversity Coalition (SDC) Junior Leader Dina Ande (11) said. “It was all out of the willingness of their hearts, to make sure that their people could enjoy the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. Just like that, it’s important that we all do our part to make sure that we can all enjoy the same opportunities.”
Born on Jan. 15, 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pioneered the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s through nonviolent protests and described his vision in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by their character,” King said in his speech.
President Ronald Reagan signed a bill in 1983 acknowledging King’s birthday as a federal holiday, which first took effect in 1986 and now occurs on the third Monday of January annually. The government began promoting the holiday as a day of community service after President Bill Clinton signed the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday and Service Act in 1994.
“On this day of commemoration, service, and action, let us hold up a mirror to America and ask ourselves: What kind of country do we want to be? Will we honor Dr. King’s legacy by rising together — buttressed by each other’s successes, enriched by each other’s differences, and made whole by each other’s compassion? I believe we can,” President Joe Biden wrote in a proclamation on Friday.
Over half a century after his assassination in 1968, King’s vision remains pertinent to modern reckonings about equality, specifically systemic racism, in the United States. His dream lives on through activism, service and his eponymous holiday.
“To me, [Martin Luther King Jr. Day] is a great day to remember the work that many people have put into making sure that Black people within the United States could have the rights that we can now have,” Dina said. “It’s a day to be thankful and to remember all the work that’s been put into everything that seems simple now. [People] put a lot of sweat and blood into making sure that this is kind of the world that we live in.”
Desiree Luo (12) is a co-managing editor for Harker Aquila, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Desiree hopes to interview new sources and...
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