![“[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)
Light up the sky: A review of Rihanna’s half-time performance
Rihanna captivates millions with her 13-minute performance at the 57th Super Bowl in Arizona
An illustration depicting Rihanna’s half-time performance during Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12. Her jumpsuit revealed her pregnancy, with a baby bump visible through the layers of red.
March 8, 2023
After seven years away from the stage, Rihanna is back, at least for the Super Bowl.
Performing in an all-red jumpsuit, Rihanna’s performance to her hits also served as a pregnancy reveal with the baby bump visible through the layers of red.
With her last album, “Anti,” released in 2016, the anticipation building up to her performance was widespread among viewers and fans. Never one to shy away from theatrics, Rihanna opened up the show from 60 feet above, standing on a floating platform. While singing her 2015 song “B—- Better Have My Money,” her backup dancers below, in all-white hooded outfits, mirrored the fierce energy of the song with their unique choreography.
Following this opening, Rihanna segued into 11 other of her hit songs, including “Where Have you Been,” “Only Girl (In the World)” and “We Found Love.”
Transitioning into her song “Work,” the significance of Rihanna’s performance slowly came to be clear. Moving to her songs with minimal choreography, she swayed to the beat of the melody and simultaneously represented the true message behind Sunday’s performance: her appearance wasn’t a full return –– with a baby on the way, it seems she was trying to prove the opposite. The performance was a treat for fans and viewers to enjoy while she continued investing her time in her personal life.
Despite this, Rihanna’s performance encompassed the reasons why so many fall in love with her music. With her rich vocals sounding through the stadium as lights shone down upon her, it’s clear that she is a true star in the musical world.
As “All of the Lights,” Kanye West’s song on which Rihanna was featured, blasted over the speakers, Rihanna quickly touched up her makeup on stage, a classy move that also doubled as a cosmetics ad for her self-made brand Fenty Beauty. The stage was hers, and as is evident in the fact that her performance drew in five million more viewers on television, Rihanna meant more to the Super Bowl than what the event meant to her. As she rose back into the air for her last song “Diamonds,” it became clear that Rihanna bestowed her presence over Arizona to perform her duty as an entertainer and icon of the 21st century.
