![“[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)
AP Art History students tour San Francisco Asian Art Museum
![Phoebe Castle (11) takes in a work from the "Color Trip: Yoshida Hodaka’s Modern Prints" exhibit at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco during a field trip on Mar. 27. "I was immediately drawn to the different themes of color in each one of the [prints]," she said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_5194-Large-900x675.png)
Phoebe Castle (11) takes in a work from the “Color Trip: Yoshida Hodaka’s Modern Prints” exhibit at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco during a field trip on Mar. 27. “I was immediately drawn to the different themes of color in each one of the [prints],” she said.
April 3, 2023
Advanced Placement (AP) Art History students visited the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco during a field trip on Mar. 27.
After attending their fifth period classes, students left school from the front loading zone at 9:30 a.m., driving just over an hour to San Francisco. They then split into groups and explored the museum until noon. AP Art History student Phoebe Castle (11) remarked on the exclusive exhibition “Color Trip: Yoshida Hodaka’s Modern Prints,” which will remain on view through May 1, 2023.
“I really liked the Zodiac [Landscape collection by Hodaka],” Phoebe said. “I was immediately drawn to the different themes of color in each one of the [prints]. For example, Gemini is obviously blues and greens, and that’s stereotypically associated with the Gemini. Leo has bold, red colors, [since] the personality of a Leo is bold and loud. It’s interesting that the artist incorporated that.”
The museum featured art from various Asian cultures, including East Asia, India and Southeast Asia, boasting a collection of over 18,000 items in total. Jeffrey Zhang (10) was particularly interested in art from Thailand, as he had recently visited the country.
“It was really interesting seeing all the Buddhist sculptures,” Jeffrey said. “There was one, a reclining bodhi. It was cool because it was really intricate, and I liked the bronze gilding and all the techniques they used to cast it.”
At noon, attendees left the museum to explore the nearby area. After eating lunch at nearby restaurants, they returned to the museum at 1 p.m. to admire more exhibits before departing for campus at 1:30 p.m. The students will continue their exploration of Asian art in a multi-week project comparing the AP Art History curriculum and works from the museum’s collections.
AP Art History teacher Donna Gilbert has journeyed with students to the museum for over ten years, at first visiting the Legion of Honor before transitioning to the Asian Art Museum. She especially values the museum trip for offering a personal, interactive experience with the art, as students typically study works digitally throughout the school year.
“When you go to the museum, I find that’s the part that really makes students sort of wake up and come alive,” Gilbert said. “[The art] comes alive. [The museum] gives it texture, and it’s real. It’s no longer just in a video or in the classroom.”
