![“[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)
Associated Student Body (ASB) president Daniel Lin (12) opened the second school meeting of the year on Aug. 28.
Upper school art teacher Brian Caponi announced the Visual Arts Department’s 2023-24 Artist in Residence, Pantea Karimi. Karimi will visit Harker in November to conduct projects with visual arts classes and install a new exhibition in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center (RPAC).
Harker Spirit Leadership Team (HSLT) then took the stage, announcing the spirit kickoff event that took place on Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Quad. The event featured snowcones, cotton candy and a mechanical surfboard. HSLT also announced the football team’s first home game of the season, which took place on Saturday at 6 p.m. against Turlock Christian High School and included a Barbenheimer theme.
After the spirit announcements, Conservatory representatives Shareen Chahal (12), Luke Mehta (12), Iris Cai (11), Sam Parupudi (11) and Jason Shim (11) invited students to audition for the Dance Production themed Night and Day. Auditions will be held in RPAC on Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., and the rehearsals are one hour a week and fitted to students’ schedules. Students who participate will also receive 0.5 PE credit. After school dance classes also began on Aug. 28, with Advanced Contemporary at 3:30 p.m. and Hip Hop at 4:30 p.m.
Upper School Dean of Students Kevin Williamson informed students about the school’s safety protocols. He explained new terminology, such as “central shelter,” which requires students to gather in a large area to relay information after a special situation, and “shelter in place,” which requires students to immediately find shelter in the nearest classroom or office. Harker staff will announce lockdown situations and evacuations through the speaker system. Williamson also notified students about an earthquake drill that took place on Friday at 9:20 a.m.
