![“[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)
Upper school students celebrated Spirit Night on Thursday outside of Manzanita Hall from 3 to 5:30 p.m. to build class camaraderie and finalize homecoming preparations.
Harker Student Leadership Team (HSLT) hosts Spirit Night annually in an effort to cultivate school spirit through friendly competition. Spirit Night precedes Homecoming Week, which will include daily dress-up themes and a rally on Thursday.
Led by student artists, members of each grade finalized class eagles, which they had begun two weeks earlier, before the 5:30 p.m. deadline.
The designs of the class eagles were centered around each class’s chosen musical themes. Seniors painted their eagle black with sections of bright green in honor of their “Wicked” theme while juniors bedecked theirs in the colors of the American flag, inspired by “Hamilton.” Sophomores decorated their eagle with a lab coat and sports jersey to highlight their “High School Musical” theme, and frosh illustrated scenes from “Mamma Mia”. Judges will announce the results of the eagle painting competition during Homecoming Week next week.
“Everything from the tactile feeling of the lab coat and the variety of textural elements that we’ve included here [makes] our eagle stand out,” sophomore dean Meredith Cranston said. “We have a vibrant lip sync crew preparing a dance for us; our tug of war is really bringing strength this year. I can’t wait to see the hard work of all of the classes come to fruition.”
At a HSLT-run karaoke station, students and teachers sang songs like “Mamma Mia” by ABBA or “Dear Theodosia” from “Hamilton”. HSLT also served pizza, chips, candy and beverages throughout the afternoon to attendees.
“There was a lot more participation than we expected,” HSLT executive secretary Robert Fields (11) said. “[Spirit Night] brings a lot of people together. Especially for the eagle painters, it sort of gives them a reward for working so hard — we just want to show them that we appreciate them.”
In addition to encouraging enthusiasm surrounding class competition and school spirit, Spirit Night can be a welcome break from Harker’s academic pressures. Frosh Anika Basu commented on her and her friends’ enjoyment of Spirit Night activities.
“A lot of my friends sang karaoke, and I loved that,” Anika said. “I helped out with the freshman eagle painting and took way too much pizza. It’s been a very nice change from usual stress and a great way to end the week.”
![Upper school history teacher Byron Stevens unpacks a box in his classroom in preparation for the new school year. "The most fun is just the anticipation and the excitement as [the start] gets closer, and I have the greatest job in the world because it could start over every August," Stevens said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/stevensDSC_6361-e1724541433242-1200x751.jpg)
