![“[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)
Psychology Club, led by president Daphne Avkarogullari (12), covers topics such as cognitive, social and clinical psychology. The club aims to introduce Harker students to the world of psychology through speaker events and educational workshops, exploring how and why individuals think, feel and act in certain ways.
In the 2024 club season, Psych Club officers have worked to diversify meetings and topics. In an effort to stray away from traditional presentations, they are experimenting with new initiatives such as movie nights, jeopardy, journal discussions and interactive activities such as small-scale social experiments or psychological games.
For their first meeting of the year on Oct. 16, Psych Club explained the science behind optical illusions and handed out printed images of optical illusions for club members to explore. The subsequent month, the club invited Dr. Matcheri Keshavan, who works in the psychiatry department at the Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston, to present on the intersection between neuroscience and psychology on Nov. 16. Most recently, members attended a movie night and watched A Beautiful Mind, a story about a mathematician with psychological issues, on Jan 26. Upper school psychology teacher and Psych Club advisor Dr. Julie Turchin is excited to explore a larger variety of club meeting styles.
“I really enjoy seeing the ideas that officers come up with for different meetings,” Turchin said. “Last year, in addition to our typical meetings, where someone picks a topic and presents about it, we had a couple of really cool sessions, such as one where we heard from someone who is a research assistant in a Stanford lab and [saw] what her profession was like. It’s nice that we’re branching out from presentations to even more types of activities this year.”
In 2023, the club also organized a series of informational events, including a Q&A session featuring a panel of Harker alumni who now pursue psychology as their major in college. Members interacted with the college students and gained insights into their current psychology-related work and the integral role of psychology in their lives. Psych Club co-vice president Shaila Tandon (11) reflects on the importance of learning about psychology and its prevalence in daily life.
“Psychology can come in many shapes and forms,” Shaila said. “My favorite part about psychology is the fact that it applies to every single aspect in life because there is human behavior involved in every action, career and situation. People are so fascinating in their own ways, and I love that psychology is able to help explain those differences and causes.”
Following the club’s success in past years, officers hope that membership this year will continue to increase. They organize monthly club meetings, with the next session expected to take place in late February.
“Last year, our club really grew in size,” Psych Club co-vice president Alicia Ran (11) said. “I remember during my frosh year, the room was less than half full during meetings. Now, there’s almost no room, even on the floor, for people coming in. That’s been amazing for me to see, and I hope to see this trend continue.”
