![“[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)
Harker DECA held an ice cream social in honor of DECA month outside of Manzanita Hall on Nov. 3 after school.
Every November, DECA affiliates throughout North America celebrate their membership in DECA. As part of the celebration, Harker DECA hosts various events and activities like the ice cream social.
Around 30 members of the community attended the event, including students and teachers. DECA officer team representatives helped to ensure that everything operated smoothly and served vanilla ice cream along with toppings like oreos and chocolate sauce.
Another event that DECA holds is the Hustle for Muscle volleyball game, which is an event where students and faculty compete for boba and gift cards. Representatives from each grade participate in a tournament leading up to the ultimate Students vs Faculty match. The juniors beat the sophomores and the seniors beat the frosh in the preliminaries on Nov. 6. The juniors and seniors will play in the student finals on Tuesday.
To raise money for the cause, DECA is selling winter wishes until Nov. 28 and students can buy them from DECA by paying with a credit card, which are bags of treats that students can send to other community members on campus. DECA vice president of competitions Sanaa Bhorkar (11) notes some of the festivities included in celebration of DECA month.
“We all just celebrate being a part of DECA and what DECA means and then some things that come with that. We usually [fundraise] for DECA, [but] this year we’re fundraising not for ourselves, but rather for the MDA, which is the Muscle Dystrophy Association. And every year we raise about $1,000.”
Additionally, one of the festivities included in DECA month celebration involves Dine with DECA, an event where students can interact with business professionals over lunch on topics such as how technology has evolved as well as job opportunities, which is occurring on Nov. 29. This year’s activities fundraise for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Director of Engagement Eden Kelly (10) notes one of her most memorable moments from DECA’s events.
“Last year, I went to Dine with DECA as a freshman, and it was really fun,” Eden said. “I got to hear a lot about career opportunities and recent developments in tech. It was a really good opportunity to learn about tech and potential career opportunities.”
From Nov. 16 to 18, DECA plans to attend the Power Trip business conference in Austin, Texas. Officers from DECA strongly encourage underclassmen members to attend in order to learn more about the program. DECA Member Jahir Sandoval (9) is excited for the Power Trip and for improving his written plan, a business plan with a presentation component.
“We’re gonna have a good time, and I’m gonna learn a lot,” Jahir said. “It’s gonna be my first DECA trip. It’s more of a practice event for people like me that are novices, and it’s organized within DECA. I’m looking forward to working on my written as well.”
