![“[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 President Daniel Lin (12) opened the last school meeting of 2023 on Thursday.
CareerConnect officer Ruhan Sahasi (11) announced a Finals Study Workshop to help students learn study techniques in preparation for their upcoming final exams. The workshop, which featured a panel consisting of seniors Ramit Goyal, Ella Lan and Fiona Yan, took place in the Innovation Center on Thursday at 12:45 p.m. during long lunch.
Harker Model United Nations Co-Secretary General Alice Tao (12) and Deputy Secretary General Sam Parupudi (11) informed students that the first PANMUN, an inter-school conference organized by Harker, will take place on Jan. 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the upper school. Attendance is free for Harker students, with lunch and snacks included. Alice and Sam encouraged students to attend regardless of whether they have prior Model UN experience. 30 spots are available for Harker attendees, and students may sign up for the event here.
Head of Upper School Paul Barsky reminded students of upcoming events, including Winterfest and the Winter Instrumental Concert on Dec. 8 and Cake Friday on Dec. 15, with gluten-free and vegan options available. Barsky encouraged students to sleep well instead of cramming for final exams, highlighting sleep’s role in improved overall performance in teens. He also shared journalist and author Jennifer Breheny Wallace’s observation that teens who were successful were “healthy strivers” and felt valued for who they were.
Barsky wished students a good holiday break before turning the stage over to Harker Conservatory representatives Shareen Chahal (12), Luke Mehta (12), Iris Cai (11), Sam and Jason Shim (11). Conservatory announced that the Winter Instrumental Concert, featuring Lab Band, Jazz Band and Orchestra, would happen on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center. The concert included music from composers Robert Schumann, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker, as well as holiday specials and Henri Casadesus’ Viola Concerto performed by soloist Harshini Chaturvedula (12).
Honor Council members Marcus Blennemann (11), Naiya Daswani (11) and Linda Zeng (10) recommended several study resources for winter finals, including making a study guide, practicing spaced repetition, reciting material to friends and family and using active recall through tools like Quizlet or concept maps. Honor Council encouraged students to visit Speech and Debate Department Chair Jenny Achten in Dobbins 207 for tips on studying.
Director of Standardized Testing and Scheduling Troy Thiele revealed that the campus cat, who the upper school named Tony at the school meeting on Nov. 14, is also a pet cat known as Athena. Thiele also disclosed that two other cats who look similar to Athena — her sibling Atlas and mother Chaos — have also been visiting campus. He warned students that the ‘campus cat’ they see around the upper school could, in reality, be any one of the three.
Daniel reminded students that Winterfest would be taking place after school on Dec. 8 and dismissed students after wishing those taking finals good luck.
