![“[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)
Frosh, sophomores and juniors gathered in the Athletic Center for the first school meeting of 2024 on Tuesday while seniors met in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center for announcements about the Student Directed Showcase and their end-of-school-year trip to Laguna Beach.
In the Athletic Center, Head of Upper School Paul Barsky began by wishing students a happy new year. He encouraged them to use the holiday season as a time to reflect on what they felt was important to them and, quoting upper school speech and debate teacher Scott Odekirk, how they lived their values. He then discussed two values from Harker’s mission statement that he would focus on the coming semester: integrity and personal responsibility.
Barsky announced that he would be working closely with the Honor Council, the Associated Student Body and faculty in order to address issues surrounding academic integrity. He expressed a personal obligation to create a welcoming and respectful environment for all students as well as to prevent academic dishonesty.
“I want you to take pride in your work,” Barsky said. “I owe it to you to create a community where you all respect the effort that your teachers put in to ensure that cheating does not take place in their class.”
Acknowledging the increasingly polarizing political climate, Barsky reminded students of his commitment to combating not only violence and hate speech outside of campus but also inconsiderate remarks at school. He expressed his optimism for a semester of kindness and respect and concluded by once again wishing students a happy new year.
Assistant Upper School Division Head Kelly Horan informed students about course selection for the 2024-25 school year. She began by playing a game of “Two Truths and a Lie,” where she revealed she had done research on memory and mental conditions in the past, which helps her in her efforts to create an environment where each student can thrive. She asked each student to envision themselves in the same position next year, taking into account the classes they chose, and emphasized the importance of sleeping well and thriving both in and outside of the classroom.
Horan continued by announcing classes which were offered in rotation, including Arranging and Composing, Ethnic Studies and Honors Analytical Chemistry, as well as post-Advanced Placement classes such as Programming Languages, Info Theory and Lyric Poetry. Horan notified juniors of their upcoming selection for next year’s English classes and explained the differences between AP English Literature and Composition and other English 4 classes.
Finally, Horan reminded students to fulfill their necessary requirements of taking five academic classes and one extra period option or six academic classes. She announced that course selections must be completed by Jan. 30 and that students would be taking part in an advisory activity to discuss their schedules in the coming weeks.
