![“[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 school meeting on Jan. 23 and apologized for technical difficulties regarding the projector, which was unable to play videos and made the slides difficult to read.
Captains of the boys and girls varsity soccer teams Anya Chauhan (12), Cynthia Wang (12), Ryan Barth (12) and Jack Yang (12) announced the beginning of the 2024 Kicks Against Cancer fundraiser, which raises money for Camp Okizu, a nonprofit organization providing supportive camp experiences for children with cancer and their families. The team will hold a bake sale every day this week during lunch and afterschool on Friday and sell handmade blankets, lanyards and other merchandise. Students will be able to support the cause by making paper chains or writing messages to Camp Okizu at the bake sale table. Students and staff can also buy from the Panda Express at 1320 El Paseo De Saratoga and show a Harker soccer flyer to send 20% of their proceeds to Camp Okizu. Both teams’ soccer games happen Friday on Davis Field, the girls’ game beginning at 4 p.m. and the boys’ at 6 p.m.
Upper School Mathematics Department Chair Anthony Silk discussed the mistreatment of the plastic chess pieces by students, reminding them that though they are made of plastic, the pieces are still expensive. He expressed disappointment in not only finding the black king piece decapitated but also discovering the head in the boy’s locker room, advising students to be honest and tell him if one of the pieces needs fixing.
Amishi Gupta (10) announced CareerConnect’s workshop on Tuesday during long lunch offering advice for interviews for internships or summer programs. She shared an opportunity to practice in a mock interview with a business professional of their choice on Thursday during long lunch.
Visual Arts Department Chair Joshua Martinez discussed the Honors Directed Portfolio student-created exhibitions which will be featured in the Shah Gallery over the next five weeks. The reception for Maya Cheshire’s (12) exhibition “Intus et Extra” happened on Thursday at 1 p.m., and Martinez invited students to enjoy the artwork their peers created.
Student Diversity Coalition representatives Dina Ande (12) and Elie Ahluwalia (10) discussed future SDC-led events, such as the Student Diversity Leadership Gathering on Feb. 4 and Culture Week the week of Feb. 26. During culture week, members of the community may participate in cultural performances, booths, food trucks and art showcases. They invited staff to volunteer to help with checking students, distributing wristbands and managing lines for the food trucks.
Conservatory representatives Shareen Chahal (12), Luke Mehta (12), Iris Cai (11), Sam Parupudi (11) and Jason Shim (11) advertised the 2024 Dance Production “Night and Day,” which performed on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center. They congratulated the 2024 student choreographers and advised the audience to purchase tickets before the show sold out. They also announced the orchestra’s performance at the Green Music Center located in Sonoma County on Thursday at 7 p.m.
