![“[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)
Students attended the annual winter ball in the Auxiliary Gym and Main Hall on Jan. 20 from 7 to 10 p.m.
Rain forced the dance to shift to an entirely indoor event, changing the typical layout of activities which kept snacks and drinks in the Quad. Despite the adverse weather conditions, all usual dance activities went on, largely due to the pre-planning efforts of the Harker Spirit Leadership Team.
“We made sure the photo booths were in different places (from previous years),” HSLT member Ananya Das (11) said. “That way, people wouldn’t get wet outside. We also moved the tables further in and provided more indoor space for people to hang out.”
For most of the night, the biggest crowd amassed in the Auxiliary Gym, where a DJ played music. Prior to the event, HSLT sent a form to registered students for submitting music requests. Students could also submit requests during the dance on a piece of paper at the DJ’s table.
HSLT chose the theme for the night, “Old Hollywood.” The organizers set up a red carpet for students to take pictures outside the dance floor and decorated ceilings with Hollywood-themed items, including pictures of famous actors.
While many attendees opted to spend their time on the dance floor, others grabbed snacks set up by Harker staff, such as tater tots, chocolate covered strawberries, pizza slices, cannoli and lemon bars, or participated in card games and other activities offered in various rooms throughout Main. Options ranged from watching the playoff football game airing during the early portion of the dance to taking photos at a booth set up on the side of the hallway.
“I feel like they really stepped up the photo booths this year,” dance attendee Natalie Barth (10) said. “Last year, the lighting wasn’t that great. This year, you can see yourself in the machines, and the props are better too. I also like the backgrounds they have this year.”
The DJ played the final song of the night, “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, at 10 p.m., prompting students to leave in an orderly fashion through the front and back loading zones.
As a prominent social event on the school calendar, Winter Ball encourages students to come together on the upper school campus for a night of dancing and fun.
“I just like getting to see the students come to school but have fun,” chaperone and Director of Learning, Innovation and Design Diane Main said. “Seeing them not be all focused on academics, but instead really cutting loose and having fun with their friends.”
