![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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)
During lunch and after school on October 8 and 9, student directors Cristina Jerney (12), Hannah Prutton (12), Cecilia Lang-Ree (12), and Lori Berenberg (12) led the Student Directed Showcase auditions with guidance from Performing Arts Department Chair Laura Lang-Ree.
Lang-Ree, who advises the student directors, explained the casting process.
“The girls work with me four days a week in class […] I act as their teacher and advisor, but I am not the one […] saying you have to cast so-and-so,” she said.
When auditioning, students had the choice of preparing one of the four gender specific monologues posted online and on Lang-Ree’s door. Each director chose one play, consisting of a 30-minute act.
Many freshmen expressed their excitement about auditioning, and performing arts students like Janet Lee (9) said they did not feel very nervous before entering to audition.
“Although each actor does not get much time with the directors, since the directors are fellow students, they can see us working in other environments such as the fall play,” Janet said.
Some older students who have gone through this experience before also thought the audition process had an easy flow.
“You […] audition in front of the panel and […] it’s less stressful than most of the other auditions just because they are closer to your age,” Maya Nandakumar (10) said. “[The directors] are really supportive of you, and it seems like you are just performing for your friends.”
Each director had different requirements for their cast. Lori, director of The Choice Is Yours by Keith Jackson, explained how she was choosing her cast members.
“[I cast by] seeing who can play big and […] who’s just ready to have a lot of fun,” she said.
Hannah chose DNA by Dennis Kelly as her show and expressed her opinions about the qualities she is looking for in her cast members.
“I need [the cast members] to be very youthful,” she said. “I also need them to be committed to the show because it’s a difficult show to pull off.”
The Shadow Box by Michael Cristofer will be directed by Cecilia, who offered advice for those auditioning.
“For my show in particular, I’m looking for honesty and mature relationships with the other actors when they come in for callbacks,” she said.
Cristina also spoke about the play she is directing, The Madwoman of Chaillot by Jean Giraudoux.
“It has a lot of heart; it’s a cute and quirky comedy […] but it’s also a satire,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s lighthearted and just meant to make you smile.”
After the directors decide the results of the auditions from yesterday and today, callbacks will be held on October 11.
