![“[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)
Head of Upper School Paul Barsky opened the school meeting on Friday in the Zhang Gymnasium.
He reminded students to not cut the line on Saratoga Avenue or delay traffic by stopping at Shah Hall during morning drop-off, and asked non-drivers to inform their parents of these rules.
Harker Conservatory representatives shared upcoming performing arts events. Senior Shruti Srinivasan and sophomore Jessica Skylar Chen announced auditions for the fall musical “Guys and Dolls” from Sept. 16-18 with callbacks on Sept. 21. Senior Yinan Zhou invited students to attend the Harker Concert Series performance and master class by the Caribbean jazz group The Tropicales on Sept. 13. Senior Arthur Wu reminded students that auditions for Dance Production would take place at 3:15 p.m on Friday.
Mathematics department chair Anthony Silk notified students of sign-ups for the American Mathematics Competition 10A and 12A exams. He also stated that students who wished to take the B versions of the exams would need to be active members of Math Club.
Assistant upper school division head Kelly Horan advised students to communicate with their parents and teachers if they were feeling academically burdened, referencing characters from the animated film “Inside Out 2” to support her talking points. She compared Joy to the optimism and enthusiasm students have for their multiple commitments and Anxiety to the stress of not being able to complete assignments on time. Horan addressed policies regarding rescheduling tests when students have more than two tests in a day, imploring students to contact all of their teachers and avoid consistently moving assessments for a specific class. She also warned against self-studying for mutliple AP exams.
Harker Programming Club co-president Kashish Priyam (12) and head event coordinator Tiffany Zhu (11) revealed that the annual Girls Programming League challenge will occur on Sept. 21 with the theme “Computer Science and Astronomy.” Members of each winning team can win prizes of up to $100, and a panel of female professionals in astronomy and computer science will participate in a speaker event.
Student Activities Board members, Associated Student Body spirit coordinator Daniel Chen (12) and Harker Spirit Leadership Team President Robert Fields (12) announced their respective grades’ themes for homecoming week: Disney for seniors, Universal Studios for juniors, Nickelodeon for sophomores and PBS for frosh. Daniel reminded students to sign up for spirit events taking place during homecoming week.
ASB president Sam Parupudi concluded the school meeting by notifying juniors of hot snacks available in Manzanita Hall.
