![“[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)
Twenty-five Future Problem Solving (FPS) members participated in competition events at FPS Launch with practice problems, performances and an alumni panel in Nichols Hall on Saturday.
Officers began the event with a presentation discussing the four different FPS events that students compete in at the state and international level every year: Global Issues Problem Solving, Community Problem Solving, Creative Writing and Storytelling. The officers discussed how participating in FPS improves teamwork, writing skills and awareness of global challenges.
Participants then formed teams and studied a futuristic scenario where societies have gamified all aspects of life. Groups identified challenges with the gamification strategies and composed a plan of action to resolve those issues.
“Although my group had a couple of challenges, we eventually persevered,” first-time participant Ethan Gu (10) said. “Our [team’s] packet turned out pretty good. I learned a lot both about teamwork and about how FPS works [with] all the niches and the little things.”
Creative writing, storytelling and skit directors Cyrus Ghane (11) and Terry Xie (11) introduced the Creative Writing and Storytelling competitions in which participants compose or narrate a futuristic short story. Teams then either practiced those events or created a skit based on their plan of action for the future scene.
“It started slow, but when everyone was practicing their presentation of action plans, they looked pretty enthusiastic and excited,” FPS coach Cyrus Merrill said. “The most impactful moment for students was when they were working together and coming out of their shells, having fun and just being themselves.”
After lunch, teams performed their acts in the Nichols Auditorium, with many combining songs like Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!” and dances with dialogues to tell stories. Their performances showed their plan of action using fictional characters and included props like a stuffed Harker eagle.
Former FPS co-presidents Ritu Belani (‘24) and Aeliya Grover (‘24) answered questions from attendees about the real-world applications of FPS. Belani explained how FPS alumni used critical thinking skills they had honed in the club at job interviews, and Grover recalled the joys of performing skits with teammates.
“Even though there were a couple of bumps in the road, it went really well,” FPS president-elect Leana Zhou (11) said. “The attendance was better than we expected, and I’m excited to see how far everyone’s going to get this year, considering where they already are and how enthusiastic they were today.”
