![“[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)
A staple of Harker’s fall season, this year’s animation-themed eagle statues are covered in nostalgic characters from animation studios. Colorful glimpses of the eagles serve as constant reminders of school spirit for students walking by Manzanita Hall in the days leading up to Homecoming.
On the frosh’s PBS Kids-inspired eagle, Thing 1 and Thing 2 greet observers under a “Class of 2028” sign. The other sides of the platform feature Pinkalicious, Clifford the Big Red Dog and a slew of Sesame Street and Angry Bird characters. The actual eagle resembles the Cat in the Hat, down to the black and white fur and red bowtie.
The sophomores painted characters from Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “Dora the Explorer.” A wide-eyed SpongeBob eagle perches atop the platform.
Sophomore eagle painter Raeanne Li helped plan the eagle’s design elements, including the Penguins of Madagascar standing in front of two Smurfs and Swiper the Fox with a 3D-render of Leonardo from “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” The painters brainstormed recognizable characters to include and create thumbnails as painting guidelines.
“The main objective was to make all the sides cohesive,” Raeanne said. “We can’t just have one side be one character, especially because Nickelodeon has so many. Instead, we decided to blend them together so there’ll be at least two different characters from different universes on each side.”
Juniors and seniors worked on Universal Studios and Disney-themed eagles respectively. The juniors’ eagle platform is painted with Toothless the dragon, the Grinch, dogs and cats from “The Secret Life of Pets” and the “Jaws” poster with “2026” in red letters to replace the movie title.
The seniors paid homage to Disney classics like Mickey Mouse from “Steamboat Willie,” one of the very first synchronized sound cartoons. The other sides feature Disney princesses and villains. Donald Duck, wearing a blue uniform with yellow stripes, sits atop the pedestal on a golden base.
“Our first idea was to make a face-off between the villains and the heroes, so that’s why we have two panels where the characters look at each other in the front of the eagle,” senior painting lead Harrison Chen said. “Our charisma, charm and our very gold rock help us stand out.”
The four eagles will be moved in front of Main Hall as a longstanding symbol of the annual tradition, where students and faculty can admire them throughout the year.
“When I walk by the eagle paintings, I feel very patriotic for Harker,” passerby Ava Zarkesh (10) said. “I know all the painters put in a lot of effort to make it possible, and they all look wonderful. It just makes my day a little better when I see the effort they have put in.”
