![“[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)
Harker Spirit Leadership Team and Student Activities Board members picked pumpkins at Spina Farms last Friday in preparation for the pumpkin carving competition on Oct. 29.
Representatives from each of the classes chose pumpkins within a price range of $20 to satisfy the design they chose for the pumpkin carving. The seniors, juniors and frosh purchased large pumpkins as their main piece with smaller pumpkins for extra adornment, while the sophomores chose three medium-sized ones.
HSLT Competitive Events committee member Alice Luo (10) thought the trip served as a chance to support her class spirit and become more familiar with spirit members in other grades.
“I really liked picking the pumpkins because we all had an idea in mind, but we had to work to find something within the price range and the pumpkins that fit the actual theme,” Alice said. “There was a lot of communication. This is going to be important if we want to win spirit points and potentially beat the seniors for our pumpkin carving contest later.”
Beyond the entrance, two animatronic dinosaurs adorned with pumpkins greeted the students. Students took pictures throughout the pumpkin patch as the sun began to set, posing among fields of marigolds, with the towering pyramid of pumpkins and next to a blinking, talking pumpkin.
Activities Coordinator Eric Kallbrier and Director of Community Service Kerry Enzensperger chaperoned the students and allowed them to explore the various food stalls and attractions in the pumpkin patch after buying their pumpkins.
They boarded the Hayride, a cart that led them along the corn fields and featured colorful, humanlike and animallike scarecrows. To end the night, students challenged themselves with the cornmaze that followed a giant pumpkin pattern.
“I really liked getting out of the cornmaze alive and not getting lost,” SAB member Albert Yao (11) said. “The group this year was more spirited. There was good food and fun discussion. We got more freedom with [choosing] than pumpkin than we had in the past, and a lot of classes had pretty good ideas.”
HSLT President Robert Fields (12) saw the trip as a reprieve before the spirit groups dove into another round of planning and executing spirit events.
“The trip is important because it gives everyone a break during a really busy time,” Robert said. “It’s right before the homecoming dance, which is really busy for spirit. Also, it’s a good way to build up morale and bonding, especially because it often seems like we’re going from one event to the next. Having a quick break helps everyone have fun and realize why they’re doing spirit.”
