![“[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)
The annual Homecoming dance invited students for a night of music and festivity in the Auxiliary Gym on Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m.
Harker Spirit Leadership Team volunteers arrived early that morning to decorate, but administration was initially unsure whether the dance would occur due to a scheduled PG&E power outage. At 3:38 p.m., a few hours before the event, the Office of Communications released an email confirming that the dance would proceed as planned.
The DJ played songs from the playlist of student-suggested songs curated by HSLT, shuffling through viral tracks like “FE!N” by Travis Scott, nostalgic 2010s songs like “Baby” by Justin Bieber and slow, romantic tunes like “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez. Students clustered in circles, bouncing to the rhythm or grooving to the music as they sang along.
Frosh Jessie Cao commented on the exciting and boisterous environment that the DJ created for the dancers.
“I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Everyone was able to chill out for three hours,” Jessie said. “I liked [the songs] because they got people dancing, and it was hype. You got to spend time with your closest friends.”
In the main office, students lined up at photo booths to capture memories with friends, both digitally and with classic printed snapshots. Students also competed with each other in foosball and cornhole in the quad.
Kitchen staff supplied mozzarella sticks, gummy bears, peach rings and other assorted candy for attendees. Students had access to more refreshments in the quad like water and lemonade.
Teacher proctors were stationed at various locations to monitor the students. Librarian Amy Pelman contrasted the stresses of the academic day with this opportunity to act carefree.
“We have a whole assigned station rotation, so I go to the different stations and watch to make sure people are staying safe,” Pelman said. “I love that everyone just seems a little bit lighter and happier, and they’re having fun. It’s so nice to see everyone cut loose.”
Senior Yasmin Sudarsanam reflected upon her last homecoming of high school, cherishing the memories she made with her friends that evening.
“It was a really full circle moment,” Yasmin said. “Having one last time not only to dance with my senior friends but also with some of my friends in other grades was a really amazing moment for me. It was just so much fun getting to eat and chat with all my friends and taking photos in the photo booth to bring with us to college and commemorate this experience.”
