![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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 Thursday in the Zhang Gymnasium.
Barsky announced that designated teachers would start giving warnings and confiscating phones from students using them during school meetings. He concluded with the news that cookies would be served every Friday starting this week.
Student Diversity Coalition representative Elie Ahluwalia (11) reminded the student body to refrain from choosing Halloween costumes that appropriate other cultures.
Spikeball Club presidents Tej Aswani (12) and Rohit Yalla (12) announced a two-bracket spikeball tournament that they will be hosting starting next Tuesday.
Senior HELM Co-Editors-in-Chief Iris Cai, Eva Li and Charlize Wang revealed the theme of this year’s issue: “Mirror.” They invited students to submit art, writing and video — a recent addition to the magazine — by Jan. 10. In closing, they announced a HELM-hosted writing contest with a cash prize.
Representatives of the ASB service committee, Japanese National Honor Society, TRI-M, Art Club, Amnesty Club, UNICEF Club, Key Club and Table Tennis Club spoke about the upcoming Project Peace Wheel Fundraiser, which will be the first of this school year’s two fundraisers. The clubs will sell merchandise for the Afghan Refugee Fundraiser next Tuesday and Thursday. Students can buy a variety of goods, like bracelets, boba and donuts outside of Manzanita Hall.
ASB Treasurer Ananya Pradhan (11) explained the fundraising process. She clarified that the school does not provide direct reimbursements for students hosting fundraisers.
ASB President Sam Parapudi (12) and Spirit Coordinator Daniel Chen (12) announced this year’s annual Chellaween, which will be in the Quad during long lunch next Thursday. They also introduced the Halloween costume parade, a new event created by popular request that will take place before Chellaween.
HSLT members then put on a costume fashion show inspired by the Roblox game Dress to Impress, with commentary from math teacher Caren Furtado.
Dean of Students Kevin Williamson gave a presentation about emergency protocols and safety lockdowns. Williamson reminded students and staff to demonstrate kindness for all members of the community, as above 80% of school shootings are by people within the school community. He went over procedures for the lockdown drill, which occurred directly after the school meeting. Students performed the drill in their period 6 classrooms, turning the lights off and barricading the classroom door.
