![“[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)
Last week more than 10,000 people gathered in Cupertino to celebrate the popular Indian festival, Diwali.
Also known as “the festival of lights”, this holiday celebrates the return of one of the Hindu deities, Rama, to his kingdom, Ayodhya.
Families usually celebrate by decorating their homes with rows of candles, eating sweets, and bursting firecrackers. The candles symbolize the battle between good and evil and good’s eventual victory over the latter, such as Rama’s victory over an evil king. This 2,500-year-old tradition is one of the biggest events on the Indian calendar with celebrations around the world.
Several Upper School students, including Nikhil Reddy (10), are celebrating Diwali by lighting candles, mini firecrackers, and sparklers while enjoying a meal with their family and friends.
“We put candles around all the houses, turn on all the lights, and we invite a couple of friends,” he said.
Diwali falls in the month of November this year, and early celebrations have already begun around the Bay Area, starting with Cupertino’s festivities last weekend.
Because November this year is expected to be wet, the Diwali celebrations have been moved up. This year denotes Cupertino’s 10th annual Diwali gala. At the Memorial Park, people were able to view traditional dances, purchase jewelry, taste authentic Indian dishes, and visit the several booths. One booth featured an artist applying henna tattoos, while in another booth a magician performed magic tricks.
For some, Diwali is an exquisite festival because of the lights and the pageantry.
“Diwali signifies the new year for Indians, and it is the most beautiful festival of the year because there are so many lights that just represent Ram coming home […] It is really awesome,” Ryan Pachauri (10) said.
To other students, Diwali is an opportunity to bond with families and have a good time.
“It signifies getting along with our family. We go to the temple and get closer together by celebrating God,” Shivali Minocha (9) said.
For many students who celebrate Diwali, this time-honored festival celebrated around the world unites families and represents the victory of light over darkness and good over evil.
