![“[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)
Review: Taylor Swift lets down fans with new pop album – 3.5/5 stars
October 23, 2012
Country-pop singer Taylor Swift disappointed her die-hard fans with the new pop-rock tunes in Red, her fourth album, which was released on October 22.
Swift’s latest album leans towards the pop side of the music spectrum and nearly obliterates the country roots that fans have come to love. Almost all of the songs featured on Red consist of an annoying, heavy pop beat, with almost no sign of her trademark acoustic guitar. Though the style and substance of her lyrics remain the same, it is clear that Swift is outgrowing country music.
Both relatable and bluntly honest, Swift’s lyrics are the best feature of her new album. She continues to describe the ups and downs of love, something every individual is able to empathize with. Even though they are lacking in complexity, the lyrics of Red still touch the hearts of listeners.
While Swift has made changes to her actual music, she continues her custom of including secret messages in each song of her album. Swift capitalizes letters in the lyrics section of her album booklet in the hopes that a listener will string all the uppercase letters together and discover the hidden words. The secret message of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is “When I stopped caring about what you thought,” leaving fans to speculate about whom it is written about.
The best song from this album is “Sad Beautiful Tragic,” because it still retains the qualities that Swift used to develop her own original identity; elements of country music are detectable, along with the sense of calm usually associated with her music. Her old fans will still be able to listen to a glimpse of the country version of Swift. “Sad Beautiful Tragic,” resembles songs featured on Swift’s second album, Fearless, which was released in 2008.
Other impressive songs in Red include “Treacherous” and “The Last Time,” a collaboration she worked on with Gary Lightbody, who is the lead singer of the band Snow Patrol. Swift’s duets with Lightbody and Ed Sheeran add an element of alternative rock to her album. However, even though many fans of Swift may love her upbeat and catchy tunes, country music fans will find the majority of her new songs to be a step down from her previous work.
Although many fans may prefer Swift’s older albums, they are still eagerly awaiting the release of the Red tour dates, which will be announced on her website shortly.
