![“[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)
Cooking Club members sampled miracle berries on Friday in Mr. Hurshman’s room.
The small, red fruits native to West Africa cause acidity to taste sweet for five to 10 minutes. They contain miraculin, a chemical that binds to sweet receptors in the tongue.
Attendee Stellan Lindh (10) was surprised by the efficacy of the berries.
“I’ve been wanting to try miracle berries for around three years now,” Stellan said. “I was kind of skeptical that they would actually work, but everything tasted very sweet. I really want to try other foods with them, especially ones I don’t like, like bell peppers.”
The club prepared a selection of sour foods like limes, pickles, grapefruit and candy. Attendee Amy Chen (9) enjoyed experiencing unique flavors from the effects of the berry.
“The limes were really sweet and tasted like candy,” Amy said. “The other foods were okay. The [salt and vinegar] chips were really strange. I want to buy some berries off Amazon now.”
As part of its mission, Cooking Club seeks to introduce students to different culinary experiences through cooking lessons, including a brownie-making session later this year. In the past, the club’s officers provided food for the community by baking cakes on Cake Friday and pretzels for students and faculty.
Co-president Victor Gong (12) hopes to help students bond through the club’s guided culinary experiences.
“Not many people have experienced biting into a lime and tasting something sweet, so we thought it would just be a good experience for the community,” Victor said. “Giving them something special and tangible to eat while chatting with others. We’re definitely hoping to do more of these community events along with hands-on cooking meetings.”
