![“[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 with an anecdote about the book “What You Are Looking For is in the Library” by Michiko Aoyama. Sharing Aoyama’s quote, “It’s how you read the book that is most valuable,” Barsky encouraged students to engage with their school activities with enthusiasm.
Card and Board Game Club president Elaine Xu (10) and representative Roma Bhanot (10) announced a beginner-friendly Rubik’s Cube solving contest on Feb. 20.
DECA officers Lauren Lin (12), Eden Kelly (11), Nicole Dean (10) and Kai Nishimura (10) introduced activities for DECA Advocacy Month, including a movie night on Feb. 21 and basketball tournament on Feb. 24. These events aim to promote Career Technical Education, programs that inform and prepare students for future professions.
Conservatory representatives announced upcoming performing arts events. Sophomore Hanz Baek invited students to attend the Harker Concert Series performance by the Poulenc Trio on Feb. 28. Senior Maya Affaki introduced after-school dance classes for the spring semester, which accommodate all skill levels and offer PE credit for those who attend classes three or more days a week. Senior Ananya Das, sophomore Lea Kandl-Zhang and sophomore Megha Unny announced the Harker choral concert United Voices and reminded students of audience etiquette.
Student Diversity Coalition representative Dhanya Ramanan (10) urged students to adopt a multifaceted view of Black history and advocated for allyship. Her speech introduced a video honoring Black History Month, which encouraged the celebration of black triumphs.
Harker Spirit Leadership Team (HSLT) officer Charlotte Ludlow (11) announced senior basketball player Rohit Yalla and sophomore soccer player Vova Schegrov as athletes of the week, who are ranked 49th and 53rd in CCS, respectively.
Harker Aquila Editor-in-Chief Emma Milner (12) presented a snapshot of the journalism program’s Humans of Harker project, sharing a video profile featuring senior Emily Mitnick.
HSLT representatives Albert Yao (11) and Cam Jones (10) shared themes for this year’s Spring Spirit Week running from March 24 to March 28. Frosh, sophomores, juniors and seniors will represent the class themes Candyland, Jumanji, Clue and Monopoly, respectively.
