![“[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)
Culture Week kicked off with a sidewalk chalk activity on Monday in the Orchard. Take a look at how students expressed their identities through art, and stay tuned for more Culture Week coverage!
Lily Shi, News Editor: The annual Culture Week kicked off with a sidewalk chalk activity on Monday in the Orchard. Throughout the day, students used chalk to draw what inspires them and what they identify with, transforming the pavement into a canvas of expression.
Ankita Chakravarty (11): I first drew Remy the Rat from “Ratatouille,” and then I tried to draw a peacock. I just think they’re fun and silly, and I think that kind of represents a little bit of my personality because I just like doing goofy things.
Lily: Student Diversity Coalition, which organized the event, hopes to invite students to create a space that represents the community.
Arushi Sahasi (11): This is basically a means to express who you are as a student. It’ll go from the end of this walkway here to the other end, and we just get a beautiful mosaic of identity. It’s a really great opportunity to get to know each other. Our Harker community is so small, and there are so many unique individuals that it would be a shame to not highlight our own uniqueness. Just walking past and walking through these drawings can give us a better sense of who we have among us in this community.
Lily: Culture Week continues with events on Wednesday and Friday, including lunchtime Culture Booths and the annual Culture Week Assembly. Stay tuned for our coverage.
Additional reporting by Eva Cheng.
