![“[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)
Co-president of the Indian Student Association Rayan Arya (12) opened the meeting by announcing a Bollywood night on March 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The event is open to everyone and will feature food and musical performances that highlight the different subcultures of India.
Campus Life Associated Student Body committee members Rushil Jaiswal (12), Ananya Pradhan (11) and Nikhil Sharma (11) and Student Action Club president Savitha Satish (11) shared the available gluten-free options at lunch at Taste of Italy, Roast Works, Burgerland, the sandwich bar and the dessert station. Students with any dietary restrictions should speak to the kitchen staff for accommodations.
FEM Club officers Rithika Yamasani (12) and Sofia Shah (11) presented a series of Women’s History Month events, like their screening of the documentary “Zurawski v Texas,” a film about abortion access, on March 10, as well as a self-defense class taught by Sifu David Chang, founder and CEO of Wushu Central’s Kung Fu Kids, on March 12. A panel of teachers will discuss their experience as women in male-dominated fields on March 18, and there will be an open forum regarding Trump’s recent transgender athlete ban on March 20.
TEDxHarkerSchool curator Mindy Truong (11) highlighted the TEDx annual event featuring various speakers and activities next school year on Nov. 14. Students can apply for officer positions for the 25-26 school year until March 24.
AP Studio Art students Vika Gautham (12), Aanya Shah (11) and Sophie Yeh (10) announced the AP Art Exhibition, featuring the works of current AP Studio Art students, open until March 6 in Nichols Hall.
Sahngwie Yim (12) and Linda Zeng (11) shared details on the 19th annual Research Symposium on April 12, with the theme “AI Trends: The Future is Here.” There will be student presentations, keynote speakers, interactive workshops from various clubs, a science magic show and award-winning research presentations.
Green Team co-president Shreyas Chakravarty (12) and history department chair Mark Janda announced the screening of the documentary “Common Ground,” which explores regenerative farming as a solution to current environmental issues on March 7. The clothing swap, another Green Team sponsored event, is currently accepting donations through April 18 in the RPAC and back loading zones, and the clothing swap will be held from April 20 to April 22 in the RPAC lobby.
Conservatory representatives Maya Affaki (12), Ananya Das (12), Megha Unny (10), Hanz Baek (10) and Léa Kandl-Zhang (10) presented the awards of Harker Dance Company and Kinetic Krew from their recent competition Festival of Champions. Varsity HDC won first place in the Small Lyrical category, the junior varsity team placed second in Jazz and Kinetic Krew earned third place in Medium Hip Hop. Senior Yasmin Sudarsanam won fourth place in drill offs, a military-style event which she demonstrated while Maya called commands like faces and marching maneuvers.
Librarians Meredith Cranston and Amy Pelman introduced the 60 ReCreate reading books for 2025, which span genres like fantasy, science fiction, history, biography and comics. Students in grades 9 through 11 will select their books on March 18 at the end of advisory and meet with their ReCreate reading groups on April 8.
ASB President Sam Parupudi closed the meeting, announcing hot food for the juniors.
