![“[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)
Spanish National Honor Society hosted La Noche Cultural (Spanish Culture Night), inviting approximately 200 students and faculty to celebrate Spanish culture through performances and traditional dishes on April 18 in the Aux Gym.
The performances featured three singing acts, including sophomore Brianna Madrigal’s cover of “Amor eterno”; three dance acts, including juniors Linda Zeng, Kallie Wang, Serena Lau and Lily Shi’s dance to “¡Qué calor!”; and two musical covers, including junior Timothy Deng playing “La Paloma” by Sebastián Iradier on the piano. SNHS member Sidak Sanghari (12) introduced the acts throughout the night.
Spanish teacher Isabel Garcia appreciated the versatility of the acts and the students’ ability to keep the crowd engaged throughout the night.
“All the performers have the interest and talent, but what I like is that combination of talent and informality,” Garcia said. “For example, the students who played classical music, like Timothy, who played the piano, and George with the violin, had the attention of over 100 people who were eating and laughing. Everyone brings something to the show, and I think the audience recognizes the individual talents.”
AP Spanish Language and Culture students Yena Yu (11), Cam Krause (10), Emma Lee (10), Sam Li (10), Ethan Liang (10), Laya Sunkara (10) performed a skit parodying a “Caso Cerrado” reality TV episode, presenting a mock court case about a restaurant scandal they created in class.
“I was really blown away by how organized it was,” first-time attendee Anika Basu (10) said. “I loved all of the performances, and I really respect everyone for going and putting themselves out there. It was so much fun especially to watch my classmates go and perform their ‘Caso Cerrado.’ I got to see them work so hard on it, and it was one of the activities that I enjoyed a lot in class too.”
Alumna Ritu Belani (’24) wrapped up the performances with a stand-up comedy on learning new languages, drawing from her experiences taking Spanish during high school and now Arabic in college.
Audience members enjoyed Spanish dishes prepared by SNHS members, including guacamole and salsa, queso manchego con membrillo, horchata, paella and tres leches cake as they watched the performances.
The night concluded with a salsa dancing competition, where teachers selected the top three pairs to win prizes. All attendees then gathered for one last dance to “Viva la Vida” by Marc Anthony, forming a conga line and sharing laughs.
SNHS member Kaitlyn Su (12) reflected on fond memories of past La Noche Cultural events she attended.
“Seeing all the acts was really nostalgic,” Kaitlyn said. “I was thinking about how this was my last La Noche Cultural and really savoring all the acts. We have a lot of very skilled and talented individuals in this community, and it’s cool to see them showcase their musical and singing skills and also Spanish poetry and Spanish-related acts.”
