![“[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)
Homecoming week ends with Disney themed dance
Seniors including Michelle Zhang and Rebecca Liu watch as the Homecoming Court enters the gym. The Disney themed Homecoming dance took place on the day after the football game, November 3.
With cotton candy and vibrant strobe lights to transform the gym into a dance floor, the annual Homecoming dance was held on November 3.
The theme for this year’s dance was classic Disney movies.
“It kept your inner child alive while still being a teenager,” Ankur Karwal (9) said.
Students entered Main Hall office and stood in their grade’s line to check in. The conference room was left open for students to leave their bags and personal belongings. At the beginning of the entrance into the gym, students were greeted with a photo booth and a table of props for them to dress up and take pictures.
“The photobooth was a really interesting idea and […] it just made the experience more unique,” Shannon Hong (9) said.
Some upperclassmen noticed an increase in the number of students who attended the Homecoming dance this year.
Junior Nicky Semenza thought that the larger crowd of students made the experience memorable.
“I thought that the attendance was much higher than normal, which was surprising because it made [the dance] better with a lot more people there,” he said.
As an addition to the Disney theme, food stalls were open for students to use while taking a break from dancing. Cotton candy and popcorn were provided as refreshments along with lemonade and water.
Freshman Aarti Kheskani thought the carnival-like food added to the environment of being spirited at the dance.
“The extra amenities such as cotton candy made a nice environment,” she said.
The DJ came to the dance and played a wide selection of music that the students danced to. As there was barely any light in the gym, colorful strobe lights illuminated the room at night.
“The music was fun to dance to, and I think the DJ did an okay job,” Kunal Mehta (9) said.
Ending this year’s Homecoming week, the dance gave students a time to relax and enjoy with friends.
Ayushi Gautam (12) is the Managing Editor of Harker Aquila. She has been a part of the journalism program since her freshman year. She was the Social Media...