![“[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)
Ring! Ring! Ring! The bell signals the end of yet another long and exhausting school day. Finally, I’m freed from class, but instead of relaxing or socializing with others, I immediately start worrying about my workload. As I repeat my daily routine of walking sluggishly to the library, I think back to my after-school experiences in lower school—when the highlight of my day was climbing play structures with my friends.
I’ve always wondered why playgrounds disappear from campuses after elementary school.
In second grade, I attended an academic summer camp at Saratoga High School. Since high school campuses were so huge, I thought that the playground there would be even better than the ones we had at my elementary school. But when I excitedly ran outside during break, expecting a grand play structure, I was instead met with barren trees, metal benches and concrete. Shock and disappointment immediately filled me.
At the time, my only concern was not having a designated space to fool around with my friends. However, I now realize that the disappearance of playgrounds represents an underlying ideology that society forces upon students: Play belongs to childhood, while high school is solely meant for work and responsibilities.
This idea is especially prevalent at Harker. Because of the high standards and huge emphasis on academic success, I often fall victim to the belief that leisure means laziness. That feeling of guilt pushes me to cram my free time with studying and homework to the point where even my weekends are filled to the brim with finishing assignments.
On a particularly exhausting weekend this school year, I was walking at night around my neighborhood with my friends when we spontaneously decided to go to a park. As soon as we arrived, I saw the huge swings, slides and monkey bars, and all the stressful thoughts that had previously flooded my mind immediately disappeared. My friends and I screamed, laughed and chased each other, a wave of childhood joy washing away my worries about school and extracurriculars.
Though responsibilities pile up as we progress in high school, simply having fun should remain just as important as it was in our childhood. Even something as simple as spending time on a playground can remind us that moving forward, we should balance the constant flow of new assignments with moments of play and relaxation, no matter how brief they may be.
