![“[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)
Cynthia Xie, A&E/Lifestyle Editor: Members of the Harker community gathered for the 5th annual Harker Day on Saturday at the Upper School, enjoying festivities from club-run booths to games and face painting.
Max Brown (7): I love playing all the games. It’s the one day when I can really be a kid, I don’t have any homework to worry about. I really enjoy Harker Day because I can basically do whatever I want and have fun.
Cynthia: Like always, there was a plethora of activities for kids and parents to enjoy inside the Eaglet zone. Within the area, there was a wide variety of entertainment from arcade games and bouncy houses to foosball and caricature paintings.
Cynthia: Inside both Nichols Hall and the Auxiliary Gym, student organizations and clubs set up booths and exhibits to showcase club-related activities and values. Popular stations included WiSTEM’s bracelet-making and Chinese National Honor Society’s ink brush calligraphy.
Axel Szolusha (11): So we’re running activities and we’re also teaching origami to students who are interested. I think teaching young kids how to do origami has been really fun. There’s a lot of people who are very enthusiastic about learning, and it’s really enjoyable to be able to teach them and have them learn and be excited about it.
Cynthia: Other activities were scattered across campus. Big banners encouraged attendees to participate in community art, and the organization Tiny Paws Pug Rescue brought adoptable dogs to campus. In front of Nichols Hall, upper school artists worked on painting the eagle statues for Spirit Week.
Cynthia: A variety of refreshments were available through food trucks and Happy Lemon boba tea. The annual frosh pizza fundraiser also provided pizza and sodas in front of the Athletic Center.
Annika Pendse (9): [The best part] is the selling, yelling at people across the street and asking them to buy soda. And then you want to make it more enticing. You’ve got to make the pizza and soda deal, especially [since] it’s a top seller.
Cynthia: Throughout all of the festivities, many still found that catching up with and spending time with friends and other members of the community was the highlight of Harker Day.
Derren Luo (6): My favorite part of Harker Day is going with my friends to buy food and to the arcade. It’s really fun to play with my friends.
Mira Vojvodic, lower school math teacher: I love seeing the families. I love seeing the parents with the kids and my previous students that come to say hello. I love that the whole community comes together, it’s really lovely to see that.
