![“[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)
On Tuesday, November 6, the Students for Charitable Causes club (SFCC) began their annual Thanksgiving food drive.
The first of many planned reminders this year, co-president Glenn Reddy (10) delivered an announcement informing the school about the start of the drive.
The food drive is a campaign collecting canned and other non-perishable foods in large bins placed around campus. The club will then deliver the food to the Second Harvest Food Bank, which will give the goods to families for Thanksgiving.
Last year, the club aimed to increase school-wide participation by transforming the collection of food into a class competition. This year, the club has continued the tradition, promising the winning class donuts. However, this year, according to the club’s officers, participation from students has noticeably decreased.
“In the past, we’ve received a lot of food from students, like the bins have been overfilled. This year, it’s a little slower, but we hope once we start announcing and reminding people that they’ll bring in food,” club member Sophia Shatas (10) said.
The club posted large posters around school, including in front of Dobbins Hall, the entrance to Shah Hall, and in front of Manzanita. Apart from the food drive, the club aims to raise money to support another cause of their own choosing.
“At the beginning of the year, we pick a charity that we’re going to donate to, and then in the spring, we collect a bunch of items, have a garage sale, [and] donate the proceeds [from the sale] to our cause,” co-president Jeremy Binkley (10) said.
The club plans to donate to the organization Embrace, which gives insulators to young babies in countries where modern medicine and incubators are not available. However, this fall and winter, they will be focusing primarily on the food drive.
SFCC’s drive will end on November 16, after which the food collected will be donated to the food bank.
