![“[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)
To raise money for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts and the senior class, Class of 2013 student council is holding a “Candy for Sandy” fundraiser during both lunches every day until Thursday.
After making an announcement at school meeting, senior class president Nikhil Panu (12) and vice president Tiphaine Delepine (12) manned the table selling candy grams at lunch. Candy grams were on sale for two dollars each, and those who bought grams could write short notes to the people who would receive them.
“We thought as a council that we should do something for the cause. We were thinking, ‘What’s something creative that we can come up with?’ and we thought that Candy for Sandy was catchy,” Nikhil said. “Candy grams were done in the years past, so we thought we would go for it again this year.”
According to Tiphaine, senior class spirit coordinator Bobby Kahlon (12) coined the name “Candy for Sandy,” and she described him as a rhyming guru.
Fifty percent of the proceeds will be sent to the Red Cross to support disaster relief, and the other half will benefit the senior class. Most of that money will go towards the senior gift at the end of the year.
While Jeffrey Hsu (10) “wanted to give [his] friends a holiday present,” he thought the fundraiser was not practical.
“It’s not very profitable because the cost is high, and there’s not a lot of demand for [the candy],” he said.
On the other hand, Aparna Yellapragaea (9) appreciated the combination of a charity fundraiser with the usual candy gram sale.
“I think it’s good and creative because you’re raising money for Hurricane Sandy victims, but you’re also giving your friends candy, and you’re doing something good instead of just buying candy,” she said.
Candy grams will be delivered to the recipients this Thursday during advisory. Upcoming student council plans include the breakfast project and logo store.
