![“[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)
With the NFL regular season coming to a close and the post-season quickly approaching, many students are beginning to root for their favorite teams in the playoffs and make Super Bowl predictions.
Many students are rooting for the home team, the San Francisco 49ers, which has made a playoff run for the second year in a row under Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. This time, the NFC West Champions have entered the post-season with a new quarterback Colin Kaepernick and an 11-4-1 record, making them the second seed in the NFC and giving them a first round bye.
“I want [the 49ers] to win because I like to [represent] Bay Area sports and they have been my favorite team since I was a little kid. I even had a small Niners helmet to go on my head,” Ajay Chitkara (10) said, adding that this year’s playoffs may be a struggle for San Francisco. “Jim Harbaugh [is making the mistake of putting] in Colin Kaepernick, who couldn’t produce against even the [Seattle] Seahawks.”
Other students continue to support out of the area teams, favorites that have joined the 49ers in the post-season. However, despite rooting for other teams, students are also excited to see how far their home team can make it into the playoffs.
“I want the Green Bay Packers to win because I’ve been supporting them for two years now and am still on their side, but I think the 49ers have been playing really well, especially with [Aldon] Smith out,” Sahithya Prakash (11) said.
Despite the majority of students rooting for San Francisco, many doubt that the 49ers have the talent to win the Super Bowl this year.
“The Patriots will win,” Michael Chen (12) said. “I think the Niners will play them, but the Patriots will win. Tom Brady is just more experienced than Kaepernick.”
Although plenty of football fans are looking forward to the playoffs, some cannot wait for the excitement to die down.
“Each person has his or her own interests in sports, and I actually think it’s a good thing to be passionate about your interests,” Kimberly Ma (11) said. “But I think it’s annoying when people bug me to watch [football].”
Whether a Packers fan, Patriots fan, or 49ers fan, all football followers will be making predictions, rooting for teams, and eagerly waiting for February 3, when the Super Bowl champion will finally be crowned.
