![“[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)
2013 Super Bowl: Mixed emotions from students
Dejected by the Baltimore Ravens’ continuing success, Sushant Thyagaraj (7) reacts to the opening half performance of the San Francisco 49ers during the Super Bowl. The Niners’ performance was disappointing to many fans who were expecting more.
The 2013 Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens sent fans into a frenzy of anticipation as the Niners attempted to claw back to the top during the second half, ultimately losing 34-31.
Although the game’s final score disappointed local Niners fans, many regaled stories of the team’s comeback and refuted the referees’ call to dismiss what some fans were convinced was defensive holding by the Ravens on the Niner’s last offensive play.
“I do believe that the pass would have been caught if not for that holding.
It could have made all the difference in this game,” Maya Nandakumar (10) said in regards to the referee’s call.
The game began with a large lead in favor of the Ravens, ending the first half standing 21-6.
“The Niners should not have done so badly in the first half,” Wei Wei Buchsteiner (11) said.
He further added that if the 49ers’ first and second quarter performances had been more effectual, the controversial call late in the fourth quarter would not have held much weight.
After a halftime performance by pop artist Beyonce, the game resumed, only to be halted shortly when the stadium lights went out.
The power outage cut the Ravens’ momentum and gave the Niners a chance to regroup before beginning again a half hour later, hoping for a game-changing turnover and strengthened defense.
Local fans cheered fervently for the team as it quickly racked up points to an almost even score. After what was described as an “incredible comeback,” the clock wound down, favoring the Ravens.
“I was really happy for Ray Lewis. He got the storybook ending to his exceptional career,” Allen Huang (10) said. “It was a really exciting game because of the power-outage and the Niners’ comeback late in the game.”
However, not all were in favor of the controversial decision by the NFL referees late in the fourth quarter that might have resulted in a potential win for the 49ers.
“I felt the Niners had a chance to come back after the outage, but that holding was completely unfair and uncalled for. This was a Niner superbowl and the [referees] unfairly stole it from us and gave it to Baltimore, even though we were clearly the better team,” Sidhart Krishnamurthy (10) said.
Whether the holding call would have resulted in a victory for the 49ers or not remains disputable. Both brothers, Jim and John Harbaugh, coached their respective teams to win the Super Bowl trophy that will ultimately rest with the Baltimore Ravens until the following year.
Vasudha Rengarajan is the Editor-in-Chief of Harker Aquila. As former Features editor and Sports editor for Aquila and a reporter for The Winged Post,...
Vedant Thyagaraj is the Science & Technology Editor for Harker Aquila. He is currently a senior and has been on staff for the past three years. Vedant...