![“[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)
The Varsity girls basketball team lost their game against Notre Dame High School 64-38 on their senior night yesterday.
The team honored seniors Daniza Rodriguez, Priscilla Auyeung, Shreya Vemuri, Rebecca Liu, Emily Chu, and Jessica Son before the game.
The coaches recognized each senior by giving them flowers and talking about their individual achievements. Families and friends supported the seniors by creating posters and wearing shirts that displayed the players’ numbers.
“I felt like it was really sentimental and great to see the seniors and all of their families. I really feel like we honored them the way they deserved to be honored,” Varsity player Michaela Vachev (10) said.
Despite the final score, 64-38, many of the players enjoyed senior night and appreciated the encouragement they received from the crowd.
“Even when we were down by some [points] during the game, it was good support to have the crowd always there for [us],” Varsity player Shreya Vemuri (12) said. “I think that the underclassmen also put in a lot of effort into it and the coaches have been here all along. Just them being here on our last home game was a great turn out.”
The team now looks forward to competing in Central Coast Section (CCS) in efforts to keep their season longer.
“This is the first team where I could go to and talk to every single person and be comfortable with it and not have to worry about what I’m going to say or if I say something wrong,” Varsity captain Daniza Rodriguez (12) said. “We all have the same dreams, […] and it’s just happy that we could do it together. CCS is definitely where we are going to be shining. We can only get stronger, and I know I have enough confidence in my teammates to carry us through CCS.”
The girls’ next game will take place on Friday, February 8 against Crystal Springs Uplands.
