![“[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)
Senior night: Varsity boys soccer suffers loss against Crystal Springs
Senior Neel Bhoopalam runs past a bridge formed by his teammates during the Varsity boys senior night ceremony. The team honored 11 seniors by presenting them with flowers and acknowledging their contributions.
As soon as Wednesday’s final bell rang, students rushed to Davis Field to support the Varsity boys soccer players at their senior night game against Crystal Springs.
The team lost a close match, ending 1-2. The first and only goal for the home team was scored by Simar Mangat (12) in the first half resulting in an initial 1-0 lead, which was overcome in the second half as Crystal Springs scored its winning point within the last 10 minutes of the game.
“I think we did well, but we just weren’t sharp enough in the last third on our side and on the offensive side, so we could have done better,” Varsity player Sumit Minocha (12) said.
Despite the loss, he still looked to the bright side of his four years in the program.
“I loved the team aspect of it and the whole sports aspect; it just all comes together right now and I’m sort of looking back on it,” he said.
The senior night recognized and honored 11 seniors on the Varsity boys soccer team: Kiran Arimilli, Neel Bhoopalam, Deniz Celik, Nicholas Chuang, Robert Deng, Varun Gudapati, David Lindars, Simar Mangat, Maverick McNealy, Sumit Minocha, and Kyle Roter.
“It was an intense game,” Varsity girls soccer goalie Indica Sur (12) said. “I wish more of the seniors could have scored, but […] they had a good game. They pushed themselves, and they tried their hardest.”
At halftime, the team formed a bridge for its senior members to run through. Each senior posed after exiting the tunnel and proceeded to the coaches to receive a bouquet and meet with family. Many seniors, including Varsity girls soccer team captain Adrienne Mendel (12), stood in the bleachers, holding up handmade signs to support their friends and classmates on the field.
“It was really fun to watch them all do their little celebrations on their own, and it was really cute to see all 11 seniors playing,” Adrienne said.
Although several spectators were impressed with the energy put into the game, some team members took the loss to heart and were disappointed with their performance on the field especially because of the significance of senior night.
“It just felt really bad to be beaten on senior night because there was a lot of crowd support. We were doing so much better earlier this season, but I think this was just a mistake,” Varsity player Ramzi Jahshan (10) said.
Despite the team’s defeat, Vivian Isenberg (10), who attended to cheer on her favorite seniors, expressed her content with the game and the players’ efforts.
“They worked incredibly hard like they always do, and it was just an added bonus to see all the dedicated seniors honored. It’s going to be something they’ll always remember,” she said.
For their last home game of the season, the boys will face Sacred Heart Prep on Friday, February 8.
Juhi Gupta is the Multimedia Editor for Harker Aquila. She is a junior and has been part of the journalism program since her freshman year. Her position...