![“[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)
It is that time of year when basketball fans all across the country are sent into a frenzy.
March Madness, also known as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments, occurs each year during spring when 68 teams compete for the national championship title of college basketball in a single-elimination style tournament over several weeks.
Basketball enthusiasts everywhere have started betting over the games and discussing the teams that they have chosen to win each round, known as their “brackets.”
President Barack Obama participates each year because of his love of the sport. This year he believes that Indiana University will triumph over University of Louisville in the finals.
Even those who have not watched basketball before have been caught up in the moment of choosing their bracket.
“I have no idea how college basketball works […] I guessed,” said Albert Chu (11) when asked about how he picked his bracket.
Several student groups on campus have been forming brackets such as the seniors, the journalism program, and Julie Wheeler’s AP US History classes.
Wheeler has been running a March Madness bracket for three years now, ever since she started teaching AP US History, because it is both relevant to her class and fun for the students.
“March Madness is a huge cultural event in America and is fun because of the potential offset and how anything can happen,” she said. “It is such a friendly competition, and it brings us closer together.
Freshman Raghav Jain has been choosing brackets for three years because he likes to see how close the results come to his predictions.
“It is always fun to see which predictions you get right and which ones you get wrong,” he said.
The Final Four championship game will be held on April 6 at Georgia Dome, Atlanta.
