![“[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)
Race to the finish: IGL hosts Mario Kart tournament
Ajay Chitkara (10), Victoria Lin (12), and Raymond Cheng (11) focus intently on the TV screen while playing Mario Kart: Double Dash. IGL members set up two stations in order to speed up the tournament process. Even though only three people could win prizes, most still had fun participating.
March 27, 2013
A blue shell whizzes through the air, accelerating as it quickly approaches the back of Player 2’s kart. All he can do is watch helplessly in horror as his character’s avatar launches high up into the air and Player 1 passes him, racing into first place.
During long lunch today, 32 people including English teacher Jason Berry and Upper School Division Head Butch Keller competed in a Mario Kart: Double Dash tournament held by Interscholastic Gaming League (IGL) club in advisor Misael Fisico’s classroom.
“Most people have played Mario Kart–it’s a very accessible game and very easy to play,” said co-president Carlos Johnson-Cruz, explaining why IGL chose to host a Mario Kart tournament. “It’s just a really competitive but also very fun game at the same time, so it has that nice balance.”
In the end, Sean Nachnani (11) took first place, winning a $25 gift card to Target; Sumit Minocha (12) took second place, winning a $15 Target gift card; and IGL co-president Timothy Luong (12) placed third, receiving a Pikachu and Sonic plushie.
Many students enjoyed the tournament as it allowed them to play games with others in a friendly environment.
“It was actually a pretty fun event,” Anthony Luo (9) said. “Usually, you’re just in your own house playing a game by yourself, but here you can play with the whole community, so it was nice to play with other friends and people you don’t know.”
Junior Arthur Shau also had fun and appreciated that the club awarded prizes to the winners.
“I joined [IGL] because I want to play the games, but the prizes are just like bonuses,” he said.
IGL hopes to organize a Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament in April and more events next year as well.
