![“[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)
Continuing its senior night celebrations from Tuesday, the Varsity boys tennis team played against Menlo today and lost 0-7 in its last home match of the season.
Despite seeing Menlo as a “Godzilla of tennis teams,” a name it acquired because of its number one title in the division and number two title in the nation, head coach John Huebner encouraged the boys to visualize success and play their bests. The players took the opportunity to put aside competition and enjoy themselves.
“We’re expected to lose, which is why most of us focus on having fun as the underdogs,” Justin Yang (12) said.
Assistant coach Umesh Gadasalli recognized doubles team Timothy Luong (12) and Killian Burke (11) for playing a particularly strong match, which they lost 4-6, 4-6. The Menlo coach personally congratulated the pair for their effort.
Justin played with fellow senior Rahul Desirazu. The two were the sole team to win against Crystal Springs on Tuesday but could not continue their streak against Menlo.
“I think we played pretty well,” Rahul said. “We were up 3-2 in the first set, and then they kind of took off and got momentum and won after that.”
Despite the team’s losses, coach Huebner was satisfied with the players’ performance on and off the court.
“Just like every match, my guys played their best and tried their hardest. That’s just the people they are,” Heubner said. “They win with class and take defeat the same way. You can’t ever tell when they walk off the court if they’ve won or lost.”
After the game, the team put aside its defeat and turned to senior night celebrations. Anticipating today’s loss, the team had decided to have most of its festivities on Tuesday, following its match against Crystal Springs. As new Upper School coaches, Huebner and Gadasalli depended on team manager Preeya Mehta (12) to organize the event. She asked the team to come to school in formal attire, organized a fan group, and came equipped with balloons and candy necklaces.
Due to the Decathlon Club’s distance from school, the team greatly appreciated the extra cheering and encouragement that their peers provided on Tuesday.
After the Menlo match today, coach Huebner handed out rose bouquets to four of the five seniors; Josh Bollar (12) was home sick.
The seniors each took turns, half-jokingly, suggesting plans for the future of the team. Senior Pranav Bheda insisted on continuing the nickname tradition, Timothy urged for a stricter attendance policy, and coach Huebner contributed with a proposal for a tennis grade to carry weight in a student’s GPA.
Although there are no more home matches, the seniors still have more time to play: the team qualified for CCS and Rahul and Timothy qualified for the WBAL tournament. Practice will continue through next week.
