![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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)
Record-breaking cold weather in the Bay Area
Sophomores Lev Sepetov and Chandler Nelson cope with the icy weather this week by bundling up and drinking hot beverages. Last week has seen record drops in temperatures in the Bay Area.
“Sweater weather is better weather!” exclaims sophomore Chandler Nelson.
Students returned from Thanksgiving break to encounter inclement weather conditions, as the Bay Area has continued to witness unusually chilly temperatures in the last week.
The San Jose Mercury News reported on Dec. 4 that San Jose is experiencing the lowest temperatures in more than forty years. Temperatures reached a low of 27 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Freeze Warning today, reporting that a cold air mass will remain over the San Jose and Santa Clara area through Wednesday morning.
The NWS defines a warning as a long duration of near and below freezing temperatures that can harm outdoor pets and sensitive plants, and possibly cause unprotected water pipes to burst. For those out at night, there will be an increased risk of hypothermia.
The warnings will take effect from 10 p.m. tonight through 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.
With temperatures plummeting to abnormal lows this week, students had much to say about the icy weather enveloping the Bay Area.
“I absolutely hate cold weather. I’m a summer person. I’ve just been piling on layers,” William Deng (12) said. “This is, I think, one of the colder winters that California has experienced.”
In contrast, Glenn Reddy (11) welcomed the cold weather as a change to break the monotony of ordinary California weather.
“I’m definitely stocking up on my winter accessories. Accessorizing with the scarves and the fingerless gloves and all that jazz. It is a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s really easy to look classy when it’s cold outside. When it’s hot you’re stuck wearing a bro tank.”
Similarly, Jeton Gutierrez-Bujari (11) found the cooler weather refreshing.
“The sun is out, [it’s] still California-style weather; just a little bit colder,” he observed.
While the sun has been out, the highs have merely reached 50 degrees Fahrenheit on average.
Other students thought of unusual weather as a benefit in order to grow accustomed to conditions prevalent in other regions of the country, referring to the fact that many may leave California for a college education.
“[The climate] was irritating because I was looking forward to a nice, normal winter, but I think it’s a thing we should all get used to, especially [since] a lot of us are going to college,” Abhinav Ketineni (10) said.
In any case, students may not have to remain perturbed, as the NWS predicts a warming trend, anticipating temperatures later this week to be “at or above seasonable levels.”
Shay Lari-Hosain (12) is the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Wingspan Magazine. Shay has interviewed 2013 Nobel Laureates, authors like Khaled Hosseini...