![“[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)
Students attend spring sports meeting
Dan Molin prepares to talk about the spring sports season. He explains the expectation of athletes and the requirements to play a spring sport.
Students and coaches met in the gym at noon today during long lunch to discuss the spring sports season.
Spring sports include swimming, boys tennis, boys golf, boys volleyball, girls lacrosse, track and field, softball, and baseball. Upper School Athletic Director Dan Molin began the meeting by introducing the coaches of all the sports. He continued by stating the athletic department’s expectations and general rules for the season. Athletes and coaches then broke out into their respective sport groups to talk about their specific seasons and meet the newcomers.
Molin stated that athletes were expected to have their yellow cards on the first day of practice. He also emphasized the dedication and responsibility owed to the team by each athlete.
Students went to their respective groups to receive more information about the season. They wrote their names on a sheet of paper to add themselves to the e-mail list. With multiple available choices, students had the opportunity to try out a new sport and join a team.
“I’ve never actually played lacrosse before as part of a team other than in PE, so I don’t really know but I’m hoping it’ll be fun because one of my friends is also joining it,” Lauren Liu (9) said.
Others were looking forward to being involved in their sport from previous years. They listened for changes in the upcoming season and some conveyed information to the new players.
“I’m doing track and field again this year since I enjoyed running [and] jumping last year, and running allows me to stay in shape,” Parth Kothari (12), who will join track and field for the second year, said.
Some teams, such as girls lacrosse and swimming, had strength pre-season workouts with strength and conditioning coach Ron Forbes, although athletes were not required to attend.
“Right now, I haven’t been doing much physical activity, so I guess the few weeks are going to be pretty hard for me to get back in shape,” swimmer Jackelyn Shen (11) said.
Spring sports practices officially begin on Feb. 3. Athletes currently playing a winter sport are first expected to finish their current season before joining their spring season sport.
Brinda Perumal is the Co-Academics Editor of TALON Yearbook. She is a senior and has been on the yearbook staff since her sophomore year. Her favorite...