![“[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)
Track and field begins conditioning
Athletes prepare for workouts on Blackford’s track and soccer field. Runners from all grades and athletic backgrounds are encouraged to participate in track and field.
The track and field team began their pre-season conditioning at Harker’s Blackford campus last Monday.
The team’s head coach is Scott Chisam, a veteran coach who is looking to build upon last year’s season during which the team sent athletes to CCS and broke numerous school records. Assistant coaches Brent Woodcock, Mike Bassoni, and Joshua Cusick will also be helping the team progress.
During the preseason, Chisam stresses the importance of building up gradually as opposed to jumping straight into hard training. He emphasizes a period of time to adjust to the demands of training several times a week.
Amongst the team’s returning athletes this season are school record holders in various distance running and hurdling events, including freshman Niki Iyer, sophomore Nadia Palte, senior Claudia Tischler, and junior Corey Gonzales.
“I like to take things step by step. My goals are hopefully [making it] to CCS and then the state championships and [breaking] the school records in the 1600 and 3200,” Iyer said, who placed seventh in last year’s state cross country championships.
Senior Claudia Tischler agreed with Iyer. Both athletes share a common goal of improving school records in addition to lowering their own personal records.
“I am hoping to [run] a 5:00 mile and beat my old personal records in the 400, 800, and 1600. We’ve been working hard for the last few seasons to be able to race at a high level, and I am excited to work,” Tischler said. “[Running] is a rewarding sport, and even when I am done with school, [it] is a skill that I will cherish as part of my life.
The team is scheduled to open their season at Archbishop Mitty on Wednesday, February 26th.
Maya Jeyendran (11) is the Lifestyle Editor of Harker Aquila. She been a part of Harker's journalism program since her freshman year, and has previously...