![“[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)
Varsity soccer teams participate in fifth Kicks Against Cancer
Fans gathered on Davis field today to support the Varsity boys’ and girls’ soccer teams today for the school’s fifth annual Kicks Against Cancer game.
“I think it [the boys’ match] went really well,” Varsity girls’ player Gabriela Gupta (11) said. “I wasn’t really surprised. They’ve been doing really well all season.”
The boys’ game took place first at 3:00, ending in a 6-0 victory against Pinewood School while the girls’ game started at 4:30 and also ended 6-0 against Summit Preparatory High School.
The teams worked together all week to sell various merchandise, such as T-shirts and beanies, and food at the game to raise money for Camp Okizu, a summer camp dedicated to families with children with cancer.
“Kicks Against Cancer is a great way for the soccer team to help people in need,” Varsity boys’ player Sanil Rajput (10) said. “It’s really unfortunate for them and just because we’re able to help them, it’s a great experience for all of us.”
Fans joined together in the fight against cancer and to support the team, roaring whenever the home team scored a goal.
“It’s just a time when everyone gets together to support the cause of all the people lost and are currently having cancer,” freshman Arben Gutierrez-Bujari said. “It’s great that everyone comes out—it’s kind of like another homecoming.”
KAC, Final goal! final from Harker Aquila on Vimeo.
During the games, prizes including gift cards to various stores were raffled off, and the cheerleaders performed between the two games. Students participated in “Butt’s Up” during both halftimes, meaning they could pay to take a penalty kick at their teachers’ butts.
“Kicks Against Cancer was a chance for us to raise money as a team to fight cancer by doing what we love,” Varsity player Sarah de Vegvar (9) said. “It also gave us a chance to do something together outside of the passing and the shooting we do in practice, and I think that the game was the pinnacle of everything we did.”
Former member of the Girls’ Varsity soccer team, Sondra Costa (’13), came to the game to cheer on the team and to support the cause. Sondra was part of the original team that created Kicks Against Cancer five years ago.
KAC, Sondra Costa Interview from Harker Aquila on Vimeo.
The next home games will be against Eastside College Prep, with the girls’ game on Tuesday and the boys’ on Wednesday.
Additional reporting done by: Lavinia Ding and Catherine Huang
Alex Jang, Student Life Editor for the TALON Yearbook, is a senior this year and has been a part of journalism for three years. In his free time, he enjoys...
Lavinia Ding is a senior and the Organizations Editor for TALON Yearbook. This is Lavinia's fourth year on journalism staff, and she enjoys making atrocious...