![“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)
![“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)
![“[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)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasn't making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable," Carter Chadwick ('22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
Boys soccer loses on senior night 4-2
Alan Guo (11) kicks the ball away from opponent Eastside College Prep player on senior night. The Eagles lost 2-4 Thursday night.
The Varsity boys’ soccer team suffered a loss against Eastside College Prep 2-4 on its senior night tonight.
Before the last game of the season, nine seniors on the boys’ soccer team were honored: Samir Chaudhry, Arjun Goyal, Jeffrey Hanke, Arman Mortazavi, Kevin Moss, Sean Nachnani, Sravan Rajathilak, Isaac Rothschild, and Jithin Vellian.
The team and coaches recognized the seniors by introducing each member individually and presenting him with a bouquet of roses.
“I really like the fact that senior night highlights the achievements and contributions the seniors made to the team,” Jai Ahuja (11) said. “It’s been a great season, and I’m glad that I got the chance to play with these seniors.”
The match started out slow with Eastside College Prep up 3-0. Fighting hard, the Eagles attempted to bounce back as Jeremiah Anderson (11) and Oisin Coveney (10) both scored a goal during the second half. In the end, the Eagles were unable to defend their field, finishing with a final score of 2-4.
Despite the defeat, the seniors expressed gratitude for their time on the team and participation in the program.
“It’s been amazing to be with such a great group of guys and get better over time, but it’s more about the people you play with that makes it a great experience,” Varsity captain Kevin Moss (12) said. “I’m so thankful for all my friends who came out to play with me, especially the seniors.”
Even though this loss left the team at 11-6-2 overall, the seniors were hopeful for the future of the soccer program.
“I had a really fun time this season as a first year player and I’m excited for what the future holds,” Arman Mortazavi (12) said. “It looks very promising with the younger classes going forward.”
To Head coach Shaun Tsakiris, passion and enjoyment are ultimately the most important factors.
“You always gauge it by if the guys enjoyed it and whether or not we were successful, and I think yes to both accounts, so I’m pretty happy with how the season turned out,” he said. “Overall, you look at the smiles on their faces and you know they enjoyed the season, which is all that it’s about.”
Angeline Pan is the assistant Photo Editor of TALON. She is a junior and has been part of the journalism program since her sophomore year. Her favorite...
Mercedes Chien is the design editor for The Winged Post. This is her fourth year in the program and previous positions she's held include Photography and...