![“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)
JV lacrosse team reports stolen laptops from Upper School locker room
The girls’ lacrosse team plays against Menlo-Atherton on March 7. Seven laptops from Harker students were reported missing following the game.
Five laptops were taken from the girls’ locker room on the Upper School campus during a lacrosse game on March 7.
The laptops, belonging to members of the JV lacrosse team, went missing during the JV lacrosse game against Menlo-Atherton from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
“We don’t know who could have done it. We’re still looking into it,” Varsity lacrosse goalie Christine Lee (12). “We haven’t been able to investigate further.”
Varsity midfielder Hannah Bollar (11) reflected on the details surrounding the theft.
“We have had previous problems in the past with theft,” she said. “There are no physical lockers in the locker room, […] and there’s just so much stuff in there [so] that it’s very easy for someone else to take something. We have nowhere to put [our] stuff.”
Athletes are given precautions on handling their belongings in the event of strangers on campus for sports games.
“I think in the future people should always bring their stuff on the field, so… their bags aren’t left unattended,” JV player Taylor Lantosca (9) said.
Security remains a top priority for members of the Harker community. Tor Wormdahl, head of security, imparted some advice for students and athletes.
“If you’re in the position to leave your stuff unattended in an insecure location, I think the student should just be able to say ‘… is there any means of securing this area when we leave?’” he said.
The girls’ lacrosse team plays an away game against Santa Catalina this afternoon.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on March 12, 2014
Elisabeth Siegel (12) is the editor-in-chief of the Winged Post. This is her fourth year in Journalism, and she especially loves production nights and...
Roshni Pankhaniya is the Sports Editor of the Winged Post. She is a senior and has been previously been a reporter and the Sports Editor for Harker Aquila....