![“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)
New Niners Stadium
The San Francisco 49ers’ home moves from San Francisco to Santa Clara
While other parts remain in the middle of construction, Levi’s Stadium’s exterior has mostly been completed. The bright red sign and seats match the 49ers’ colors.
After 53 years, Candlestick Park, the former home of San Francisco 49ers, will be replaced with the new Levi’s Stadium.
Levi’s Strauss & Co. has given approximately $220.3 million to the city of Santa Clara in order to pay for the construction of the $1 billion stadium, which is over 30 times the cost of Candlestick when it was built in 1960. Levi’s Stadium’s numbers rise high above those of San Francisco’s football stadium, because this stadium has about twice the number of suites and a scoreboard screen approximately 12 times larger than Candlestick’s.
Levi’s Stadium, located next to California’s Great America, has a modern design that uses photovoltaic panels and stadium-wide WiFi for not only football games but also other events such as concerts and ceremonies.
Moving the stadium’s location from San Francisco to Santa Clara is a key feature because, according to the Levi’s Stadium website, the new area offers approximately 3,000 more parking spaces and a safer community for families. The commute is shorter for many fans too, including students in the Upper School’s community.
“The new stadium is actually going to make me more excited for games,” Sahithya Prakash (12) says. “I feel like the stadium is going to be in a more centralized location so everyone around me will be really pumped too, which will make the whole season a lot more fun.”
Unlike Candlestick Park, all seats in Levi’s Stadium are reserved; the stadium sells Stadium Builders Licenses, which allow buyers to purchase season tickets that provide money for the construction as well as lifetime ownership of the seats.
Positioned right next to the ocean in San Francisco, Candlestick Park’s low temperatures are often a disadvantage, contrasting Santa Clara’s generally warm climate.
“I went to Candlestick Park a few times to watch the game,” Lucas Wang (9) says. “It was freezing in San Francisco and it was unpleasant, but it was an awesome game.”
As the new home of the San Francisco 49ers, Levi’s Stadium will host Super Bowl L in 2016 while Santa Clara’s football team continues its quest for its sixth Super Bowl title.
Levi’s Stadium will be completed later this year in time for the 2014-15 NFL season. The 49ers website states that Major League Soccer teams Seattle Sounders and San Jose Earthquakes will compete on Aug. 2 in the first event held at the stadium.
Trisha Dwivedi (12) is the Managing Editor of Harker Aquila. She was a reporter her freshman year, Business Manager of the Winged Post her sophomore year...