![“[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)
Swimmers participate in girls swim meet
Sophomore Karen Tu leaps off a block, diving into the pool. Swimmers must have a fast reaction time when jumping off a block in order to get a fast start.
Fresh off its win at the Small Schools Swim Meet last week, the Varsity Girls Swimming team competed against Castilleja, Notre Dame, and Mercy at the Singh Aquatics Center in the Upper School.
The girls competed in various events with distances ranging from 50-500 meter races.
Although only the second meet this season, a relay team qualified in two events for the CCS meet at the end of season.
The team of Grace Guan (10), Angela Huang (10), Kimberly Ma (12), and Manon Audebert (12) qualified for the CCS meet in the 200-meter medley relay with a time less than two minutes. The same relay team also qualified in the 400-meter freestyle relay with a time of 3 minutes and 49 seconds.
The girls believe that their success was in part due to the training provided by their coach, Ronni Gautschi. t Her previous experience with swimming has helped improve the team’s skills.
“Coach Ronni really helps us be prepared and get motivated. Although she pushes us to our limits, she only does it for our good” said Varsity Swimming team member Anika Jain (9). “I feel like I have greatly improved my skills as a swimmer with her help this year.”
The next meet, which is also senior night, will be very important for all the swimmers as it will honor the hard work of the seniors who make up a decent portion of the swimming team.
“I think that senior night is a time in which both seniors and non seniors are affected,” said Varsity Swimming team member Sanjana Kaundinya (11). “For seniors, it’s their last time playing for Harker, and for non-seniors, it’s their last time playing alongside the seniors. I feel like it’s a bittersweet time for all.”
The swimmers have already started to prepare for their next meet against King’s Academy on March 26 at the Upper School.
Varun Baldwa is a senior and Managing editor for TALON Yearbook. This is Varun's fourth year on staff. In his free time, Varun enjoys volunteering, listening...