![“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)
Upper School holds Hoscars talent show
Teachers collaborated in performing a song and dance rendition of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
Students and faculty crowded into the gym on March 27 for the annual Hoscars multicultural talent show, hosted by the student council and Global Empowerment and Outreach (GEO) club. Emceed by seniors Efrey Noten and Kenneth Zhang, the show revolved around a “Star Wars” theme, including references and decorations to the series.
After the 19 performances, a second assembly was held at the end of the day to announce the award-winning acts, as well as a surprise act.
Varun Cherukuri (12)
A celebrated returning performer from three years ago, Varun Cherukuri danced to a Michael Jackson medley, incorporating signature moves such as the Moonwalk. His act, which was left as a surprise until the end of the show, won best overall performance.
“I was really nervous the entire day until the show, but once on stage it was fun,” Varun said. “It’s cool to be able to get up in front of the entire school and showcase your talents.”
Students in the audience even held a sign reading “#TheReturn” before Varun’s act, expressing the excitement floating in the crowd.
Bollywood
Adding a multicultural aspect to the show, 14 seniors collaborated in performing a Bollywood Remix dance. Sporting traditional Indian clothing, the group danced to a series of popular cultural movie songs that had the crowd swaying and cheering with the beat.
“It was amazing performing with all my friends and family,” Adithram Rengaramachandran (12) said. “It also tied back to my Indian culture, which was nice.”
The “Imperial March” prize for the best dance was awarded to the Bollywood performance during the awards ceremony.
Teachers
Teachers collaborated in performing a song and dance rendition of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Diane Main and and Carol Zink served as the lead singers while 11 other members of the faculty staged a routine in the background.
The performers were dressed in African tops, skirts, and headpieces to emanate the traditional and cultural feel to the music. The act later received the “Stormtrooper” award for the best group performance.
“The teachers’ act was really entertaining,” Manthra Panchapakesan (11) said. “It was fun seeing teachers out of their usual zone.”
MIT Logarhythms
After the awards were announced and the audience was preparing to leave, the emcees introduced a final surprise act: Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) very own male acapella group, the Logarhythms. Following a traditional warm up routine, the troupe leaped onto the stage, immediately welcomed with an astounding round of applause. They sang and danced to a series of five love songs, including the Logarhythms theme song, “We Are the Super Logs.”
Additionally, for one of their numbers, the group called up a volunteer from the audience, Namitha Vellian (10), and sang to her in a huddled cluster.
“I was really nervous at first, and my heart was palpitating,” Namitha said. “But the experience was super exciting.”
The Logarhythms held an acapella workshop open to all students following the show.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on April 4, 2014
Anokhi Saklecha (12) is the Global Editor for the Winged Post. She has been in the journalism program for the past three years. She loves the creativity,...
Shay Lari-Hosain (12) is the Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Wingspan Magazine. Shay has interviewed 2013 Nobel Laureates, authors like Khaled Hosseini...