![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.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)
Kayak (n): a canoe made of a light frame with a watertight covering having a small opening in the top to sit in. Water polo (n): a game played by swimmers in a pool, with a ball like a volleyball that is thrown into the opponents net. Each is a relatively simple concept, but as Chemistry Teacher Andrew Irvine knows, combining the two makes things a bit more complicated.
On January 22, Irvine and his Kayak polo team won first place in Bay Area Regional Tournament, hosted at Shoreline Park in Mountain View. Kayak polo is unlike other water sports. The game, played year round, contains two halves, ten minutes long, during which two teams of five players compete using a water polo ball. The aim of the game is to score more goals than the opponent. Nets are suspended above the water at each end of the pitch. The sport can be played in open water or a swimming pool.
For Irvine, this unique sport has become routine. He discovered kayak polo in June of 2010, when his girlfriend’s landlord suggested for him to join the team due to his experience in water polo in high school and his interest in kayaking.
“I like the uniqueness of [kayak polo], in that no one else does it,” Irvine said. “So I’m like Tigger [… ]I’m the only one.”
At first, Irvine had a difficult time adapting to the game.
“My nickname on the team was Ship Wreck because the first time I [played], I probably flipped over 12-15 times,” Irvine said.
However, after several practices in all weather conditions, Irvine began to develop skill in the sport. After a couple months, he managed to achieve a hand roll, a maneuver which allows the boater to recover from a turnover without using a paddle.
Kayak polo is played worldwide; New Zealand is currently the home of the world’s best team. In the United States, there are teams present in California, New York, and Georgia. According to Irvine, the United States is not ranked very highly in terms of world status, and he was invited to the national level in order to fulfill the team’s need for players.
Despite the early practices and toughness of the sport, Irvine is embracing his stint as a kayak polo player, and he hopes to attend Nationals in August.
Irvine said, “for me, my goal is to not drown, get a little better, and keep moving forward.”
