![“[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)
Varsity Girl’s Lacrosse loses 11-6 to Notre Dame San Jose
Offensive player Hannah Bollar (11) looks to score. Hannah scored two goals over the course of the game, which the Eagles lost 11-6.
The Varsity girls’ lacrosse team lost 11-6 yesterday against Notre Dame San Jose on Davis Field.
The game started off strong with captains Mabel Luo (12) and Hannah Bollar (11) scoring goals to give the Eagles a lead of 2-0 in the first few minutes.
By the end of the first half, the game was tied with a score of 4-4.
A total of four yellow cards were handed out to the Eagles due to pushing and unnecessary roughness. Each yellow card resulted in Harker having to play without a player for two minutes.
“We had huge shoes to fill from last year because we had almost an entire group of starters who were seniors,” Hannah said. “We have grown so much; just the overall catching, passing, game play, and teamwork has gotten so much better.”
After the half, Harker took the lead, with Brinda Perumal (12) and Hannah (11) adding one goal apiece.
Notre Dame was relentless, and the visiting team finished with a victory after scoring five straight goals to end the game.
Although the match did not end in Harker’s favor, Varsity girls’ lacrosse coach Andrew Irvine had only positive feedback on the team’s play.
“This game was one of the best games I have ever coached in my career as a coach; it was neck and neck,” Irvine said. “Notre Dame is a tough team, but we were shutting down their top player. In the last fifteen minutes it just slipped away from us.”
The lacrosse program looks to improve even more next season according to Irvine, with members of a strong JV squad ready to take the place of the existing seniors.
The girls play Sacred Heart Cathedral this Friday, May 9 on Davis Field. This will be the last game of the season and also their Senior Night, which will celebrate the team’s six seniors.
Ria Gandhi (11) is the Aquila Features Editor. This is her third year on staff after being the Assistant Sports Editor in her sophomore year and a reporter...