![“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)
Taylor Swift’s passion and courage shines through 1989: 5/5 Stars
The cover art of Taylor Swift’s album 1989 reflects the singer’s new, grown-up image, with a polaroid image similar to the 13 polaroids that accompany the deluxe version of the album. Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour dates have been posted on taylorswift.com. She will be performing at the Levi’s Stadium on Aug. 15 and tickets for her tour will be available to the general public on Dec. 12
David Letterman Show
Say goodbye to the teenage Taylor Swift with her country guitar because the more grown-up Taylor is here with her pop beats.
Country-turned-pop singer Swift released her album “1989” on Oct. 27. The deluxe version of the album comes with 13 interactive polaroid pictures of Swift in addition to a bonus track.
Unlike her previous albums, “1989” incorporates elements influenced by 80’s beats, modern-day Lana Del Rey ballads and contrasting instrumental factors. With her mix of classic Taylor Swift lyrics and a unique pop sound, Swift has solidified her identity as a pop singer with this album.
The album starts with “Welcome to New York,” an upbeat song that brings the listener into Taylor’s life in New York. From being single to making new friends in a big city, Swift leads her fans on her own journey in discovering New York.
Flashes of Swift’s ballads from “Red” and “Speak Now” shine through the next song on the album, “Blank Space.” Swift begins to contrast her classic lyrics with a distinct pop beat.
After “Blank Space,” Swift croons to “Style” singing “You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye.” Her unique and new pop beats continue with “Out of the Woods” and “Shake it Off,” one of the more popular songs on the album.
Once again, Swift’s old persona manifests itself in “All You Had To Do Was Stay.” While these songs may not be anything in comparison to “Dear John,” “Enchanted” or “All Too Well,” Swift manages to incorporate her original style in this experimental album.
In the middle of the album, “Bad Blood” strays from the mix of guitar chords and pop beats. Swift embraces a style true to Lana Del Rey in singing this soft and sad melody. Her stray from the recurring pop sounds in this album adds another dimension of novelty to “1989.”
The best songs come towards the end of the album as Swift truly combines her old and new tricks. With “How You Get the Girl,” Swift comes back with her acoustic melody mixed with an electronic beat. Next, Swift embraces her singer-songwriter persona from “Speak Now” and “Fearless” in her heart-wrenching ballad “This Love.”
Swift ends the album with killer finale, “Clean,” in which she displays her pop, country and songwriting qualities in one song. Her melodic voice, the melancholy tune and the electro beats summarize Swift’s new pop sound.
In “1989,” Taylor Swift experiments with her classic ballads and new electro sounds. Taylor Swift stays true to herself, being passionate and emotional with her music, while going to an extreme with her experimental sound.
Taylor Swift’s “1989” World Tour dates have been posted on taylorswift.com. She will be performing at the Levi’s Stadium on Aug. 15 and tickets for her tour will be available to the general public on Dec. 12.
Ayushi Gautam (12) is the Managing Editor of Harker Aquila. She has been a part of the journalism program since her freshman year. She was the Social Media...