![“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)
Where to shop on Black Friday
From kitchen supplies to clothing, Macy’s offers a wide range of products at decent sale prices on Black Friday. For every $25 spent on select merchandise, customers will get $10 back, and for every $50 spent, customers will get $25 back. In comparison to Kohl’s cash-back deal, Macy’s cash-back special for Black Friday will help customers save more money this Black Friday. Macy’s has department stores in many malls including WestField Valley Fair. If shopping at Macy’s on Black Friday, plan to arrive early in order to avoid the frenzied rush.
Shop on Amazon this Black Friday to avoid being caught in long lines and having a range of products at your fingertips. Amazon already has pre-Black Friday sales on its website and is offering daily deals for the days leading up to Black Friday. While the site is offering discounted prices on the PlayStation TV and PlayStation 3 before Black Friday, more video game gadgets and accessories will be on sale on the days leading up to Black Friday.
For clothes and accessories, visit Forever 21 this Black Friday. The store will offer deals starting from $1 on clothing and accessories for men, women, and kids. The store’s online website gives a preview of the items on sale. The store is offering a buy-one-get-one deal on select items and a special gift set for customers who spend $40 or more. To prevent being caught in the herd of people at Forever 21 on Black Friday, look through the sale on the website before visiting the store.
Kohl’s offers discounts as high as 50% off on products ranging from toys to designer clothing to jewelry. With clothing collections from Juicy Couture and Vera Wang, Kohl’s is one of the best stores to get designer clothing for lower prices. For gamers, Kohl’s is offering a low-priced bundle deal with various Nintendo products. This store’s sale begins on the day before Thanksgiving. Also, the store is maintaining its cash rewards program for the Black Friday sale season.
For Black Friday, Walmart is hosting three events throughout Thursday and Friday with a wide range of sales on technology and clothing. In addition, the store is offering a one-hour guarantee to customers whose desired products have sold out on Black Friday. All items are guaranteed to be shipped to stores near these customers by Christmas.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on November 21.
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...