![“[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 basketball defeats Pacific Collegiate
Jordan Thompson (10) tries to avoid a defender. The Varsity girls’ basketball team defeated Pacific Collegiate 39-20.
The Varsity girls’ basketball team defeated Pacific Collegiate 39-20 yesterday at the Blackford campus.
The Eagles kicked off with a strong start, quickly eking out a two-point lead, and closing the first quarter at 6-4. Notable players included Jordan Thompson (10) with 21 points, Aishu Murari (11) with 6 points and Lekha Chirala (12) with 3 assists. Jordan scored after drawing a foul with 23 seconds left before halftime.
At the half, the Eagles led 14-8. Athletic director Dan Molin commented on the team’s performance.
“We’re playing really well,” he said. “The girls are working really hard; they’re hustling and playing good defense so far. I think they’ll pick it up more in the second half.”
The third quarter’s highlights included Jordan’s two three-pointers, the last of which bumped the score up to 32-8 with less than two minutes left on the clock, and Selin Sayiner’s (9) layup with 35 seconds left in the quarter. By the close of the quarter, the score was 35-10 in favor of the Eagles.
The Eagles continued to widen the gap, ending the game with a nineteen-point lead.
After the game, Head Coach Alfredo Alves attested to the team’s collaborative strengths.
“The strongest point today and has been for the last couple games was [teamwork], and I think today showed a team that was playing together,” Alves said. “They were moving the ball and they just fed off of each other. Definitely very proud of them.”
Team Captain Lekha Chirala (12) also noted the team’s marked improvement over previous games.
“We pulled it together and we actually played team basketball today,” she said. “It was a lot more of looking at other people, instead of just doing whatever you wanted to do. It was a lot better.”
Spectator Rohan Desikan (11) recalled the most memorable moment of the game.
“Aathira [Menon (11)] made a bank three[-pointer]; it hit the backboard and went in. We all went crazy,” he said. “That was absolutely impossible.”
On Dec. 27, the team will play Oak Grove High School at Blackford at noon.
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...