![“[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)
Super Bowl hype continues amidst controversy
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady passes the ball in a regular season game. The Patriots will take on the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.
The 49th annual Super Bowl will be played this Sunday between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
For the first time in a decade, an NFL team will play in consecutive Super Bowl games, with the Seahawks having defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. This will be the eighth Super Bowl appearance for the Patriots and second for the Seahawks.
Senior Rohith Kuditipudi will be attending his first live Super Bowl game this Sunday.
“I’m most excited about seeing my two heroes, Tom Brady and Katy Perry, in action,” he said. “I’m [also] looking forward to a fourth championship for the Patriots, who I’ve liked from the time they beat the Eagles in the 2004 Super Bowl.”
Significant controversy surrounds the Patriots participation in the game due to allegations that they used under-inflated footballs in the first-half of the Jan. 18 AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, which the Patriots won 45-7. Eleven of the 12 balls the Patriots supplied for the game were under-inflated by about two pounds per square inch each, which may have given them a competitive edge in passing and grip. Though the NFL is currently investigating the incident, it does not appear that they will have made a decision on the issue prior to this Sunday’s game.
The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, historically the most watched musical event of the year, will be headlined by Katy Perry, along with rock & roll icon Lenny Kravitz. In addition, the pregame show will feature John Legend performing “America the Beautiful” and Idina Menzel singing the national anthem. Over 95 percent of ad slots, selling between $4.4-4.5 million per 30-second spot, have sold out to 15 advertisers as of Jan. 7.
Kickoff for the game is scheduled for 3:30p.m. The game will be aired nationwide on NBC.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on January 28, 2015.
Roshni Pankhaniya is the Sports Editor of the Winged Post. She is a senior and has been previously been a reporter and the Sports Editor for Harker Aquila....
Megy Appalaraju (12) is the Sports Editor of Harker Aquila. This is her second year in the Harker journalism program. Her favorite part about journalism...