![“[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)
Spring sports begin next Monday
Niki Iyer (10) and Jack Rothschild (11) run laps around the Blackford field as a part of their preseason conditioning. Track and Field practice will begin on Feb. 2 at Blackford.
A new season starts next Monday, Feb. 2 for all spring sports. The spring sports’ teams include baseball, softball, track & field, boys tennis, boys volleyball, swimming, girls lacrosse and boys golf. In preparation for the upcoming season, many athletes have been working hard during these past weeks, or even months.
The boys golf team is expecting to surpass last year’s record. Five new freshmen are joining and along with the veterans, the team will have 12 people in total, enough to have a junior varsity team this year.
“I’ve been practicing a little more often than usual, and I’m really looking forward to the overall experience of playing on a high school team,” Jin Kim (9) said. “But specifically, I’m hyped about the fact that one of our tournaments is in Palm Springs.”
Jin has been playing golf seriously for three years, and this season will be his first opportunity to play with a team.
The girls lacrosse team players have also been preparing through workouts. These workouts are mandatory for those in varsity or want to be considered for varsity. The varsity team has 17 spots available.
“I’ve gone to the Forbes workouts, which help you get back in shape, and on runs quite often on my own to get fit and speedy again for this season,” Shreya Sunkara (10) said. “I’m looking forward to spending every afternoon with my team, because we always have so much fun together.”
As for the baseball team, many seniors decided to join the team as one of their last high school experiences. Players on the team anticipate a larger and stronger team. In total, the team now has twelve seniors.
“I have a lot more freedom to do things that I haven’t been able to do in high school and baseball is one of them, so now I really look forward to the season,” Steven Wang (12) said. “Playing with the team, you create a very close-knit family that you travel with.”
Although winter season is not over yet, athletes participating in spring sports are ready to get a head start in their game.
Ashley Zhong (11) is the Design Editor for the TALON yearbook and has been on staff since her freshmen year. Yearbook gives her a chance during the school...
Raveena Kapatkar (12) is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Harker Aquila. She is a senior and this is her fourth year on staff. As a freshman, she was a reporter...