![“[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)
Boys’ varsity tennis defeats Priory to maintain their undefeated record
Ronak Baldua (11) prepares to hit. The final score was 7-0.
The varsity boys’ tennis team defeated Priory 7-0 at the Santa Clara Tennis Center yesterday afternoon, boosting their league record to an undefeated 8-0 overall.
The game was over quickly; the boys only lost a few games in the seven two out of three matches. “Our team went pretty well. We only dropped three games total, or something,” David Wen (9) said.
Randy Zhao (9) felt that the team’s concentration during the game and their confidence as a team helped achieve this big win.
“We’re just a lot more focused and our energy is a lot higher because we understand how good we are and we’re ready to work together as a team to just go out and win,” Randy said. “I think we’re more of a team now and more of a family.”
Although the team beat Priory yesterday, the players have moved their attention to their upcoming matches.
“Next games, I look forward to seeing more competition, and more enthusiasm because it’s gonna be a tougher match,” Gary Tsai (9) said.
Michael Zhao (11) also anticipated competing against challenging opponents in the future.
“We’re gonna have to do a lot better than what we did today, even though we did really well today,” Michael said. “I think that once we ramp up our practicing and that kind of stuff, it will be good and I guess looking forward to actually playing some really good matches next week.”
Coach John Fruttero believed that the team was still enthusiastic about their Division 4 Championship win, and hoped that they keep their determination throughout the next week in their games against some of the strongest teams of the league.
“The team played well, still on a little bit of a high from the Fresno trip, and trying to keep everybody motivated going into our biggest week of season next week,” Fruttero said. “Next week, we play our toughest competition, which is Crystal Springs and Sacred Heart. They placed second and third last year in league, and I feel we have a shot to surpass one or both of them this season.”
The boys will play against Crystal Springs Uplands at their school next Wednesday at 3:30.
Darren Gu is a junior and the Photo Editor for TALON Yearbook. This is his third year on staff. In his free time, Darren enjoys exploring the city at night,...