![“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)
Girls’ varsity lacrosse loses 10-7 to Woodside
A Woodside player runs the ball up the field during the first half. The team would finish with 10 goals in the game.
The varsity girls’ lacrosse team lost 10-7 to Woodside High School on Davis Field on Friday despite Leeza Kuo’s (12) high-scoring performance.
Woodside got on the scoreboard first with a goal in the first five minutes of the game. Harker responded by tying the game in the next possession following a score by Taylor Iantosca (10) off an assist by Hannah Bollar (12).
Woodside scored in rapid succession to take a 3-1 advantage, causing varsity girls’ lacrosse head coach Andrew Irvine to call a timeout. In the huddle, Irvine demanded that the team pick up the intensity soon.
Following the break, Woodside scored twice, going up 5-1 with 10:30 left in the half. Leeza interrupted a scoreless seven minutes for the Eagles with a goal from short range and scored again with 12 seconds left in the first half. The fast-paced period ended with Woodside ahead 7-3.
During the first six minutes after halftime, Leeza scored twice, and the team attacked aggressively, attempting multiple shots on goal. Woodside recovered by getting its eighth, ninth and 10th goals all within seven minutes of action. With 11:40 left in game, Woodside led 10-5 against the Eagles.
Two minutes later, a Woodside player scored what would have been an 11th goal. At this point, play stopped because Hannah had been hit in the head. The officials rescinded the goal and gave the Woodside player a yellow card for a “dangerous follow-through” violation. The penalty resulted in the player’s being removed from the game for two minutes.
During this time, Woodside had one fewer person on the field, enabling Natasha Mayor (11) to score twice. The Eagles got to within three goals before the game ended.
With this loss, the team falls to 4-10 overall on the season and 3-4 in league. The game was significant because the loss dropped the team the to fourth in the West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) Skyline division, while Woodside advanced to third place.
Irvine acknowledged a growing rivalry between the varsity lacrosse team and the Woodside lacrosse team, noting the similarities in the two teams’ ascents in the WBAL.
“Woodside is a team that has grown a lot,” Irvine said. “The challenge is adapting our expectations going into a game against a team that does not win and suddenly starts winning. We were one of those teams a long time ago too. Several years ago, we started beating Mercy-Burlingame SJ, who was the top in our league.”
Despite the loss, Leeza, who finished with four goals on the game, believed that intensity of the game helped the team get better.
“I think [both teams] wanted to win because the last time they won 8-7,” Leeza said. “This game only helped us improve. I know it was a lot of fun.”
The team still has six games left in its season. The players will travel to Carlmont High School for their next game on April 22 at 5:30 p.m.
Aditya Varshney (12) is the opinion editor of Harker Aquila and the Winged Post. This is his second year on staff. During his junior year, he occupied...
Alyssa Amick (12) is the Co- Editor in Chief of Harker Aquila. She has been part of the journalism program since her freshman year. Her favorite part of...