![“[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)
Pacquiao & Mayweather Boxing Match: “The Fight of the Century”
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao pose on a stage before they competed in the boxing match. Mayweather defeated Pacquiao in a boxing match on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Five division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao in a boxing match that was widely proclaimed as “The Fight of the Century” on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mayweather took early control of the match, winning the first three rounds. A major left hand blow from Pacquiao gave him the fourth round, but Mayweather recaptured the fifth round with a heightened aggression. At the end of 12 rounds, the three judges unanimously declared Mayweather as the champion with scores of 118-110, 116-112, and 116-112.
The fight brought upwards of $300 million to be split by the two boxers, though final earnings have not yet been released. Prior to the match, the boxers’ agreement stated that Mayweather would earn 60% of the purse, while Pacquiao would receive 40%.
Despite the hype and the hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue that the match brought in, critics and fans alike spoke out about their disappointment in the lackluster and defensive performances of both athletes.
Former boxer, Mike Tyson, called the match “underwhelming” and The New York Times described it as “far from electrifying.”
“I think it was overhyped. I was rooting for Manny he seems like the more genuine person, but congrats to Mayweather for his tenacity,” said Shiki Dixit (12). “Honestly though, I think they make too much money.”
Senior Arjun Ashok, on the other hand, enjoyed the defensiveness of the match.
“I had been waiting for this fight since like middle school so the hype was definitely real. I think the fight itself was not entirely exciting but that’s what Floyd Mayweather does,” he said. “He’s one of the best defensive boxers of all time and he’s so good at systematically dismantling an opponent. I guess there’s a reason why the guy hasn’t lost.”
In the aftermath of the match, both boxers face lawsuits. Pacquiao announced hours after the match that he was suffering from a shoulder injury. Four fans are suing him for at least $5 million, according to WGNTV. The fans bet large sums of money on a Pacquiao victory and claimed that his advisors should have made his injury public before the match.
Mayweather is also being sued by the mother of his children for lying about her drug use during an incident that sent Mayweather to jail for two months for domestic violence.
Pacquiao is expected to be out for nine to twelve months after a shoulder surgery to repair his torn rotator cuff last Wednesday, but Mayweather’s fighting future is still unclear with one fight left on his Showtime contract.
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...