![“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)
Warriors advance to NBA finals for second time in team history
Fireworks shot up out of the top of Oracle Arena, the Warrior’s home stadium after their win in Game 2 of the series against the Rockets. They defeated the Rockets 4-1 in the series to advance to the NBA Finals.
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets 104-90 in the Western Conference Finals today to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975.
The team will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers after winning their series 4-1 against the Rockets. The Warriors swept the Washington Bullets 4-0 the last time they played in the NBA finals.
After coming off a 39-2 home record during the regular season, the Warriors look to close out their history-making season with an NBA championship.
Led by NBA regular season MVP Stephen Curry, who scored 26 points tonight, the Warriors previously triumphed over the Memphis Grizzlies and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Curry suffered a hard hit to the head after falling onto the hardwood floor during Game 4 of the series against the Rockets, while Klay Thompson, scoring 20 points tonight, was hit in the ear, yet still able to return.
As of now, both Curry and Thompson will play in the first game of the NBA finals.
Warriors fan, Shekar Ramaswamy (10), reflects on the team’s performance tonight.
“After being blown out in a spectacular fashion in game four, it takes a special team, led by the likes of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and Harrison Barnes to be able to regain their previously magnificent confidence,” he said. “I look forward to the challenge the Cavaliers will bring against #dubnation.”
The Warriors will face four time regular season MVP LeBron James, who has led the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference championship over the Atlanta Rockets.
The NBA finals will kick off at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California on June 4 at 6 p.m.
Ria Gandhi (11) is the Aquila Features Editor. This is her third year on staff after being the Assistant Sports Editor in her sophomore year and a reporter...
Trisha Dwivedi (12) is the Managing Editor of Harker Aquila. She was a reporter her freshman year, Business Manager of the Winged Post her sophomore year...