![“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)
Robotics team makes quarterfinals at CalGames
Nemo Yang (9) watches Rithvik Panchapakesan (9) learns to use the band saw in the Robotics Lab in Nichols. Harker’s robotics team, also known as Team 1072, made it to quarterfinals in this year’s CalGames, an off-season robotics competition with the same theme and events as the annual FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).
The upper school robotics team made it to the quarterfinals of CalGames on Oct. 3 at Lynbrook High School, missing the cut-off for the semifinals by one place.
“It was my first time ever going to a [robotics] competition,” Sukrit Ganesh (9) said. “I was thrilled and amazed to see how fast all the robots were able to go and deliver. I was shocked to see that high schoolers, people just like me, were able to create a machine [able] to stack bins up to six feet high and achieve tasks.”
The CalGames, an off-season robotics competition, replays last year’s FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), allowing students to repurpose their robots from last year and gain experience for the next FRC. This year’s CalGames is themed “Recycle Rush,” where two competing teams of three robots, each piloted by a different school, stack recycling bins and dispose of trash, symbolized by pool noodles.
The team looked forward to success at this year’s CalGames as they had placed well in last year’s FRC.
“We haven’t made it to CalGames in four years,” the robotics team’s faculty advisor Dr. Eric Nelson said. “This is the first year that we had a robot that was still working [since] April.”
The team ended up taking fifth place out of 30 to 40 teams, making it to the quarterfinals but barely missing the cut-off to the semifinals.
The robot is equipped with a number of features specifically designed for scoring maximum points in the competition.
“[The robot] has a very unique capability of driving, where it can drive side to side also with the omnidirectional wheels,” former Vice President of Electronics Systems Nikhil Parmar (12) said. “Also, with the arm in the back, we are able to grab recycling bins that are about ten feet away.”
Students contribute to the robot in a variety of ways. Some program the robot’s software; others work on the physical robot itself; some are trained in piloting the robot.
“We actually don’t have many modifications as of now, as [the robot] works, which is actually a huge achievement,” Technical President Elina Sendonaris (12) said. “Our leadership is very close this year and our communication within the team is up.”
Many freshmen were part of the team, forming the basis of the workforce for both CalGames and FRC.
“We have a strong team of freshmen responding very well to training, and they are very committed and excited,” Elina said.
The robotics team looks forward to continued success at the FRC, which will be held on Jan. 6 next year.
Derek Yen is a senior and the Opinion Editor of Winged Post. Derek served as the STEM Editor of Aquila and Winged Post during his junior year and as a...
Brian Park (9) is a reporter for the Winged Post. As a newcomer journalist, he is looking forward to being able to write on various topics the campus has...