![“[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)
Varsity girls tennis team defeats Crystal Springs Uplands 7-0
Izzy Gross (12) hits the ball over the net. Izzy plays number one doubles for the team, along with Karina Butani (10). The final score was 7-0.
The varsity girls’ tennis team defeated Crystal Springs Uplands 7-0 this afternoon at the Santa Clara Tennis Center, boosting their record to 10-2.
The team played the usual in four singles and three doubles matches.
The Eagles won all of their matches. Freshman Pamela Duke was the first to conclude her match, winning at number one singles in two sets of 6-0. Next, Elizabeth Schick (10), playing number three singles for the team, won her match with a score of 6-2, 6-1. Freshmen Liza Egorova and Riya Singh also won their matches in straight sets.
Doubles team Izzy Gross (12) and Karina Butani (10) defeated their opponents with a score of 6-4, 6-0. Kathleen Chang (10) and Aliesa Bahri (10) also pulled away with a win at 6-1 and 6-3. Partners Maya Valluru (11) and Gloria Guo (10) won their match in neck-to-neck sets, walking away with a tiebreaker score of 10-8.
Co-captain of the team, Izzy Gross (12) commented on her performance today as well as on the strength of the team overall.
“I think as a doubles team, Karina and I, played well,” Izzy said. “We faced some struggles in the beginning, but with my serves, and us both being aggressive at the net, we were able to win. Overall, I think that this is the strongest team that Harker’s had, and so we’re doing really well.”
The girls will play their next away game at Sacred Heart Preparatory School on Oct. 22. The team’s senior night will be held next Thursday, Oct. 29 against Menlo High School at 4:00 p.m at the Santa Clara Tennis Center.
Anjay Saklecha (12) is the Senior Winged Post Copy Editor and Columnist. This is his fourth year on staff. He was the Copy Editor last year and former...