![“[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)
Kobe Bryant to retire after win over Utah Jazz last night
KeithAllisonPhoto.com
Wikimedia Commons
April 14, 2016
Kobe Bryant played in his final game yesterday, ending his NBA career with a 101-96 win over the Utah Jazz. Bryant scored 60 points from 22 out of 50 shooting and added four rebounds and four assists.
Bryant set a new record for the NBA with his 50 attempted shots in the game. He is also second for number of games with over 60 points, after Wilt Chamberlain, a former player for the Warriors and the Lakers.
Many upper school fans saw Bryant’s final game as the perfect ending to his 20-year career.
“It was pretty much the perfect ending for Kobe Bryant. He dropped 60 points, including an extremely clutch performance at the end. It was truly vintage Kobe. As a Celtics fan, I always rooted against Kobe and he broke my heart multiple times. I’ll truly miss his competitive nature and killer mentality,” Shasvat Jawahar (11) said.
Others reflected on Bryant’s contribution to the sport and his impact on the league.
“I’m not even a Lakers fan but I was emotional after that game. [Bryant] was a relatively controversial person in his time but his contribution to the game of basketball and all the work he has put in and all the incredible moments he’s given to the fans made it really a bittersweet moment as he went out,” Evan Lohn (12) said.
Bryant ended the game with an assist, which Lohn found to be uncharacteristic, as Bryant has consistently been associated with taking shots rather than passing the ball.
“[Bryant] ended his career with an assist, which is pretty remarkable,” he said.
The Lakers did not advance to the playoffs, so the final game of the regular season was also Bryant’s last game in his career.
