![“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)
Looking for the secret to “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”? (No spoilers here!)
All the Harry Potter books since the beginning are all lined up at the Barnes and Nobles in San Jose. Harry Potter themed board games and other toys are also underneath the display.
August 27, 2016
Harry Potter fans impatiently waited for the release of the sequel to the series that supposedly ended on July 21, 2007.
The play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” by Jack Thorne, was released worldwide on July 31 and is based on a story by Thorne, John Tiffany and J.K. Rowling, the author of the previous seven Harry Potter books.
The Palace Theatre in London now plays the eighth Harry Potter story making it the first official story of the series played on stage. Also, Rowling did not write the book, another first.
“I’d love people to see it, it’s better seen than read- plays are like sheet music, meant to be sung and we’ve a cast and crew of pure Beyonce,” Jack Thorne, the author of the play, wrote on Twitter. “But I recognize not everyone will get that chance, so hope the script provides some substitute.”
Michael Auld (12), a Harry Potter fan, plans on reading the new book when he has the time. He grew up reading the series and cannot wait to jump back into Harry’s world.
“I think it is going to be kind of harder to adapt it as a play because [of] all the magicky stuff,” Michael said. “It works for movies because they have Computer-generated imagery (CGI) and stuff; with the play it starts to be harder. It will be sort of harder to read as a play as opposed to reading it as a book.”
Tia Barth, an Upper School English teacher and a big fan of the Harry Potter series, is eager to read the book and find out the difference between the new author, Thorne, and Rowling’s writing.
“Not only has [Rowling] created this magical world, but her language is just fun and she is clever, so we will have to see how the language matches up.”
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is displayed here at Barnes and Nobles with other objects from the Harry Potter universe.
Sana Aladin (12), another huge fan of the Harry Potter series, thought it would be easier to see the play than to read the script.
“[It is] definitely not like the typical Harry Potter writing,” Sana said. “I enjoyed it as a stand-alone experience, but as part of the rest of the series, it was OK. I think maybe it would be better to see the in play in person rather than just reading the script.”
Many fans still read the “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” book albeit different from the other Harry Potter books. The play sold two million copies worldwide in the first two days after release.
“However you engage with it, know that it was written by someone who loves and has always loved Harry Potter,” Thorne wrote on Twitter.
This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on Aug 26, 2016.
