![“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)
The start of fall brings about new weather, fashion and food
Campus trees change color from green to warmer shades of orange, red, and yellow. Many people enjoy fall because of the beauty of these different colors.
October 14, 2016
People everywhere enjoy autumn for many different reasons, including the weather, the fashion and the fall-flavored foods like Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte.
Some like the season because of its more natural elements: the beauty of the trees when the colors of the leaves change and the temperature.
“I like the colorful leaves on the trees and all of that,” Kashov Sharma (9) said. “The temperature is perfect because it’s not super rainy or cloudy, but it’s not blazing hot. You can just go out and bike on a regular day.”
Others enjoy fall because of the seasonal fashion.
“I love fall because I can wear warm, comfy clothes now,” Lindsey Trinh (12) said.
Popular fall trends include shearling jackets and clothes in shades of pumpkin orange.
One of the most popular reasons behind loving fall is the beverages and foods that come with the season, mainly those flavored with pumpkin.
“I’ll eat anything with pumpkin flavor,” math teacher Jane Keller said. “I’m a pumpkin flavored freak.”
Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Lattes especially is a classic fall favorite. The beverage has become an icon of fall for many.
“I like pumpkin spice lattes because they really represent fall,” said Connie Xu (10). “They are a limited time drink, so when it comes around, everyone knows it is fall.”
Many people enjoy Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. This is Starbucks’ 13th year of having the beverage.
However, others have expressed a dislike in the Starbucks favorite, despite the hype in media and elsewhere.
“I really like eating pumpkin pie in the fall,” Vibha Arramreddy (9) said. “However, the pumpkin spice latte is horrible in my opinion. It tastes too much like artificial flavoring.”
This fall marks the 13th anniversary of the Pumpkin Spice Latte for Starbucks. The beverage, made with pumpkin spice sauce, cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg, is the cafe’s most popular seasonal drink and has popularized the pumpkin spice flavor itself, making it the iconic flavor of fall it is today.
