![“[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)
Ending the drought: Chicago Cubs win World Series for the first time in 108 years
Wikimedia Commons
Cubs fans participate in a victory parade. The Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years this year.
November 3, 2016
A long-awaited moment in baseball history- the Chicago Cubs broke their 108-year championship drought when they clinched game seven of the World Series 8-7 on Nov. 2 at Wrigley Field, beating the Cleveland Indians in seven games.
The series between the Cubs and the Indians began on Oct. 25. After losing the first game 0-6 to the Indians, the Cubs rebounded to snag a win 5-1 on Oct. 26. Going into the fifth game of the series, the Cubs had only won one game to the Indians’ three, but won both the sixth and seventh game with scores of 3-2 and 9-3, respectively. Both teams headed into the final seventh match with three wins each.
The Cubs’ comeback in the series marks them as one of the few teams in Major League Baseball history which has successfully recovered from a 3-1 deficit in a World Series. Thirty-one years ago, the Kansas City Royals accomplished the same feat against the St. Louis Cardinals when the Royals won three consecutive games after the Cardinals grabbed an early advantage in the 1985 series.
Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist was named the MVP of the World Series after hitting the game-winning RBI double in the 10th inning.
Veteran Cubs catcher David Ross hit a home run in the top of the sixth inning in his final World Series game, which also marked the last baseball game of his career.
Following the Cubs’ win, Cubs fans celebrated on social media by posting updates on the team’s victory.
“Finally y’all Cleveland fans know how it feels to blow a 3-1 lead,” Shreyas Chandrashekaran (11) wrote on Facebook following the Cubs’ win. “I hope the Cubs roast you at every opportunity they get.”
The Indians’ loss has drawn many comparisons to the Warriors’ loss in the NBA finals earlier this year, as both teams started off with three wins and only one loss, but ended up losing the last three games to lose the whole series.
“The game seven Warriors loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers—the pain remains very palpable in my heart, so I decided to root against the Cleveland Indians,” Alex Youn (12) said. “When watching the game last night and seeing the final out, I felt joy at Cleveland’s pain, but also genuine joy for the Cubs, a team that demonstrated the true nature of perseverance and resilience over the course of an 100-year drought and how a dream can manifest into reality.”
Had the Indians won this year’s World Series, they would have ended a World Series championship drought of 68 years. The droughts for both teams added significance to this year’s World Series.
“On most occasions, I find myself discovering a reason to pull for a team in the World Series when my favorite team, the San Francisco Giants, aren’t involved,” upper school college counselor Greg Roumbanis said. “Either a particular player or storyline gives me a reason to root for one of the participants. This particular year was rather unique in that both teams had compelling storylines.”
The Cubs’ storyline saw an end to their championship drought, while the Indians’ saw a disappointing game seven loss.
