![“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)
Performing arts update (Issue 5)
Stage crew members Tamar Sasson (10) and Logan Frank (10) spin cheerleading coach Jill Bettencourt on a wheel at the beginning of the teachers’ dance “You Spin Me Right Round.” This year’s production featured nine teachers and more than 160 students.
February 21, 2017
Students choreograph dance show:
The Upper School’s annual dance production took place on Jan. 27 and 28. This year’s theme was “Circus” and featured 160 dancers and nine teachers, the greatest number of performers in the show’s history. There were 24 student dances, as well as one teacher dance. Charley Huang (11), Miranda Larsen (11), Gracean Linthacum-Janker (11), Liana Wang (11), David Zhu (12), Hazal Gurcan (12), Sanjana Marce (12), Tamlyn Doll (12), Sravya Cherukuri (12) and Surabhi Rao (12) had the opportunity to choreograph dances for their peers, a unique experience not available in many schools.
Performers rehearse for High School Musical:
Musical rehearsals started before the break, and performers will be rehearsing until the shows in April. This year’s show is an adaptation of the Disney movie “High School Musical,” and over 70 people auditioned for this year’s production. Auditions began after Thanksgiving break. Mandatory technical rehearsals for the show will take place from April 10 to 18. The dates of the shows are April 20, 21 and 22, and there will be a Thursday evening, Friday evening, Saturday matinee and Saturday evening show.
Cantilena scheduled to perform in Maitri Gala:
Cantilena will be performing at the Maitri Gala for the first time this year. Maitri is a nonprofit organization based in the Bay Area that helps women from southern India facing domestic violence, emotional abuse and other forms of conflict. The organization also runs a boutique which sells South Asian clothing; all funds from the boutique go to the Economic Empowerment Programs. The Gala will have performances, dinner and auctions and will take place on Feb. 25 in Crowne Plaza, a hotel in Palo Alto.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on February 21, 2017.
