![“[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)
Friday 11-11-11 proved to be more than a lucky number, as the Varsity football team fought relentlessly for a victory during their final game of the season.
The Friday night lights beamed while a light drizzle fell as family and friends cheered on the team from the sidelines. The team defeated Cupertino High School with a final score of 35-28.
“It was our first homecoming win [on Davis Field] and it was definitely worth the wait,” Sonya Chalaka (12) said. “I’m so proud of the [team] and I’m so proud to be an eagle.”
Kicking off the varsity game, the pre-game show featured the Upper School’s varsity dance troupe, a performance by the Lower School Eaglets, and a tug-of-war between the freshmen and sophomores, which resulted in a victory for the sophomores.
“I expected us to win. I thought it helped unite our class a bit more. I loved how we burst into cheers after we won,” said Vincent Lin (10).
The Eagles began with the game in the lead, scoring the first touchdown. Though the first half resulted in a score of 14-14, the home team managed to break the tie during the second half. Quarterback Spenser Quash (11) connected on 12 passes, while wide receiver Robert Deng (11) caught two for touchdowns.
“You could really see everyone on the field really trying to come together as a team,” Katy Sanchez (9) said.
During halftime, the 2011 Homecoming Court was driven out onto Davis Field on golf carts by their class deans. Head of School Christopher Nikoloff recognized students from all campuses and alumni who attended the game before handing the microphone to 2012 class dean Matthew Harley, who announced this year’s king and queen: Michelle Lo (12) and Revanth Kosaraju (12). Besides the crowning, halftime also featured the final round of tug-of-war: seniors versus juniors, with the former winning the event.
Though the Eagles had a safe lead during the fourth quarter, the Cupertino Pioneers resurfaced with two more touchdowns, leaving the entire crowd in suspense. Though the Pioneers managed to recover an on-side kick during the last few minutes of the game, gradually advancing towards the goal line, our Varsity team successfully stopped their opponents and the game ended with the Eagles victorious.
![Senior Gabe Sachse and sophomore Shaurya Jain hug after winning the game. “I don’t want to say goodbye because [the seniors] are my friends outside of baseball as well,” Shaurya said. “Either way, I wanted to go all out for the seniors.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/53-KAT_4240-e1747776384650-1200x778.jpg)
