![“[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)
Girls varsity basketball wins against Crystal Springs Uplands
Junior Jennifer Hayashi gets ready to shoot the ball during the home game against Crystal Springs Uplands. This is the first basketball season in which the teams utilized the new athletics center.
January 25, 2018
The varsity girls’ basketball team won against Crystal Springs Uplands by 34 points on Tuesday in their 14th league game this season.
The Eagles maintained a lead throughout the whole game, earning 16 points in the first quarter, entering half-time with a score of 24-14, making 14 points in the third, and finally ending the game with a win of 63-29.
Co-captain Akhila Ramgiri (11) scored the most number of points at 15, followed by co-captains Satchi Thockchom (12) and Selin Sayiner (12), earning nine points each.
After the game, junior Lily Wancewicz notes how enjoyable and relaxed the game was.
“[The game] was a really fun game to play in and watch. Everyone on the team got minutes, and I think it was great for our confidence to go into the second round of league play with a big win,” she said.
Satchi adds that the team has been pushing each other both figuratively and literally since the start of the season, yet there is still more that the girls can do to improve.
“Even though we won, this was definitely not our best game – it would have been perfect if we made easy layups, hustled for every play, and made our free throws,” Satchi said. “But I’m super glad that a lot of people were able to step up and make really great plays.”
The girls have faced both positive and negative changes this new season, especially regarding their new roster. Head coach Dan Pringle emphasizes that it has led to a difference in their playing on the court.
“They’ve come together tremendously as a group to compensate for the missing twenty five, thirty points a game from Jordan Thompson (’17), our 2000-plus career-scorer who graduated last year,” he said. “We also do have an awesome new assistant coach, Joanie Marciano, and two outstanding freshmen, Dylan Williams and Maria Vazhaeparambil, who’ve helped start a new culture of competitiveness.”
Joanie Marciano adds that this change in playing style has also resulted in a greater sense of togetherness and more team chemistry among the players.
“From the beginning of the season the girls wanted to be challenged, they asked to be challenged,” Joanie said. “They’ve grown, where now they share the ball and it’s not just one person playing, but it’s all of them wanting to play defense, wanting to score, and wanting to be on the court.”
With this victory, the team’s overall record is now 6-8, and their league record is 2-4. Their next game will be against Notre Dame on Friday at 6:30.
