![“[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)
Kick Back with Kushal: Has the NBA finally been freed from the evil Warriors’ clutches?
December 7, 2018
Yes, it’s true—it’s all true. After a long period of silence from supposed “contending” teams, the wicked Warriors of the West have finally released their NBA counterparts as their hostages. However, one matter is yet uncertain. What really incited this good-hearted release? Was it the Warriors’ own internal issues or was it was just the rest of the NBA augmenting their versatility and expanding their talent?
In fact, the once frequent assertion that was maintained throughout last season was that the Western Conference was filled with more talent and effectively, had stronger teams than the Eastern Conference no longer rings true. Right now, the top two teams are from the Eastern Conference: the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks.
And to top it all off, the Warriors are not even one of the top five teams in the NBA. Horrifically, the Dubs currently hold the pitiful, undignified sixth seed with an utterly distasteful 12-6 record. Too melodramatic, you say? Let me amicably remind you that we are talking about a team that has reached great heights: four consecutive Finals appearances, a historic record 73-9 season and achieved a two-peat. The same team that has 4 All-Stars (5 if you count Boogie) that are all looking to join the highly coveted, exclusive three-peat club.
And if they genuinely hope to achieve the three-peat, the Warriors can no longer afford to be the same team as last season until playoffs. They can’t just hope to cruise to the playoffs and flip the switch because the other teams—the Houston Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs (all teams the Warriors have lost against), the Los Angeles Lakers—they’re all hungry, and they will fight tooth and nail in the hopes to defeat the Warriors and procure a ring. So, in other words, it’s time for the Dubs to dial up the heat and start cooking.
The other contending teams certainly have. After skidding to a rough start, the Houston Rockets, the LA Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder have played with greater intensity in nearly every one of their matchups. The Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers are also surprises, especially since the Grizzlies fired their head coach, David Fizdale, and the Clippers traded away DeAndre Jordan to the Mavs.
Returning to the Warriors, fortunately, their crisis is occurring at the beginning of the season as opposed to the beginning of the playoffs, so they have quite some time to deliberate their deficiencies and buttress them. Of course, after this, I have absolutely no doubt that the Warriors will once again kidnap the NBA and hold it hostage for years to come. Oh, shoot! I knew I forgot something while ranting! Or rather someone. Oh yeah, Steph Curry, the legend, is still injured — no wonder the Warriors have been losing! Forget I said anything…
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on December 6, 2018.
