![“[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)
NBA season to resume on July 30
Capital One arena bustles with energy before a game between the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 23, 2019. The NBA is set to resume with a matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Utah Jazz tomorrow.
July 29, 2020
It’s back. After being on hiatus for five seemingly endless months, the NBA is set to return on Thursday at the Walt Disney World Complex in Orlando, Florida, after the 2019 – 2020 season was suspended on March 11 due to the coronavirus.
The 22 teams participating will play eight games each to complete the regular season and determine playoff seeding. Afterwards, the playoffs will be held in the normal best-of-seven game series format, starting on Aug. 17 and ending on Oct. 13. The schedule for the remainder of the season can be found here.
As outlined in the 100-page document the league sent to players, the NBA has developed a series of protocols for testing and maintaining player safety within the so-called “NBA Bubble.” As soon as players arrived in Orlando, they were forced to quarantine in their hotel rooms for more than a day and test negative for COVID-19 twice.
Throughout the remainder of the season, players will be tested regularly and are not allowed to enter other players’ hotel rooms. Players who test positive will be forced to stay in a separate isolated location. These players can return to play in full capacity if they obtain consecutive negative tests after testing positive. Earlier this morning, the NBA league and players’ union announced that no players have tested positive for coronavirus since July 20.
“I’m super excited that the NBA is back, and it’ll be interesting to see if the new environment affects the players’ game,” said Gigi Chan (11), an avid NBA fan and a member of the girls varsity basketball team. “But most importantly I’m glad that the league is taking proper measures to keep players and fans safe.”
(Aditya Singhvi)
Games will be played without fans, and face masks will be required. Players are not required to go to Orlando, and many have opted out due to concerns about safety or social justice. Those who have been prohibited from playing due to health concerns will be compensated; however, players who voluntarily opt out will not be paid for any missed games.
Among these players are Indiana Pacers point guard Victor Oladipo and Brooklyn Nets center DeAndre Jordan, who have opted out because of concerns over injuries and COVID-19, and Nets point guard , who has opted out due to his belief that basketball will interfere with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Inside the bubble, players will have access to various forms of entertainment, and facilities such as barber shops will be available to address personal needs. Many players have taken to activities such as fishing, cornhole, and golfing to pass time, and some, most notably Matisse Thybulle and JaVale McGee, have even begun vlogging their bubble adventures on their personal Youtube channels.
“It’s cool that they have decided to start the season again,” said Matthew Chen (10), a member of the varsity boys basketball team. “It will be weird not seeing anyone in the stands. There won’t be as much energy, but I’m happy I can watch basketball.”
Teams will retain their records from March, with the Milwaukee Bucks residing at the top of the Eastern Conference and the Los Angeles Lakers atop the West. Six teams will be eliminated after the initial eight game stretch, leaving eight teams in each conference for the playoffs, as usual.
If less than four games separate the eight and ninth seed in either conference following the completion of the regular season, the two teams will compete in a play-in tournament for the last playoff spot.
Games will kick off at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow with the Utah Jazz facing off against the New Orleans Pelicans. Then, at 6:00 p.m, the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers will battle it out to close out the NBA restart’s opening night. Fans will soon see whether their teams will be able to pick up where they left off three months ago.
