![“[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)
Varsity girls water polo team dominates Palo Alto 11-1
Deeya Kumar (11) attempts to block Palo Alto player’s pass attempt. The varsity girls water polo team is now ranked fourth in league with a record of 6-6.
October 16, 2021
The varsity girls water polo team beat Palo Alto 11-1 at home on Thursday.
The Eagles scored five goals in the first quarter and were up 9-0 by halftime. Palo Alto scored their only goal in the fourth quarter with less than three minutes on the clock. The Eagles’ offense started off strong and remained dominant throughout the match, finishing the game with a ten-point lead.
Spectator and upper school math teacher Victor Adler, who coaches the boys water polo team, emphasized the importance of a strong opening.
“Harker came out and dominated early,” Adler said. “They took it right to [Palo Alto and put] them on their heels and that was that. [Palo Alto] could never recover.”
Harker previously played Palo Alto on Sept. 23 and won 10-9. Varsity girls water polo coach Cristian Tanase notes the improvement he has observed in his team since the last game.
“We played Palo Alto three weeks ago and they were beating us 7-2 at halftime, and we came back and were able to win in the final quarter,” Tanase said. “This was our second game facing them, so we were ready for that challenge and I think our start was very important.”
The Eagles also acknowledged their improvement and were overjoyed with the victory.
“We played really well,” team member Summer Adler (9) said. “Last game, we were losing by five [points] and then we came back, so I’m really glad that we came out very strong this time.”
The team will play at Homestead High School this Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. and against Los Altos High School at home on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
