![“[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 boys water polo team finishes second in NorCals after finals loss to Gunn
Lachlan Rossi (10) throws the ball into the goal as two Gunn defenders close in on him. After finishing second in league this season with a record of 11-2, the varsity boys water polo team won CCS and finished second place in NorCals.
November 24, 2021
The varsity boys water polo team lost to Gunn 7-13 on Saturday in the NorCal Division III Championship finals.
Despite a close margin for the majority of the game, with a score of 3-4 in the first quarter, 4-5 in the second and 6-8 in the third, Gunn ultimately prevailed in the final quarter, during which they scored five goals to Harker’s one.
After the game, a tournament official awarded silver medals to the Harker players, while the Gunn coaches announced their names and congratulated them one by one. Captains Indigo Lee (11) and Thomas Wisdom (11) accepted the team’s second place plaque.
Coach Ted Ujifusa reflected on the team’s improvement throughout the season, which featured a second place finish in league, a Division III Central Coast Section (CCS) Championship and the first NorCals appearance in program history.
“The idea [was] that we just try to get better every game,” Ujifusa said. “It wasn’t defined by a single event, the success is never that. I just felt that we got better every game all season long.”
Anish Pai, one of four seniors on the team, shared the same mentality of constant growth.
“We were coming out looking forward to making Harker history,” Anish said. “We made it really far, and so we wanted to see how far we could take it. Obviously, the results of the game were not what we wanted, but I feel like we all grew as a group over the course of the year.
Lachlan Rossi (10) is optimistic that the team, which he describes as a “family,” will continue their success next season.
“Although we came short of winning league this year, I feel like this team that we have, this family that we have built, has definitely improved,” Lachlan said. “[Next season, I hope we can] win league and compete with some of the top teams.”
