![“[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 basketball team crushes University Prep Academy 67-24
Holding the basketball, Kevin Zhang (10) crouches to see if any of his teammates are open. The boys beat University Prep Academy 67-24 on Tuesday, Nov. 30.
December 7, 2021
The varsity boys basketball team defeated University Prep Academy 67-24 on Tuesday, Nov. 30. Abhi Namala (11) secured the opening tip-off, and Charles Ding (12) put the Eagles on the board with a 3-pointer. Max Xing (10) followed up with a 3-pointer of his own, bringing the score to 9-1 in favor of the Eagles. The boys ended the first quarter with a resounding 15-1 lead.
“I think I was really aggressive tonight, and I had some nice stops, but the best moment of the game was the three charges we had,” Max Xing (10) said. “We’ve only taken one [charge] all year, so my favorite moment was watching John [Zeng (12)] take that charge.”
According to Max, Upper School Division Head and boys basketball coach Butch Keller rewards the boys with cookies and brownies for taking a charge.
“It was the first win of the season, so it was nice to have a lot of the players back that we didn’t have on Wednesday, which obviously made a difference with the score,” Keller said.
During the second quarter, sophomores Michael Chang and Om Tandon converted 3-pointers to extend the Eagles’ lead to 22-3. In the last 45 seconds of the half, Charles made a layup that put the Eagles up 33-12 heading into halftime.
Abhi made a 3-pointer during the third quarter to bring the score to 44-15. Om made a layup and converted a free throw to bring the score to 52-17 during the last 50 seconds. During the final quarter, Michael made a 3-pointer to bring the score to 55-21. After a foul, Michael made two free throws. Zeke Weng (11) then made a layup that brought the Eagles to 59-23.
“They’re playing much better as a team, moving the ball better and just doing everything that they’re supposed to be doing as the season goes on,” Nicholas Nguyen, assistant varsity boys basketball coach, said. “The goal is always to make the CCS playoffs and win league.”
The boys lost 57-47 against Monta Vista High School on Nov. 24 during Thanksgiving break, but they won 63-58 against BASIS Independent on Friday, Dec. 4. Their next game will be on Dec. 9 in the Lynbrook tournament against American High School.
