![“[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)
As students are becoming more adjusted to school life, sports are kicking into full gear; teams featured this week include cross country and volleyball. In addition to athletics, Link Crew members made their first visit to freshmen advisories this week.
“I really enjoyed seeing the Link Crew go to work. That has been a really fun thing to watch evolve into what it is now. Now that the seniors have done it for two years, it’s interesting to hear them compare the two advisory groups they’ve had,” Butch Keller said. “It’s [also] always exciting when new athletic seasons start. [There is] a new cross country coach and […] there are some rising stars in that sport. Volleyball is exciting to watch because they’re so young as well.”
The cross country team, along with new coach Scott Chisam, attended the Gunn High School scrimmage meet on Thursday, August 30. Corey Gonzalez (10) came in first among the varsity boys, while Ragini Bhattacharya (12) placed ninth in the girls race. Their next meet will be the Chieftan Invitational on Saturday, September 15.
Additionally, the girls Varsity volleyball team began the season defeating Woodside Priory School with a score of 15-13 on their last set on Thursday, August 30. While they lost to Homestead High School at their home opener on Tuesday, September 4, the team picked up another win on Thursday, September 6 against Fremont High School, leaving them currently at 2-1. Their next game will be against Saratoga High School at home on Thursday, September 13.
Finally, the upperclassmen participants in the Link Crew visited their freshmen advisories on Thursday, September 6. During the session, Link Crew members discussed topics ranging from the back to school mixer to stress levels with the freshmen. The freshmen will have the opportunity to meet with their Link Crew about once a month for the rest of year.
More events to look forward to next week include Honor Week and the annual Club Fair.
