![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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)
School meeting recap 9/9/22: Quadchella, Dance Production and emergency drills
Research Club officers Brian Chen (12) and Alex Lan (12) introduce the Synopsys Information Session at yesterday’s school meeting. The meeting also included information about the Dance Production, a sports recap, and several club announcements.
September 10, 2022
Associated Student Body (ASB) President Kris Estrada (12) opened the school meeting yesterday.
The ASB Student Events Committee, led by Ella Lan (11), Jacob Huang (12) and Sam Parupudi (10), started their announcement off with a recap video of the most recent Quadchella event that occurred last school year on April 22. At Quadchella, students and faculty can sing, dance and perform for their peers during a selected long lunch. A Schoology announcement will come soon to articulate the details and provide a link to the audition form. Sign-ups close at the end of the day on Oct. 9.
Computer Science Department Chair Dr. Eric Nelson provided preliminary information about Castle Bravo, a nuclear bomb design test performed in 1954. Elaborating on the event, Nelson introduced the Critical Issues Forum (CIF), a nuclear nonproliferation organization, where students can tackle challenging issues regarding international safety in occasions involving nuclear weapons. The first CIF meeting took place yesterday at 12:55 p.m. in Nichols 312. Students can email Dr. Nelson at [email protected] for questions or more information.
Socioeconomics Club officers Mir Bahri (12) and Rahul Santhanam (12) announced their introductory kickstarter event during which interested students can participate in a mock debate addressing the prompt, “Is it wrong to steal a loaf of bread to feed your family?” and reading an English translation of “La Siesta del Martes” by Gabriel García Marquez. The meeting will take place next Tuesday at 12:45 p.m. in Main 5. Students are welcome to bring their lunches, and free snacks and drinks will be provided.
Research Club officers Brian Chen (12) and Alex Lan (12) introduced the Synopsys Information Session for students to learn more about the process, deadlines and preparation tips. The event took place yesterday at 12:45 p.m. in the Nichols Auditorium. For questions about the Synopsys process or the Research Club, students can email [email protected].
Learning, Innovation and Design Director Diane Main and upper school mathematics teacher Jeanette Fernandez clarified the process for teachers to assign makeup assessments for students. Lunch time Test Center takes place on B and D days excluding Fridays in Dobbins 108, and teachers should communicate with Main or Fernandez in advance. A Detention Test Center is available in case the times at lunch do not work and should be set up with the respective detention proctor.
This semester’s Conservatory representatives Richard Zhang (12), Samvita Gautham (12), Luke Mehta (11) and Sam Parupudi (10) reminded students about Dance Production auditions, which will take place this Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center (RPAC). Yesterday was the last day to sign up for auditions, and the representatives urged interested students to sign up via the link on Schoology. Students can earn 0.5 P.E. credits for participation in the dance show and can email either upper school dance teacher Rachelle Haun at [email protected] or upper school dance teacher Jill Yager at [email protected] with questions.
The Eagle Update began with a promotional video for Harker Athletics filmed by BB Ajlouny (12). Zain Vakath (12) and Abhi Namala (12) then led the school in the “put your eagles up” chant and delivered the recaps of the most recent athletic events.
On Tuesday, all three water polo teams defeated Homestead High School in their league openers. Thursday’s match against Los Altos was postponed, but the girls will play Aptos and the boys will face Menlo today.
On Wednesday, Girls Junior Varsity and Varsity volleyball teams defeated Willow Glen High School, and the frosh and sophomore team played Milpitas High School, losing to the team in a very close match. The teams faced Santa Cruz High School yesterday, and the Junior Varsity team will travel to the Milpitas tournament today.
Abhi continued by prompting those who are interested in girls basketball to attend an information session, which occurred yesterday during long lunch, in the Team Room in the Athletic Center.
In a golf match against BayView Golf Club, Kimaya Mehta (9) made a hole in one for the first time in school history. Alison Yang (10) maintains a leading score, and the Girls golf team remains undefeated 3-0.
Yesterday at 7:30 p.m., the football team played their home opener game against San Jose High School, with a win of 27-15.
Upper School Dean of Students Kevin Williamson concluded the meeting with a talk about the popular app BeReal and reminded students to confirm that those in the photos are aware of the fact. He continued by breaking down the processes for various emergency drills and announced that an earthquake drill will take place next Tuesday and evacuation drill will take place next Thursday. He walked students through evacuation procedures and led the members of the school through a simulated evacuation of the Athletic Center.
