![“[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)
On Friday, September 14, the Varsity football team’s winning streak broke when they lost 11-8 against San Jose High School.
Defense held off the San Jose Bulldogs during the entirety of the first half, but the Eagles’ advances were cut short during the first quarter. The game was scoreless until senior Robert Deng’s touchdown and the subsequent two-point conversion in the last five minutes of the second quarter.
After the cheerleaders’ halftime performance, Aneesh Chona (12) and Anuj Sharma (12), Maverick McNealy (12), and Shannon Richardson (9) were recognized for their outstanding performances in debate, golf, and volleyball, respectively.
Ten minutes into the third quarter, the Bulldogs ended the Eagles’ lead when they scored a touchdown and got the two-point conversion, tying the score.
Incomplete passes by both teams caused the game to remain a tie until the last few minutes of the fourth quarter when the rival team scored the only field goal of the night.
Senior Drew Goldstein, one of five team captains, singled this moment as the one that made the loss irreversible.
“We turned around and watched [the ball] go up […] There was really nothing leading up to [the loss],” he said. “We were just on the wrong side of the scoreboard.”
On the stands, many students wore Eagle Nation t-shirts to support the athletes. Nikhil Panu (12), co-president of Eagle Nation, a club devoted to increasing school spirit at games that gained members at the annual Club Fair, hoped to “get louder, get more chants, and get more organized” after noticing a separation between the seniors’ and the other classes’ cheering.
“It was a good warm-up for future big games like homecoming and senior night,” Nikhil said.
The next home game is on Friday, October 5 when the football team will take on Gunn High School on Davis Field.
![Senior Gabe Sachse and sophomore Shaurya Jain hug after winning the game. “I don’t want to say goodbye because [the seniors] are my friends outside of baseball as well,” Shaurya said. “Either way, I wanted to go all out for the seniors.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/53-KAT_4240-e1747776384650-1200x778.jpg)
