![“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)
It’s the most stressful time of the year
Freeing myself from the grasp of finals
Every year in December, I marvel at the beauty and festiveness of the glittering lights, but that joy is always tainted by a shadow of impending doom — the holiday season is not the only season that happens at this time of year.
Sparkling Christmas lights flicker, adorning buildings, trees, anything and everything which can be decorated. Every year in December, I marvel at the beauty and festivity of the glittering lights, but that joy is always tainted by a shadow of impending doom — the holiday season is not the only season that happens at this time of year. This other season lurks in the back of my mind until the start of December, waiting to pounce on and subsequently devour any morsel of merriness: this is finals season.
At Harker, there can be no holiday celebrations unaffected by the onslaught of tests and stress around finals. During advisory holiday parties, students ( including me) groan over their next test or try to sneak in some study time. Harker holiday spirit festivities like window painting or gingerbread house decorating attract a solid amount of students, but the inescapable magnetism of the library and the allure of productivity draw many more.
As a student myself, I adopted a cynical attitude toward the holiday season in order to protect myself. If I never felt like I needed to enjoy the holidays, I could bury myself in textbooks and Quizlets and novels as much as I wanted to, without feeling like I was missing out on something.
However, as senior year and the end of my high school experience draw closer with every day, I’ve become more aware of the passage of time. In 15, 20 years, what do I want to remember from my junior year? A miserable stretch of cramming followed by a break where I try to recover from burnout? In order to “sleigh” the holiday season, I don’t need perfect test scores; I need to cut off the controlling reins of finals. What matters more than a test grade is my life and how I choose to live it.
This year, I started making small steps towards that goal, whether it was stopping by the window paintings to admire the handiwork of my classmates or cutting paper snowflakes with which to decorate my room. Now, the holiday season doesn’t seem like such a burdensome time, and maybe for just a little bit, I can forget finals and indulge in some holiday cheer.
Though finals may seem definitive and insurmountable, I will no longer allow finals to control and impede me, and in the end, the only truly “final” thing I’ll be left with are the memories I make.
Margaret Cartee 12) is a co-managing editor for Harker Aquila, and this is her fourth year on staff. This year, Margaret wants to do more illustrations...