![“[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)
The varsity girls water polo team trounced Lynbrook 19-4 at home last Thursday, improving their league record to 3-0.
Within the first two minutes of the game, Mia Tang (10) scored two goals, heightening the team’s overall momentum. Lynbrook followed by scoring a goal of their own, trailing behind by one point. With the Eagles still leading, Mia and Melody Yin (11) pulled ahead and delivered a goal each, bringing the score to 4-1. The Vikings attempted to level the score but fell short two points, and Harker carried their lead 4-2 into the second quarter.
“I think fundamentally we have a lot of chemistry and coordination in our play,” co-captain Keren Eisenberg (11) said. “We spend a lot of time during practice perfecting different aspects of our offense, and our defense is a strong base for that as well.”
The Eagles dominated the next three quarters by scoring 15 goals, with the Vikings only returning two. Zoe Cammer (9) scored three of those goals, and Keren and co-captain Olivia Xu (12) each scored two.
“During the second half, our passes were a lot better, and our communication was really good,” Zoe said. “Our game IQ was shown in this [game] because we were able to read the plays, read what’s happening and not rush anything.”
The girls varsity water polo team currently holds the number one standing in the league. As the season progresses, the team hopes to continue its winning streak and ultimately bring home the league title.
“Winning this league is something that I would love to do with this team, because I think we’re good enough, [and] it’s definitely achievable,” Keren said. “It takes a lot of long-term dedication to practices and keeping that energy up, but I’m confident we can do it.”
The team travels to Castilleja this Thursday to match up against the Gators.
