![“[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 lost 10-11 to Saint Francis High School during sudden death overtime on Sept. 15 in the Singh Aquatic Center.
Saint Francis scored four times in the first quarter but Harker hit back with co-captain Keren Eisenberg (11), field player Zoe Cammer (9) and field player Tvisha Ganesh (9) all scoring goals. The first quarter ended with the Eagles trailing behind 3-4.
The two teams battled for the upper hand in the second quarter. Zoe and field player Mia Tang (10) both scored while goalie Jasmine Hansra (10) blocked multiple attempted shots, tying the score at 6-6. Both teams played hard for their win, with supporters for both sides in the audience.
“The Harker team’s playing style is cooperative and also aggressive,” Maryanne Davies (10), a Harker student and audience member, said. “They aren’t afraid to make passes and go for goals. Everyone seems like they’re focused on collaborating to score.”
In the third quarter, Harker gained momentum as they brought up the score to 9-7, with Keren, field player Summer Adler (11) and Mia each earning a point for the team. Saint Francis scored twice in the last quarter, bringing the game to a tie at 9-9 and forcing overtime.
During overtime, junior Melody Yin scored a goal to earn back the lead at 10-9. Saint Francis returned the goal, closing the gap to 10-10 before the end of overtime. Both sides battled it out for the deciding point in sudden death, where the first team to score wins the game. Saint Francis scored, with the final result prevailing at 11-10.
Varsity girls water polo head coach Cristian Tanase commended the team for their efforts.
“One of the team strengths today [was] our energy to stay in the game and not giving up,” Coach Tanase said. “It was a close game from the beginning till the end and it was just one goal. The chemistry of the team is just so much better. I’ve always wanted [to take it] one game at a time, and we’re getting better game by game.”
Despite the loss, Zoe observed that the team reached a new level of cooperation and unity. She looks forward to her upcoming season with the team.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the team play this well, with this speed, this energy,” Zoe said. “We all felt like one. We moved like one. We helped each other out. I’m excited for the upcoming season – this team is just wonderful. [As] for the outcome, I’m for sure sad. I gave it my all in that pool. But these things happen. We all win, we all lose, and we just have to grow from that.”
