![“[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)
After their victory over the senior class last week, the juniors proceeded to play against the faculty yesterday during long lunch, losing 2-1.
The game did not count for any spirit points or rankings; according to Key Club President Andre Tran (12), competing with the faculty is an additional reward for the champions.
Prior to the match, some students believed the junior class would rise triumphantly based on their previous performance the week before.
“I think the juniors are going to win […] because they did really well against the seniors,” Vivek Sriram (10) said.
As the clock ticked, however, the juniors’ efforts proved inadequate during the first match against the faculty. Then, despite having lost the second match, the teachers and administration pulled through, sealing their first victory in years.
Science teacher Dr. Matthew Harley relished in the faculty victory, expressing how “a little redemption” felt refreshing. Dr. Harley claims the juniors can attribute their loss to the performance of their players.
“I really loved the junior versus senior match and […] how well both teams, especially the juniors did, […] but I don’t think the juniors brought out their better players,” he said. “The ones who did well last week weren’t here today.”
Some junior class members who played in the game attributed the loss to an absence of unification within the team, while others felt the defeat was due in part to the lack of planning before the event.
“We weren’t as organized as we were before the other games,” Rebecca Chen (11) said. “We also didn’t have any practice like we did last time.”
Andre believes that even if students are not participating, many attend the event to be a part of the action.
“It’s just fun because it’s so hands-on,” he said. “Even if you’re not playing, you’re seeing balls fly past you and it […] gives you that adrenaline rush.”
Regardless of the outcome, students and faculty alike agree that the dodgeball game unifies the school community.
“I think anything that gets the students and faculty interacting in fun ways outside the classroom is always helpful,” Assistant Head of School Jennifer Gargano said.
Despite their loss, the junior class will retain their title as dodgeball champions until next year.
