![“[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 boys basketball team succumbed to Lynbrook 42-52 during a home game on Nov. 25.
Both teams traded points at the beginning of the first quarter after Lynbrook won the tipoff. Co-captain shooting guard Max Xing (12) scored consecutive 3-pointers, bringing the score to 17-14. With 4:11 left on the clock, Harker pulled into the lead at 24-16, causing Lynbrook to call a timeout. Small forward Advay Monga (11) cleared a 3-pointer off an assist by Co-captain point guard Bowen Xia (11) allowing Harker to end the second quarter with a 29-22 lead.
Point guard Justin Chao (12) returned to the team this season after not playing for a year. This was his second game with the team.
“I personally had a pretty tough game,” Justin said. “We had expectations for the game already and were overconfident. But I’m playing because of my love for the sport this season, and it’s about finding what works for the rest of the season.”
Returning from halftime, Lynbrook scored three shots in a row, bringing the total score to a close 29-28. The Vikings continued to pull ahead, gaining 11 more points to end the quarter 32-39. Going into the fourth quarter, Lynbrook dominated the game, with Harker down 39-46 as they called another timeout. Max scored a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left on the clock, rounding out the final score with Harker trailing Lynbrook 42-52.
“We got complacent after the second half after we had a lead, and we let them get a big run in the third quarter,” Bowen said. “We finished out strong, but it was just one stretch in the middle where we were relaxing a little bit.”
The team currently holds a season record of 1-1. Varsity boys basketball head coach Alfredo Alves highlighted the team’s focus on commitment and collaboration this season. Despite this loss, he has high hopes for the team, especially for the James Lick tournament in which they play against Andrew Hill High School on Wednesday.
“One of the biggest things that we’ve been talking about is team culture and working hard every single time in every drill — just being there for your teammates and playing together as a team,” Alves said.
