![“[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)
Varsity boys tennis came up short against Menlo 2-5 on their senior night at Del Mar High School on April 17.
The team honored senior Thomas Liu, who has played on Harker’s tennis team since sixth grade. Head coach John Fruttero recounted Thomas’ growth and dedication during a commemorative speech.
Reflecting on his time playing tennis at Harker, Thomas expressed his gratitude for the team’s community.
“I’ve met so many amazing people here, and it’s been a good four years,” Thomas said. “I’ve been here watching my fellow teammates ever since they joined the team, and I’m really proud of how far they’ve all come.”
First singles player Tanishk Konduri (9) dominated his first set 6-3, but his opponent picked up the pace which led to a tiebreaker round in the second set. Tanishk still emerged as the winner with a 7-6 victory. In the second singles slot, although Rithvik Navad (9) put up a long fight, he lost both his sets 3-6.
Rithvik’s mother Roopa Nayak emphasizes not only the individual players’ efforts but also the team’s cohesiveness as their driving force for their past wins this season.
“They played very well, and I know they are fighting hard,” Nayak said. “As a team, they have a good common ground. They’re coming together really nicely right now, and going forward, as a team they can be even better.”
Igniting the momentum again, third singles player Paras Painuly (10) faced off against a tough opponent and clinched narrow wins in both his sets 7-6. Fourth singles player Ryan Miao (9) played fiercely, winning several points in long rallies but succumbed in two sets.
The top doubles team of juniors Vyom Vidyarthi and Jeffrey Zhang conceded the first set to Menlo. They made a comeback in the second, winning 6-2 but faltered in the tiebreaker.
Sophomores Eddie Zhang and Yash Sachdeva on the second doubles team faced an early setback as well, dropping the first set 6-4. Building up momentum in the second set, they leveled the score to 6-6 and entered the tiebreaker round. Even with several aces and long rallies, they fell short in the round. Evan Zhang (10) and Yinan Zhou (11) played the last doubles match, suffering a 0-6 defeat in the first set. In the second set, they managed to earn four points but ultimately lost 4-6.
Menlo holds a reputation as a formidable opponent, beating the Eagles 7-0 during their first faceoff of the season on March 28. Despite this challenge, the Eagles demonstrated grit and resilience on and off the court, where players cheered for their teammates.
“We did a good job given the circumstances,” Evan said. “The other team was really good, but we held up, especially in the second set. We came back and gave them a closer fight, so that’s something to be proud of.”
The team currently holds a season record of 8-2 and will compete in the first round of the Central Coast Section Tournament on May 1.
