![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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)
As the academic quarter winds down, the main events that took place this week featured athletics.
“This week we’re highlighting a lot of different teams. I think that the idea of so many of our students being involved in the extracurricular activity of sports is such an awesome thing […] I’m excited about the dedication and spirit that it takes to be on a team,” Butch Keller said.
The Varsity football team currently has a season record of 3-4. They defeated Los Altos High School at their most recent game on Saturday, October 13 with a score of 14-12. Led by senior captains Spenser Quash, Drew Goldstein, JP Doherty, and Michael Chen, and Ryan Mui, the team will take on Monta Vista High School on October 19 at a home game.
The Varsity girls’ water polo team took part in the Western States Tournament on October 12 and 13. In league games, they hold a record of 7-2. The boys’ Varsity team lost their most recent match against Santa Clara High School on October 11 with a close score of 11-12, and they will play Wilcox High School on October 16.
On Thursday, October 11, the Varsity cross country team attended the Crystal Springs Invitational. Corey Gonzales (10) placed fifth on the course with a time of 16:13. Meanwhile, Ragini Bhattacharya (12) came in 10th with Claudia Tischler (11) in 12th among the girls. The team will participate in the second league meet of the season on October 18 at Westmoor High School.
Although the Varsity girls’ golf team lost to Sacred Heart Preparatory School on Tuesday with a close score of 247-241, they defeated their three previous opponents this year. Led by seniors Jessica Son and Patricia Huang, the team will play Castilleja School on October 15.
The Varsity girls’ volleyball team currently has a season record of 9-3. The group took part in the 2012 Panther Challenge at Presentation High School on October 13. Their next game will be against Pinewood School on October 16.
Led by captains Sahithya Prakash (11) and Jenny Chen (12), the Varsity girls’ tennis team has a season record of 8-1. Their most recent match against Crystal Springs Uplands School resulted in a score of 4-2, and their next match will be against Sacred Heart Preparatory School at home on October 16.
More events to look forward to next week include the freshman service trip and the annual school picnic.
![“Probably the most important thing that I can do is to help raise awareness amongst youth because [students] are the ones that sadly are going to inherit this mess. It’s important for us, the people who helped take the planet to the place it is now, to really lean in and make a difference about this issue," Moss said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DSC_9315-e1778880890147-1200x873.jpg)
