![“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)
During long lunch yesterday, voting for Homecoming Queen and King took place in front of the Edge.
The nominees for Queen are Akarsha Gulukota (12), Siobhan Cox (12), and Amy Gendotti (12), and the nominees for King are Raghav Sehtia (12), Maverick McNealy (12), and Michael Chen (12). Those who are not crowned King and Queen this year will represent the senior class as princes and princesses.
Each pair in the Homecoming Court will circle Davis Field in golf carts driven by faculty members and enjoy a dinner together at Left Bank in Santana Row. In addition, they will have their photos featured in the Homecoming Program.
The voting for Homecoming Queen and King not only served to elect two senior representatives, but also stirred excitement for Homecoming Week for many students.
Senior Preeya Mehta believes that voting for Homecoming Court united the school.
“It’s a good way to bring together the entire school to pick two people they feel that can represent us and our community,” she said. “All of the people are really friendly and well-liked […] All of them would be able to be a very good king or queen.”
On the other hand, Leon Chin (10) disagreed with Preeya’s statements. According to Leon, Homecoming Court represents a status contest, with only a select few being repeatedly nominated and voted for.
“It’s a great way to promote popularity,” he said.
Nevertheless, mirroring the sentiments of many other nominees, Siobhan was excited to receive the nomination last week. She was nominated for junior princess last year but declined.
“When I was younger, […] I was one of the cheerleaders in third grade, and I saw the people going around on cars and stuff, and I was like ‘Woah, they’re so old,’ but now I’m a senior and it’s weird for me,” she said. “I find it to be somewhat of an honor that [the seniors] think that I’d be someone that they want to represent them on the court […] Everyone on the court is so great.”
Results of the voting will be revealed during halftime of the Homecoming Game on November 2, when the football team will play their last game of the season against Lynbrook High School.
