![“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)
Net Sports Club hosted badminton games for students on Davis Field on Friday.
Students of all skill levels rotated through matches against opponents of their choosing during lunch with racquets and birdies provided by English department chair Dr. Pauline Paskali. Attendee Aysal Marandian (9) found that the event attempted to help students escape from stressful schoolwork and spend time with friends.
“Badminton is very beginner friendly, and it’s really a nice community,” Aysal said. “Any time they’re here, we just come out, and we play badminton, and we just talk and hang out for a bit.”
Co-president Victoria Ma (12) set up two nets and manned the entire event, providing attendees equipment. She hoped the event could be a low-pressure space that uplifted and relaxed participants, especially during a stretch of heavy academic demands.
“Right now, tests are in full swing,” Victoria said. “I hope that the participants come out of this event rejuvenated and feeling their blood rush in their veins in a very positive way. Because a lot of student life is sedentary, so getting up and moving around is really good for your body.”
Attendee Olivia Zhao (10) appreciated the club’s welcoming atmosphere and the chance to connect with students from other grades she hadn’t met before. After a busy week, she found the event to be a refreshing change of pace.
“I haven’t attended a similar event like this at school, but I do play tennis, and our season just ended,” Olivia said. “So I thought it was really fun, because it was kind of similar to tennis, and one of my tennis friends was also there. So even though our season ended, we were able to play a really similar sport and have a lot of fun during lunch today.”
Victoria revived the club, formerly known as Badminton Club, in her frosh year with her friends after often playing badminton during breaks in Dr. Paskali’s Honors English 1 class. The club was first established by Dr. Paskali’s former advisees who graduated several years ago.
“I wanted to continue that for other people at Harker and bring this equipment out and have everyone indulge in the fun of badminton,” Victoria said. “My favorite part of organizing these events is the people that show up to these events are somewhat consistent, but many times it’s a little bit spontaneous. Seeing who shows up and the group dynamics is really fun for me and just watching and participating in the games. I really enjoy that.”
