![“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)
Performing arts groups shine at the Santana Row Tree Lighting Ceremony
Members of Downbeat, including seniors Cecilia Lang-Ree and Rohan Chandra, sing along to “Twelve Days of Christmas.” They performed at the Santana Row Tree Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday, November 13.
The arrival of the season to be merry and jolly was marked by the student performers of JV dance, Varsity dance, and Downbeat rocking and rolling at Santana Row’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony yesterday.
Singing and dancing to classic Christmas carols, several Upper School groups have participated in the tree lighting ceremony for approximately the past seven years, according to Performing Arts Department Chair Laura Lang-Ree.
“Its an awesome experience for children to perform with the great lights and thousands of people watching,” she said.
Some students felt apprehensive about dancing in front of a large audience.
“It was really nerve-wracking because we’re not used to performing to such a big audience, but it was really fun to perform in a non-Harker environment,” JV dance member Kristen Park (9) said.
For senior dancers, this performance was the last chance to participate in the Tree Lighting Ceremony.
“It was my first time performing at the tree lighting ceremony, and I think I was a little bit sad because I would not have the opportunity to perform at this show again,” Varsity dance member Michaela Kastelman (12) said.
Similarly, Tiphaine Delepine (12) felt that performing in the preshow of the Tree Lighting Ceremony added spirit to the start of the holiday season.
“It was a great way to kick off the holiday season because we were very energetic with the large audience,” Tiphaine said.
While many performers had fun on stage, several audience members also thoroughly enjoyed the performance.
“I had never seen any of the shows before because I used to perform in them, but as a viewer, it is much more fun to watch the people you know enjoy on stage,” Michael Zhao (9) said.
Various performing arts groups will gather again to perform at the annual Holiday Show held in the gym during the beginning of December.
Ayushi Gautam (12) is the Managing Editor of Harker Aquila. She has been a part of the journalism program since her freshman year. She was the Social Media...