![“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)
Three years ago, eighth grade me opened my laptop, eagerly snuggled under the covers in my bed past midnight to watch my latest obsession: BOYS PLANET. In this K-pop survival show, contestants suffered through the harsh feedback from their mentors and their own internal disputes while training for each round. Every week, I stayed up as a new episode aired, growing attached to the trainees as they fought through elimination rounds and formed friendships with the singular hope to debut in the next big K-pop group, ZEROBASEONE.
I was excited to follow the nine survivors in ZEROBASEONE as they moved away from their dismal conditions as trainees into a more bright future, even if their contract was only for two and a half years. Their musical journey was unique from the rest of the K-pop scene at the time, since they chose to avoid the popularized noise music among boy groups. Ever since their debut song “In Bloom,” ZEROBASEONE established themselves as a group with an innocent and refreshing concept, and their sweet vocals have always made me feel warm inside.
I always knew the temporary group would not last forever, but that did not make their good-bye any easier. ZEROBASEONE’s latest and final album, RE-FLOW, gives me the same feeling as their previous songs but with an additional hint of nostalgia and sorrow. RE-FLOW, featuring only three tracks, was released song by song. The schedule for the promotion of the album finished on Feb. 2nd and highlighted key dates from the group’s history, including a graduation photo shoot to honor 1000 days after the end of BOYS PLANET.
“Running to Future” came first, released on Jan. 9th to honor the group as nine members. This hit me straight in the heart — the start of the song transported me right into the theme song of a coming-of-age movie. While the lyrics highlight this closing chapter of their journey as nine members, this song promises a bright and hopeful future where ultimately, this is not the end of their stories.
If I was not devastated over their honey-sweet vocals singing about separation and longing during the chorus, the culmination of all the feelings came before the second prechorus, where the members belt that “it’s not the end.” My favorite part of the song is the final line, roughly translated to “when your eyes open, I’ll be there with you,” which is a full circle moment, reflecting lyrics from the first lines of their debut song “In Bloom.” “Running to Future” perfectly captures the idea of fleeting happiness and the importance of moving forward.
“ROSES” was a tribute to their fanbase known as ZEROSEs. This song was bubbly and upbeat, with the members proclaiming their everlasting love for their fans since the first moment on stage. The chanting of “roses” at the beginning of the song, backed by the percussion, brought a magical vibe to the song, like I was being teleported to a new world of color and joy.
While I appreciate the message, “ROSES” was the only song from the album that slightly disappointed me. My excitement deteriorated after the energetic chorus, when the random rap verse interrupted the flow of the song and felt off-putting. Moreover, the continued chanting of “gimme love, love, you’re my roses” was sweet at first but gradually grew tiring to listen to. I appreciated the light-hearted attitude in this song that served as a nice break from the other more soulful and heavy songs, but “ROSES” fell flat for me, feeling more superficial than sentimental.
While “Running to Future” was a bittersweet dedication to the group as a family and “ROSES” honored their fans, “LOVEPOCALYPSE” was my favorite, highlighting a connection between the group and the fans and concluding the album beautifully. The song was reminiscent of the final ending credit music to a long show or movie, expressing devastation and finality. Through the song, ZEROBASEONE can push through the ruin of disbandment by giving their love and devotion. While I see this concept as a bit dramatic, I appreciate how it reflects my own sadness towards their disbandment.
While “Running to Future” was a bittersweet dedication to the group as a family and “ROSES” honored their fans, “LOVEPOCALYPSE” was my favorite, highlighting a connection between the group and the fans and concluding the album beautifully. The song was reminiscent of the final ending credit music to a long show or movie, expressing devastation and finality. Through the song, ZEROBASEONE can push through the ruin of disbandment by giving their love and devotion. While I see this concept as a bit dramatic, I appreciate how it reflects my own sadness towards their disbandment.
Even though this is their last song, the group still explores their sound. “LOVEPOCALYPSE” differed from other songs in their discography and focused on a bassy, heavier beat and raw storytelling in their lyrics. The futuristic instrumentals blended well with their sultry voices, eventually fading out at the end of the song, like a new chapter waiting to be continued.
What detracted from my experience was the fact that none of them had formal music videos. Instead of taking the effort to film scenes with the members or hire an actual artist to illustrate, the group’s company WAKEONE gave fans AI-generated animated videos and compilations of pictures from their recent Hong Kong tour, making their earnest lyrics feel less hard-hitting.
In the K-pop industry, many companies receive complaints on mismanagement and favoritism, but in addition to these criticisms, WAKEONE has also continually failed their groups through a lack of promotion during comebacks. Now, ZEROBASEONE is not even given a proper music video or full-length album to say good-bye to their fans.
Looking back at the past three years, I can overlook how robbed I felt at the minimal effort the company put into ZEROBASEONE’s final music, since this album reminds me to cherish the memories and know that songs will never go away. I’ll always reminisce on their journey: each member walking into the spotlight alone with zero certainties, before finding one another and blossoming into ZEROBASEONE.
Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite song: LOVEPOCALYPSE
