![“[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)
Elections for the incoming freshman representatives of the Honor Council were held today in the journalism room during both lunches.
Three days prior to the elections, the candidates delivered two-minute long speeches during class meeting, expressing their perspectives on honor.
The contenders for the two available positions are Sharanya Balaji, Elizabeth Edwards, Grace Guan, Izzy Gross, Vineet Kosaraju, Adele Li, Sahana Narayanan, Nikita Ramoji, and Kaushik Sankar.
“[I would vote for] anyone who doesn’t cheat […] and who has good leadership skills,” Jonathan Trinh (9) said.
Jonathan further believes that it is essential for the representatives to be honorable in order to set an example for the freshman class.
Some of the candidates described what the Honor Council means to them and what new ideas they would bring to the council.
“The purpose of an Honor Council is to dictate and try to prevent future [incidents] from happening,” Adele said.
For Sahana, it is crucial to not only help reduce cheating, but also to educate students to be more ethical.
“As a candidate, […] what I’ll be doing is trying to prevent people from cheating, but also making them realize that you can learn how to better yourself,” Sahana said.
Freshman Layla Walker echoed this sentiment, explaining her desire for a leader who “should not only enforce the rules but create new [moral standards].” Layla voted for the candidate she felt is easy to talk to and the most honorable.
As they voted for representatives, some students reflected on the meaning of honor. Freshman Abhinav Ketineni thinks that the act of being honorable should not be imposed by teachers or administrators.
“[Honor is] something that as a student or as an individual you have to take into consideration. I think that honor is something personal that you have to weigh for yourself,” he said.
The freshman Honor Council representatives will be announced early next week.
