![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.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)
CBS’s “Intelligence” ratings plummet after pilot- 3/5 stars
CBS
CBS’s new sci-fi drama, “Intelligence” confuses audiences with an ambiguous premise and average acting, but makes up for its flaws with its fast-paced storylines and well-known star cast, making it the most-watched new series on television.
The show stars Josh Holloway as Gabriel Vaughn, a highly skilled intelligence operative with a super computer microchip implanted in his brain. In this procedural drama, U.S. Cyber Command utilizes Gabriel’s direct connection to the globalized information grid to help prevent terrorist attacks against the United States. As a result of the power and potential of Gabriel’s capabilities, he is issued an ex-secret service agent to protect him named Riley, played by co-star Meghan Ohry.
Within the first two minutes of the first episode, glitches in the storyline were clear. For one, in addition to his access to the Internet and all international databases, Gabriel also has the ability to “cyber-render,” which somehow allows him to visit and walk around crime scenes in his mind. The only explanation given for this is, “think of it like a dream,” which is not very helpful.
Holloway portrays his character realistically, while Meghan Ohry often looks uncomfortable and expressionless on screen. Holloway’s character proves to be more dynamic by his ability to convey extreme emotion along with his humor in the show’s lighter scenes.
Despite the flaws in the plot, the show received respectable ratings for its series premiere on Jan. 7. The prominent star cast drew large audiences for the pilot episode. Leading actor Josh Holloway is best known for his role as “Sawyer” on the long running hit TV show, Lost. Marg Helgenberger, who plays the Director of the U.S. Cyber Command, is also known for her popular role in “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” and Meghan Ohry previously starred on “Once Upon A Time.”
Turn on CBS, and commercials brag: “Intelligence, the number one watched new series on television” with 16.6 million viewers for the first episode. The network conveniently fails to mention the drastic drop in viewership and ratings between the first and second episode, falling to 6.1 million viewers at the show’s new time slot. The show’s new air time, Mondays and 10 p.m, coincides with the popular shows, “Castle” and the “The Blacklist.”
The fourth episode of the season, titled, “Secrets of the Secret Service,” airs on Monday Jan. 27 at 10 p.m.
Megy Appalaraju (12) is the Sports Editor of Harker Aquila. This is her second year in the Harker journalism program. Her favorite part about journalism...