![“[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)
Alleged Corruption in the Olympics
Stacy St. Clair
Chicago Tribune reporter Stacy St. Clair voices her concerns about unfiltered water. Other common problems visitors of Sochi face include broken fixtures and lack of internet.
The Olympics are supposed to be a spectacle of athleticism: a show of international cooperation and national pride that lifts up the host city for years to come. This year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, however, have been marred by accusations of unpreparedness and corruption.
According to BusinessWeek, Russia’s government allegedly spent $51 billion to prepare Sochi for host city duties, the most money ever spent for an Olympic Games. The tremendous amount of money was divided for construction, accommodations, and spending directly related to the Olympics. Despite Russia’s efforts, athletes and journalists alike express discontent about their unsatisfactory accommodations via social media.
Chicago Tribune reporter Stacy St. Clair’s tweet regarding poor tap water in her Sochi residence has been retweeted more than 5,000 times. Her tweet is one of thousands criticizing unsatisfactory conditions in Sochi.
CNN Sports Producer Harry Reekie also voiced his concerns about the curtain rod in his hotel room being left in shambles. He also tweeted that CNN booked 11 hotel rooms in a designated Sochi 2014 hotel, only one of which is available.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bfnep-rIEAAlan-.jpg
In addition, a satirical twitter account called @SochiProblems, which has gathered over 240,000 followers, has been created to further mock and criticize the conditions of the host city.
If so much money was indeed spent on the Olympics and accommodations, no discontent amongst athletes and journalists should exist.
Kevin Kai Huang is a senior and People Editor for TALON Yearbook. This is his fourth year on journalism staff. He enjoys reading books, talking to friends,...
Maya Jeyendran (11) is the Lifestyle Editor of Harker Aquila. She been a part of Harker's journalism program since her freshman year, and has previously...
Vineet Kosaraju (12) is the STEM Editor for both Harker Aquila and Winged Post. He is a senior and has been part of the journalism program for the past...
Vasudha Rengarajan is the Editor-in-Chief of Harker Aquila. As former Features editor and Sports editor for Aquila and a reporter for The Winged Post,...