![“[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)
Sophomores to vote for Honor Council representatives
On April 26, the sophomores will vote for their Honor Council student representatives for the next two years.
The Honor Council, composed of students and faculty who promote moral and academic integrity, will be organizing the election process for the Class of 2014. Three new upperclassmen members for the Council will be chosen, either including or replacing current members Maneesha Panja (10) and Divyahans Gupta (10). The topic for the speeches each year is decided on by the Council, who assign a prompt to which candidates must write an essay response.
“These three positions are pretty important because these three students will follow [the] class into [their] senior year. They will be responsible […] for helping educate [the students] about the honor code and also hearing any cases that might come up,” Honor Council faculty chair Dr. Pauline Paskali said.
The sophomore elections are a distinctively important part of the Honor Council’s agenda each year.
“I noticed in my sophomore elections that people took the process a little more seriously; they put a lot more thought into their speeches, and the people who did run were more enthusiastic,” junior representative Emily Wang (11) said.
Learning about what the Honor Council does and how it relates to daily life is one of the reasons current members enjoy participating in it.
“It’s taught me a lot about honor, the honor code at the school, all the different rules, and how to uphold yourself at Harker,” freshman representative Nathan Dalal (9) said.
The sophomore Honor Council elections are critical because of the three long-term positions, which are coveted for different reasons. As well as doubling as an educational experience, candidates from the Class of 2014 also believe that joining the Honor Council results in character growth.
“Honor Council teaches me to be both a representative for my peers and a decision-maker. Being both mindful and fair to events in my peers’ student lives is my number one priority,” Maneesha said, who is running again in the upcoming election.
After the candidates deliver their speeches, a ranked voting next Thursday, April 26, will determine who the three representatives are.
Juhi Gupta is the Multimedia Editor for Harker Aquila. She is a junior and has been part of the journalism program since her freshman year. Her position...
Mariam Sulakian is the Features Editor of Harker Aquila. She has been a member of the journalism program for four years and appreciates the opportunities...