![Setter Emma Lee (9) sets the ball to the middle during the match against Pinewood on Sept. 12. “[I’m looking forward to] getting more skilled, learning more about my position and also becoming better friends with all of my teammates, Emma said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC_4917-2-1200x795.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasnt been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but Ive had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. Theres so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesnt exist, you can build it yourself, Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“Animation just clicked in a way. I had been interested in art, but that felt different. [Animation] felt like it had something behind it, whereas previous things felt surface level. I wasnt making that crazy of things, but just the process of doing it was much more enjoyable, Carter Chadwick (22) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Screen-Shot-2022-08-16-at-9.44.08-AM-900x598.png)
![“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 its played such a major role in who Ive 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 Im [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)
![“[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)
![“Im 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 theres a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyones 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)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you arent going to get those championships if you arent 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)
![“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)
Upper School reflects on affluenza virus
•def•i•ni•tion•
According to dictionary.com, “affluenza” is the guilt or lack of motivation experienced by people who have made or inherited large amounts of money. This term comes from the combination of the words affluence and influenza.
Texas teenager Ethan Couch caused the death of four people while drunk driving last year in June.
He is allegedly a victim of “affluenza,” though the judge did not take that into account when examining this case.
This year in early February, the judge ordered the teen boy to attend a rehabilitation facility, which will be paid for by his parents, for an indefinite amount of time.
Ethan was sentenced to ten years of probation but will not serve any jail time for his actions. Not only is he prohibited from drinking alcohol during this time period, but he is also not allowed to drive.
Many Upper School students have the privilege to drive and will face the consequences if they take the rules lightly.
California banned the defense of “affluenza” in court after Couch’s case.
I think most people at Harker work pretty hard. It is a very privileged school. Parents won’t send their kids to Harker just to have them slack off. I feel like ‘affluenza’ is more like an excuse. It’s not really a problem here at Harker.
— David Zhu (9)
I feel like it is a lack of knowledge. If you ground yourself and realize how blessed you are, then you can be glad that you have all this wealth and great education. You need to be aware that there are other people in other circumstances. You must break down the walls of ignorance.
— Laura Thacker (12)
It should definitely be treated as a problem. Children whose parents are rich believe that they can get away with anything because their parents can pay for their mistakes, which means they do not care about the outcomes of their actions.
— Chirag Aswani (11)
In my view, ‘affluenza’ is just an excuse for not accepting responsibility. I don’t think the circumstances from my experience surrounding the tragic events in Texas are applicable to Harker students, but I do see occasions where Harker students don’t accept responsibility, but it’s not a result of their family’s economic situation.
— history teacher Ray Fowler
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on March 14, 2014
Shannon Su is the Managing Editor and Executive News Director of Harker Aquila. She joined the program as a reporter her freshman year and has held many...
