![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.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)
“To Kill a Mockingbird” sequel announcement generates mixed reactions
Wikimedia Commons
Harper Lee is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2007. Lee was honored for the positive influence of her book, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, on the country.
Fifty-five years after she published “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee announced to a mixed response that she will be releasing a second book, “Go Set a Watchman.” “Go Set a Watchman,” which was originally written in the 1950s, will feature an adult version of Scout Finch, the protagonist of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is widely regarded as a classic and is featured in many school curriculums, including Harker’s. Despite its’ selling 40 million copies and incarnation as an Oscar-winning movie, Harper Lee has remained reclusive since its publication, refusing to be interviewed after 1964 and never writing another book. Lee wrote “Go Set a Watchman” before “To Kill a Mockingbird,” but never published the first book after the second’s success.
The response to the announcement has been mixed, garnering attention from literary aficionados and celebrities alike.
Mia Farrow, actress, expressed her concern in a tweet, saying that Harper Lee was being taken advantage of by her publisher.
Alice Lee, Lee’s sister and former lawyer, passed away three months before “Go Set a Watchman” was announced. Since Lee’s sister was one of the most zealous defenders of the author’s privacy requests before her passing, some have speculated that Lee is being taken advantage of by her publishing company after her sister’s death.
Others raised concern that Lee was not well enough to approve the novel’s publishing, given that she has been living in an assisted living center since her 2007 stroke.
Even so, the response to the announcement has been largely positive, especially after an announcement Thursday from Lee’s lawyer that she is “happy as hell” about the book announcement.
As an Upper School American Literature teacher, Brigid Miller, has been following the release.
“I am intrigued by the prospect of a new novel,” she wrote in an email interview. “I guess if nothing else, this news makes me think again about the power of “To Kill a Mockingbird”; I find myself reminiscing about my introduction to it and my affinity for Scout.”
Molly Wancewicz (10) expresses her excitement over the upcoming release of “Go Set a Watchman”.
John Docherty, who also teaches American Literature at the Upper School stated that he is “definitely curious to see how Lee will pull it off.”
No matter the reactions to its announcement, “Go Set a Watchman” already dominates the Amazon book charts through pre-orders alone, despite being scheduled for a July 14 release.
Meilan Steimle (12) is co-Editor-in-Chief of the Winged Post. She was a reporter her freshman year, Winged Post Opinion Editor her sophomore year and Winged...