![“[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)
Racist incidents reported in Oklahoma, Ferguson
University of Oklahoma students rally outside the closed Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house during a rally in Norman, Okla. The two fraternity members accused of leading the singing of a racist chant were expelled from the university.
The University of Oklahoma expelled two students Tuesday morning for apparently leading a racist chant on a bus full of fraternity men two days after a video of the act surfaced.
The nine-second clip showed men from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity wearing tuxedos on a bus, pumping their fists and chanting to a pounded beat.
The University of Oklahoma SAE chapter was closed Sunday and university president David Boren promised that the school’s attachment with the fraternity was over.
Hundreds of students have protested the fraternity’s actions, arriving on campus Monday morning with tape over their mouths, while the university football team and Coach Bob Stoops walked through campus arm in arm instead of practicing.
One of the two students expelled, Parker Rice, issued an apology acknowledging that though “the song was taught to us [SAE], […] that doesn’t work as an explanation.”
The University of Oklahoma incident is one of many recent occurrences that coincide approximately with the 50th anniversary of Selma’s infamous Bloody Sunday.
A U.S. Department of Justice report mentioned that nearly every branch of Ferguson, Missouri government had specifically targeted African-American residents for tickets and fines.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on March 13, 2015.
Elisabeth Siegel (12) is the editor-in-chief of the Winged Post. This is her fourth year in Journalism, and she especially loves production nights and...
Kavya Ramakrishnan (12) is the managing editor of the Winged Post. This is her fourth year on staff, having previously held the positions of reporter and...