![“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)
Freshman vs. senior year: The meme debunked
Graphic by Prameela Kottapalli. Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
A meme created by Prameela Kotapalli (10). The tagging and creation of memes has spread to many Harker students through social media sites.
September 4, 2016
Freshman year to senior year. It may be only three years, but those 36 months bring about a world of changes, milestones and challenges, from sweet sixteens to SAT’s.
One of the primary differences between these two landmarks in one’s high school career is the personal transformation, the metamorphosis from an optimistic freshman caterpillar to a blossoming senior butterfly.
With the start of the new school year, the internet is swarming with the annual surge of school-related memes. Near the top of the list is the “freshman year versus senior year” text-post, which represents seniors as significantly more stylish and mature than their freshman counterparts.
The most popular type of this meme relates to outward appearances. These versions usually use figures from pop culture, such as celebrities and cartoons, to convey a message that an unbridgeable gap lies between ninth and 12th graders in terms of their clothing and style.
To explore the roots of this pop-culture trend, I conducted a social experiment in which I interviewed members from both the class of 2017 and the class of 2020 about what they wear everyday. All along, the question in my head was clear: are the clothing choices of freshmen and seniors truly based upon that three-year gap?
“I’m wearing red joggers and a blue Los Angeles shirt. I’m wearing grey Nike shoes. Like most guys in my grade, I usually wear joggers or jeans, and most of the time I’ll wear a T-shirt and a jacket. I’d rather be comfortable than look good. I just take what I find and I wear it, that’s my life, my style.”
Ronit Gagneja (9)
“I’m wearing a T-shirt that’s casual with a lot of color. I’m someone who loves color. I have three different floral shirts at home and I love coming to school in floral shirts. I always wear jeans, they’re the most comfortable things. All guys wear jeans‒ if I could use an analogy, leggings are to women as jeans are to guys. My style… I wear the same shoes everyday, and I have the jeans and I have color- that’s what my style is.”
Chris Hailey (12)
“I’m wearing a dark green lace top from Forever 21 and jeans from Garage. I got these shoes on sale from J.C. Penney. I like florals and lace a lot, and a lot of my clothes are light and pastel-y or really dark colors‒ I’m on the two extremes of the spectrum. I’ve been trying to be more experimental and not follow what everyone else is wearing. It may sound cliche, but to me, it’s better to stand out.”
Mahika Halepete (9)
“I’m wearing a Northwestern [University] sweatshirt with jeans and an Israel T-shirt underneath. Also I’m wearing fake Birkenstock shoes. My style is casual and comfortable, and it hasn’t changed since freshman year. I don’t like copying people. I have my own style, and I do what I want.”
Shreya Neogi (12)
The conclusion is evident: the text-post may be amusing, but like most internet trends, it’s no more than a meme. High school is full of seniors who dress to impress and seniors who prefer a T-shirt and jeans, as well as freshmen who wish to stand out with flair and freshmen who prize comfort in what they wear.
A lot can change in three years. Sure, some of this change can be expressed in looks: a shift in fashion sense, the swapping of glasses for contact lenses, a new haircut. But maybe the real glo-up isn’t based upon how people’s clothes or appearances change, but because of how they grow up as a human being. After all, at the end of the day, clothes are just one of the many means by which we express ourselves.
