![“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)
Capitol Hill: What You Missed (Volume 18, Issue 4)
January 24, 2017
President Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States in Washington, D.C., on Friday, after winning the 2016 presidential election.
The inauguration ceremony began at 9 a.m. PST, with musical performances prior to the start of the event. Chief Justice John Roberts swore Trump in at 9 a.m. in front of the United States Capitol, followed by a traditional inauguration parade.
Before Trump was sworn into office, Justice Clarence Thomas administered Vice President Mike Pence’s oath of office.
According to BBC News, over 50 members of Congress boycotted the inauguration. The boycott movement started when congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis called Trump illegitimate due to his alleged relationship with Russia. Since then, numerous political figures have publicly stated that they side with Lewis.
“I think [boycotting the presidential inauguration] is problematic so far in that it does send a message that not everyone supports the election or the peaceful transition of power,” AP U.S. Government and Politics teacher Carol Green said. “It is really a hallmark of American democracy.”
Many celebrities and performers also boycotted the inauguration. Actresses Amy Schumer, Zendaya and Chelsea Handler all were expected to not attend the event and protest somewhere else in Washington.
In response to the change in administrations, several groups also organized a “Women’s March on Washington” with the mission of advocating for minority races, genders, religions and sexualities on Saturday. There were also nearly 400 “sister marches” in cities across the country with the same mission.
Many female celebrities are attending Women’s March on Washington. Some of them include Danai Gurira, who plays Michonne on “The Walking Dead”, Uzo Aduba, who plays Crazy Eyes on “Orange is the New Black”, and actress Chloe Grace Moretz.
Despite criticism towards Trump’s plans as president, some feel that Trump will keep his campaign promises.
“I would expect that [Trump is] going to work on the things that he said were important and that got people to vote for him,” said Robert Varich, vice-chair of the central committee of the Santa Clara County Republican Party. “That was a huge turnout for this election, and it was very close.”
The ceremony featured musical performances by 3 Doors Down, Toby Keith, Lee Greenwood, Jackie Evancho, Big & Rich, the Rockettes, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and The Piano Guys.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on January 24, 2017.
