![“[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)
Humans of Harker: Emmie Malyugina finds a passion for debate
![“I like that [debate] allows for lot of creativity. The topics are pretty broad and you can focus on one thing and talk about that. There [are] many different styles that are acceptable [and] there [are] different types of arguments, so you can choose whatever you want to do or whatever you are good at. I like the debate community in general; I have made lot of friends from all over the U.S. That is also very cool,” Emmie Malyugina (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Screen-Shot-2017-02-04-at-3.46.49-PM-e1486252062410.png)
“I like that [debate] allows for lot of creativity. The topics are pretty broad and you can focus on one thing and talk about that. There [are] many different styles that are acceptable [and] there [are] different types of arguments, so you can choose whatever you want to do or whatever you are good at. I like the debate community in general; I have made lot of friends from all over the U.S. That is also very cool,” Emmie Malyugina (12) said.
February 4, 2017
Through Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate, Emmie Malyugina (12) deliberates over moral dilemmas in topics from economics to social justice.
“I did not get into [debate] until this year because I used to dance outside of school, so I competed [in debate] just on weekends,” Emmie said. “But this year, I have started competing a lot. I have become a lot better very quickly and now I am winning, which is fun.”
Emmie has been debating since her freshman year and used to do Policy debate before she switched to LD.
“LD rounds are shorter and less tiring,” Emmie said. “I have done a lot better in LD than I did in Policy, personally, because I got really invested once I switched… LD is less of a hassle.”
Emmie competed in the Glenbrooks Speech and Debate Tournament from Nov. 19 to Nov. 23. Later in the school year, she will compete in national tournaments, including the Tournament of Champions (TOC) and the National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA), both of which happen near the end of the year.
The Harker speech and debate program has its own traditions, which the team observes each year.
“We celebrate at Dave and Busters at the end of the year,” Emmie said. “We also have a bunch of stuffed animals that we have all named. There are three little Harker Eagles. They are all over the classrooms. At tournaments, we go to Mongolian BBQ places a lot.”
Over the summer, Emmie went to Victory Briefs Institute (VBI), a debate camp hosted at UCLA. She also went to Dartmouth Debate Institute (DDI) at Dartmouth College.
“You had to apply to get in,” Emmie said. “For Harker’s debate class, you don’t have to apply. It was also more intense, like 12 hours a day. At Harker, for varsity debate class, you don’t have to do anything. But [at the camps], you have to do lot of drills [and] research. Also, you get to work with a lot of different staff members, who have a lot of different ideas on how you should debate.”
Emmie enjoys learning debate at both Harker and outside of school at debate camps.
“I think there are benefits to both,” she said. “I like the people I met at the camp. I do not think if I only debated for Harker, I would miss out on what other coaches have to say. I also like Harker debate because I have been part of the team for four years. I have friends here too. It is nice to get to know one teacher and one team for four years.”
