![“[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)
Dialectic: AP Tests
Though the College Board devised the AP in the hopes of providing college-level curricula to high schoolers, many teachers and students are skeptical that they achieve this end. How does the AP hold up under scrutiny?
March 8, 2018
Winged Post: At Harker, many students choose to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Are AP classes really college-level courses?
Karina: Yes, they should be considered college-level courses. For instance, credits students have achieved from taking College Board AP examinations can be used to fulfill graduation requirements in University of California schools. Other universities in the nation have similar policies regarding AP credits as well.
Nicole: That’s a fair point; however, there’s been significant debate over whether these courses carry the amount of content and depth that university level classes do. According to an Atlantic article written by a previous high school teacher and college professor, “the high-school AP course didn’t begin to hold a candle to any of [his] college courses. [His] colleagues said the same was true in their subjects.”
Winged Post: How realistically can the the AP test itself measure a student’s understanding of the course materials?
Karina: AP courses are meant to accelerate and advance students’ knowledge in a particular subject. Because of this, AP exams have to cover a broad range of topics to make sure students are well-rounded in the particular field.
Nicole: That makes sense, but if we look at the AP history exams, for example, students are expected to complete a five-paragraph essay in 40 minutes, which is just unreasonable. In addition, suppose a student was having a particularly bad day on the test day or the completely-random essay topic was one they weren’t especially familiar with, their scores might not reflect their knowledge.
Winged Post: But, without AP classes, can universities accurately evaluate a particular student’s merit?
Karina: According to College Board, 85 percent of colleges and universities reported that they look at a student’s AP courses when making admission decisions. Without APs, there are many factors that play into the school-central GPA that universities look at. Grade inflation and the different ways teachers evaluate students can influence a student’s grade significantly. With APs, however, tests are standardized and teachers are not able to impact students’ outcomes.
Nicole: While APs is a common form of high school standardized testing, I think the college admissions process can remain fair without it. SAT and ACT tests are a way to evaluate a student’s caliber in a specific subject without the AP’s fake sense of college readiness.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on March 6, 2018.
