![“[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)
Editorial: Healing, recovery and moving forward with time
September 3, 2018
In the wake of the arrest of a longtime Harker teacher for misconduct involving a student, the Harker community is experiencing a complex jumble of emotions — denial, grief, frustration, shock, betrayal.
You may be feeling the jolt of that initial shock, or a blanketing sadness that dulls your excitement to be back at school. You might feel anger or confusion, or feel isolated and unable to express your feelings.
Or you may feel distanced from these reactions, viewing them as troubling, or interfering with the responsibilities of daily life and the bustle of the back-to-school season.
But all of these feelings are okay. It’s okay to feel like crying, to feel like you’ve lost someone or to feel like you’ve been blindsided. It’s okay to feel confused or disappointed or hurt.
It’s also okay to not feel these strong emotions because you don’t know as much about this incident or aren’t as connected to what’s going on.
They are natural reactions to trauma. To provide support for each other, we need to acknowledge that the range of emotions we’re all feeling is just that: a range.
It’s also a natural reaction to want to know more, and to latch onto any information you can get. But what we know for sure is only in the official words provided by police statements—anything else is rumor or speculation, from which we gain little, but lose a lot more.
Hushed speculation is not the right way to proceed. Probing into the details of who, what, when and where does not respect the privacy of those who have been affected or hurt by the news.
With the entire school community reeling, students, teachers and administrators alike, it is important to keep the people in our community who are impacted by this incident in mind when talking to others. Not only has one of our peers has been deeply affected, but their family and friends are still recovering as well.
Spreading rumors on social media and speculation among peers is insensitive to people in pain and isolating to those who have difficult experiences to share. Discussing and speculating prolongs an event that hurt many and misdirects the spotlight: Now is a time when we as a community must look to recover.
For all of us, whether we knew this teacher or not, the healthiest way to move towards recovery is to recognize our own feelings while understanding that these sentiments may not be mirrored in those around us.
And just as it’s okay to feel, it’s okay to take time to heal. Take a moment to step back from your life and responsibilities and obligations and give yourself some breathing room. Don’t be afraid to reach out to trusted friends, family and adults on campus, from administrators to counselors to advisers, for help. In return, be receptive towards those who look towards you for support.
Remember that when you need someone to pull you up, our community stands by your side.
This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on Aug. 31, 2018.
