![“[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)
Kathy Hochul replaces former NY governor Andrew Cuomo, who resigned amid 11 sexual harassment allegations
Former Lt. Gov. Hochul sworn in as New York’s first female governor
Courtesy of governor.ny.gov
Former Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was sworn in today as the 57th governor of New York and the state’s first female governor.
August 24, 2021
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Aug. 10, that he would resign as governor due to sexual harassment allegations made against him by 11 women. Former Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was sworn in today as the 57th governor of New York and the state’s first female governor.
The official investigation, which was led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and released on Aug. 3, concluded that Cuomo engaged in sexual misconduct with 11 women and that his administration encouraged a “toxic” workplace culture in which sexual harassment was normalized.
Cuomo’s resignation became effective today. The Assembly Judiciary Committee will continue the impeachment investigation and release a final report despite Cuomo’s resignation, backtracking on a decision to abandon the investigation after receiving bipartisan backlash from legislators calling for the Assembly to release their findings.
Cuomo’s personal lawyer Rita Glavin, who has been publicly defending the governor since the release of the attorney general’s investigation on Aug. 3, said in a briefing last Friday that the investigation included multiple errors and excluded exculpatory evidence to paint a “false narrative.”
According to the Assembly Judiciary Committee, other investigations on whether Cuomo’s reporting of nursing home data during the pandemic was misleading and whether Cuomo used state resources to secure his book deal will continue as well. At least five different counties are investigating Cuomo’s alleged sexual misconduct, and he could face criminal charges.
“Those 11 women that came forward, they’re definitely very brave to tell the story,” Karen Haley, upper school history teacher, said. “There’s a lot of courage there, so I definitely want to acknowledge that because a lot of women experience that and they experience that in silence. In line with that, impeachment means that there is accountability. There are consequences.”
The same investigation released Aug. 3 into the sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo led to calls from political allies, including President Joe Biden, for the governor to resign.
“It was unfortunate [that the decision had] a lot to do with political agency and the votes within the New York assembly, but I think it is still a very powerful victory for the accusers and also for holding people in power [accountable],” Rahul Santhanam (11), secretary of FEM Club, said.
The sexual harassment allegations and allegations of a toxic workplace environment began in December of 2020 and continued until April of 2021, with support for Cuomo’s resignation increasing as more women came forward. Although Cuomo apologized for “offending” the 11 women in his resignation speech, he denied the sexual harassment allegations, stating: “In my mind, I have never crossed the line with anyone, but I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn.”
“When I heard [Cuomo’s resignation speech], honestly, I thought that was disturbing, because no lines have been redrawn,” Haley said. “Sexual assault, sexual harassment, that was wrong in the past, [and it is] still wrong. So I do think he was trying to shape the narrative to fit his situation.”
Hochul will serve for the remainder of Cuomo’s third term and will run for a full term next year, according to Associated Press. As Hochul prepares to become governor during a time of crisis, she promised to diverge from the previous administration’s “toxic” workplace reputation, continue the battle against COVID-19 and strengthen New York’s eviction moratorium, among other issues.
Lindsey Boylan was the first woman who came forward, and she spoke to Harker’s FEM Club last year on a panel of women who were involved in politics.
“I remember from the meeting that she was always very supportive of females going into the political field, and she seemed very supportive of the other panel members as well,” Carol Wininger (11), Vice President of FEM Club, said. “I’m really proud that she decided to be the first person to speak out, since I’m sure that’s the hardest to do.”
This article’s featured photo was revised on Aug. 25, 2021 to maintain consistency with the headline.
