![“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)
Editorial: Trust in transparency
Open communication needed in conversation regarding dress expectations
Over the past three weeks, discussions of the enforcement of dress code have spilled over to lunch tables, taken over Instagram posts and generated polarizing conversations in class. Students argued that their commitment to embrace diversity, love of learning and obligations to foster kindness and integrity, as stated in Harker’s mission statement, ought to be the metric for respect, not apparel.
In a survey sent out to members of the Harker Journalism news staff, 38 of the 41 respondees indicated that they agreed with the stance of this editorial. One respondee partially agreed.
Over the past three weeks, discussions of the enforcement of dress code have spilled over to lunch tables, taken over Instagram posts and generated polarizing conversations in class.
At the school meeting on Aug. 30, Dean of Students Kevin Williamson delivered an announcement informing students of acceptable attire.
Williamson followed up with emails on Aug. 31 and Sept. 3, asking students to review the guidelines in the Student Handbook and noting that student organizations such as Associated Student Body (ASB), Student Diversity Coalition (SDC) and Honor Council would act as moderators in the process of examining the frustrated sentiments stemming from the strict enforcement of the dress code after Williamson’s initial announcement.
On behalf of the student community, we noticed that the contention wasn’t caused by the existence of the dress code. It was catalyzed by phrasing the administration used, stating that dress defined respect for our environment. Furthermore, the immediate enforcement of the guidelines after Mr. Williamson’s initial email did not provide students with enough time to obtain appropriate clothing.
On the other hand, students’ scathing remarks on social media and in conversations with their peers have not worked toward a resolution. Instead, they only fuel the fire. While dress is the topic of contention, the root of the issue lies in the lack of trust between members of our community, stemming from our time apart. Sudden and strict enforcement of vague guidelines for dress does not contribute to a positive learning environment, but neither do charged conversations. Students and administration must work together to create a set of mutually agreed upon rules.
The town hall on Sept. 8, which saw attendance of 70 to 100 students and 27 speakers, was a step in the right direction, as it provided a platform for students to be heard by the administration and express their opinions without fear of retribution, facilitating civilized conversations between students and administrators to settle the issue. Instead of expressing frustrations in private, build trust by communicating with the administration in the following ways: participate in future town hall discussions, contact your student leaders or send your opinions to Harker Aquila so that we can include your voice in our coverage.
Follow up conversation with transparency. Members of ASB, Honor Council, SDC, Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), and FEM club will represent student interests in an effort to continue conversations with the administration regarding dress code. Updates from these meetings should be distributed to the upper school community.
Even after resolving the contention around the dress code, anticipate that future events will cause the same erosion of trust between students and administration. By rebuilding trust, we also create a blueprint for the future.
For more about the history of Harker’s dress code, read Muthu’s commentary and context about this topic on “Twill pants to tank tops: The decade-long evolution of the dress code” on Aquila
Michelle Liu (12) is the co-editor-in-chief of The Winged Post. She joined the journalism program in her sophomore year as a reporter and became the Winged...