![“[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)
Students elect Associated Student Body (ASB) members for 2022-23 school year
Tej Aswani (9) and Rohit Yalla (9) vote for ASB members on March 28. Voting took place in the journalism room during long lunch, and results were announced on Monday evening.
March 30, 2022
Associated Student Body (ASB) President Dawson Chen (12) announced the 2022 to 2023 ASB members on Monday through a Schoology post: juniors Zubin Khera for spirit coordinator, Abhi Namala for treasurer, Michelle Jin for secretary, Gordon Chen for vice president and Kris Estrada for president.
Voting took place in the Journalism room during lunch on Monday. By checking students in and handing out voting stickers, the Honor Council facilitated the election, which had a 68% voter turnout, according to Dawson’s Schoology post.
Speeches for elections also took place on Monday in the Athletic Center; prior to the speeches, the current ASB members gave advice to the freshmen, sophomores and juniors about what to look for in a good candidate. Meanwhile, the seniors attended a meeting in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center (RPAC) about the class trip to Laguna Beach and graduation.
Treasurer Aaditya Gulati (12) emphasized responsibility and efficiency; Spirit Coordinator William Chien (12) discussed his love for his fellow students, school and spirit; Secretary Spencer Cha (12) highlighted the importance of accountability and reliability; Vice President Ayan Nath (12) explained a vice president’s willingness to learn and Dawson focused on the roles of a president: a good manager and a selfless innovator.
Abhi kicked off the speeches for treasurer, followed by Kabir Ramzan (10) and Jacob Huang (11). Kabir’s and Jacob’s speeches discussed hosting more schoolwide events and fundraisers, and Abhi explained his perspective as a member of the community who has not been on Student Council before.
Next, the candidates for spirit coordinator gave their speeches: first Zubin, then Sara Wan (11), BB Ajlouny (11) and Ashley Ma (11). The speeches for spirit coordinator mainly focused on previous experiences with Harker Spirit Leadership Team (HSLT) and commitment to school spirit.
Secretary candidate Richard Zhang (11) delivered his speech, followed by Michelle. Richard discussed increased transparency of Student Council initiatives through public brainstorming sessions, and Michelle talked about revitalizing previous initiatives such as adding air fresheners to restrooms.
Cynthia Wang (10) gave her speech for vice president, and then Daniel Lin (10) presented his speech, followed by Rupert Chen (11) and Gordon. Daniel and Cynthia both hoped to improve quality of life on campus –– Daniel by hosting fun activities before exams and Cynthia by adding food options or full days dedicated to office hours like in remote learning. Rupert guaranteed his effort and hard work if elected as vice president, and Gordon discussed initiatives to revive the garden on the rooftop of Nichols and to start a pen pal program with another school.
Finally, candidates running for president gave their speeches. Kris went first, explaining his previous work with Student Council and his hope of sharing more trivia about Harker’s history. Alex Lan (11) also talked about his efforts with Student Council and goals to implement better Wi-Fi on campus and add late-start days.
This year, students physically waited in line to vote, a new experience for underclassmen after voting for the 2021 to 2022 ASB council online last year. Voter Tanisha Singh (10) appreciated in-person elections more than online ones despite the longer wait.
“[Voting in-person is special because] you can see the people around you who are equally spirited and voting, and it gives a sense of unity in the community,” Tanisha said.
