![“[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)
Kevin McCarthy elected House Speaker after unprecedented 15 rounds of voting
January 28, 2023
California Republican House Representative Kevin McCarthy was elected House Speaker on Jan. 7 after an unprecedented 15 rounds of voting.
Following the recent midterm elections, the Republican Party secured a slim, nine-point majority of 222-213 in the House, making the election of a Republican as House Speaker expected. Despite their majority, demands for a more conservative leader from radical members of the Republican Party divided the voters, complicating McCarthy’s campaign.
In the initial rounds, as many as 19 Republicans voted against McCarthy. Because of his narrow win over the House, McCarthy could only afford for four party members to defect. The ensuing drawn-out battle to gain enough votes proceeded for four days as the Republicans grappled with each other and negotiated.
Before the final round, McCarthy talked with Republican representatives Matt Gaetz of Florida and Lauren Boebert of Colorado, two far-right Republicans, in hopes of convincing them to give him their votes. After a heated discussion, they voted “present,” which although not directly in favor of McCarthy, lowered the number of votes comprising a majority. McCarthy finally achieved the win with 216 out of 428 votes.
McCarthy’s many setbacks on the road to victory arose due to the polarization within the Republican Party. In recent years, the party has faced increasing internal dissension as more and more members of the far right rise to power and come into conflict with their fellow conservatives. The concessions McCarthy agreed to, which included implementing a rule allowing House Representatives to call a vote to oust the speaker at any time, largely served to empower these extreme members of Congress in order to win over their votes. Other demands McCarthy acquiesced to included expanding the House Rules committee to have more far right members and requiring a bill be posted for 72 hours prior to voting, after Republicans criticized the hasty passage of the $1.7 trillion government spending bill late last year.
The numerous rounds of voting caused a stir among the public, with some finding the situation humorous.
“I think [the election was] entertaining,” upper school United States history teacher James Tate said. “Everyone wants a sense of so-called decorum and wants to proceed in an orderly, standard way with no surprises. I actually think it’s kind of fun, kind of interesting, a bit of a trainwreck. I’m entertained by the whole thing.”
Others, like Civil Discourse Club Officer Sam Parupudi (10), considered the events disheartening. They hope that Congress will come together and act effectively and honestly.
“I would like to see an act of integrity in the House once again,” Sam said. “The show of integrity I want to see is sticking up for the values that the people who elected [you] wanted you for.”
