![“[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)
Former plaintiff Cathy Kuhlmeier spoke to Introduction to Journalism classes over Zoom about her experience fighting for student press freedom in the landmark Supreme Court case Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier on Sept. 21.
In 1988, the Supreme Court ruled 5-3 in favor of Hazelwood East High School and upheld the right of school administrators to prohibit student journalists from publishing articles deemed inappropriate. As part of the Introduction to Journalism course, students examined the case and its continued relevance to student-run publications today.
“Our textbook cuts to the chase and just says what happened and what the case was about,” Introduction to Journalism student Ethan Liang (9) said. “But it doesn’t really tell you the other side of the story, about who lost and the smaller details. I think smaller details are very important when [studying] a specific case.”
During her visit, Kuhlmeier shared her perspective as one of three high school students who sued the school for violating the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and the press. When her school principal Robert Reynolds censored articles discussing teen pregnancy and divorce, Kuhlmeier and her classmates contacted the American Civil Liberties Union, leading Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier to reach the Missouri and United States Supreme Courts.
“The reason that I [talk to students] is because it’s still happening,” Kuhlmeier said. “Censorship is happening everyday across the country … I want to make things better for you all, for the future students, for, at some point, my grandkids, [so] that they’re not going through the same thing that I did.”
Following her presentation, Kuhlmeier answered questions from Introduction to Journalism students. Period four students Zoe Cammer (9) and Samaara Patil (9) asked Kuhlmeier how being involved in a landmark court case as a high school student impacted her relationships with classmates.
“I never really thought a whole lot about [how] I was doing anything of that importance because I just felt like I was fighting for my other friends in school,” Kuhlmeier said. “[Some of my classmates] now have kids that are going through this; they’re learning about the case. They reached back out to me through Facebook, saying, ‘I really appreciate and now have a better understanding of what you were doing.’”
Introduction to Journalism students are currently learning about their First Amendment rights and studying past censorship cases, such as Tinker v. Des Moines and Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier. Freedom of the press closely relates to their work as student journalists, and Kuhlmeier’s speech furthered their understanding of censorship in the media.
“It was a great experience hearing from someone who was actually part of the case,” period four Introduction to Journalism student Claire Xu (9) said. “I definitely learned from her experience and what she felt, and I also learned different details of the case that weren’t covered in textbooks or online.”
Kuhlmeier signed off the Zoom call with a final message for the student journalists: “Stand up, speak up and be the change!”
