![“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)
Six candidates vying for the position of California governor participated in a 90-minute televised live debate on KRON4 on April 22.
The candidates consist of four Democrats — former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, former California congresswoman Katie Porter, former Biden administration health and human services secretary Xavier Becerra and current San Jose mayor Matt Mahan — and two Republicans — Trump-endorsed former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County sheriff Chad Bianco. Current California governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited and cannot seek reelection.
Becerra and Mahan initially did not qualify for the debate because they did not meet the 5% threshold of voter support based on earlier polls. However, after former congressman and Democratic frontrunner Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race due to sexual misconduct allegations, KRON4 parent company Nexstar conducted a new poll that allowed the two Democrats to enter the debate.
During the debate, candidates shared their stances on major topics regarding previous California policies and pressing issues, including homelessness, housing prices, teen social media usage, insurance companies leaving California and English proficiency tests for truck drivers.
Topic breakdown:
Homelessness
With nearly 200,000 Californians experiencing homelessness, Californians have long placed housing as a top priority. When each candidate was asked to give Newsom a grade for his efforts on combating the issue, the Republicans both gave him an ‘F,’ while Democratic responses ranged from ‘B-’ to ‘A’. Mahan initially declined to answer before settling on ‘D’ for all politicians in the implementation of plans.
They proposed various solutions, with Mahan using homelessness shelters in San Jose as a model for what could be implemented statewide. On the other hand, Hilton suggested illegalizing public camping and providing drug and mental health treatment.
Housing prices
Californian house prices have jumped nearly 50% in the past five years and are now more than double the average U.S. home price. Mahan again portrayed San Jose as the blueprint for building new housing, though Hilton immediately countered that the city was recently named the least affordable city for housing in the world.
Republican candidates and Steyer also criticized the excessive regulations necessary for building houses.
Teen social media use
A California jury found tech giants Meta and Google responsible for causing mental health issues in social media users and ordered them to pay for compensatory damages earlier this year.
Hilton took the strongest stance on the issue, stating that it should become a norm for teens under 16 not to have smartphones in the first place. Steyer and Becerra declared that they would support a ban on social media for those under 16.
Other candidates’ responses included Porter leaving the decision to parents and Mahan requiring parental consent for a ban and disallowing cellular device usage during the academic school day.
Insurance companies leaving California
Due to recent wildfires and increased costs, major private insurance companies like Allstate and State Farm have stopped offering new insurance policies for homeowners in California.
Bianco and Hilton faulted environmental regulations for high costs, while Steyer, Porter and Mahan all believed that California needs to work to reduce wildfire risk through controlled burns and reduction of dried timber.
Becerra thought that a closer investigation into why insurance companies are leaving was necessary.
Truck driver English proficiency
Trump signed Executive Order 14286 in 2025, implementing roadside English proficiency tests to ensure truck drivers can communicate easily with officials and understand safety signs. However, his administration withheld $40 million in funding from California, claiming that the state was the only one that did not enforce this test.
Becerra stated that officers should not discriminate against truck drivers based on their appearance, while Bianco pushed back against the claim of racial profiling and supported the tests as the only law enforcement officer at the debate.
Mahan took a more causal perspective, stressing that the Department of Motor Vehicles should enforce its regulations for issuing driver’s licenses.
Though no candidate holds a significant lead in polls, Becerra and Steyer saw the largest increases in numbers following the debate. The California government will begin sending ballots to voters on May 4, and CNN will host another debate on May 5. Regardless of party, the top two candidates from the primaries will advance to the gubernatorial election on Nov. 3.
