MLIH

When I heard people talking about a test that not everyone had taken, I politely asked them to refrain so that the Honor Code could be upheld. - MLIH

MLIH

I saw that my grade on a test was higher than it should have been because a teacher made a grading error so I went to the teacher to fix it. - MLIH

MLIH

I saw that the teacher had left up some answers on the board before a test and so I erased them before we could start. - MLIH

Finals aren't the End | Sahana Narayanan

In a world where grades apparently determine the course of our adult life, and time to dwell freely in our imagination is scarce, we often lose sight of the bigger, more genuine picture: Life is short. We spend countless hours pouring over our textbooks, hoping to find some relief in a letter grade that seemingly dictates our self-worth. In the context of our grade-driven lives, it is important to find something that makes us truly happy. Not just the satisfaction of finishing a test or getting a good grade back, but something more inherent and intrinsic. Realize a passion, a love that you would be happy spending the rest of your life doing. Not only does enjoying a passion relieve the tension of school, it also provides the creative outlet of expression. In my case, it was always music. Making something beautiful, whether it was the sound of my bow against the string, or giving full control to my voice, made me feel as if I was creating my own piece of art. Be honest and truthful to yourself. Give life to your personality. As much as our final exams are important, they do not represent who we are as people, so they do not warrant feeling overwhelmed. Don't dread getting a grade back. At a certain point, step back, and take a deep breath. No matter what happens, life is more than a letter!

Christmas gifts | Sahana Narayanan

I am grateful to be celebrating an “East Coast Christmas” this year, but at the same time, I know that I am extremely lucky. As part of our advisory tradition, we participated in an annual charity event called “Adopt a Family,” where we bought holiday gifts for an underprivileged family that lacked basic necessities. I am grateful that we’re given the opportunity to attend a school like Harker. Despite all the trials and tribulations we seemingly undergo as teenagers, we still lead relatively normal lives. As educated and well-off members of society, it is our duty to contribute our time and energy to our community, especially in this season of giving.

MLIH

Last week, I saw a student who's entire backpack was wide open with everything on the verge of falling out. Rather than watch his struggle, I walked over and offered to zip it up. MLIH

MLIH

I throw my Capri Sun away in the green Capri Sun repurposing bins. MLIH

MLIH

Finals are coming up, but don't be too scared (A little bit of anxiety is okay). I know everyone will do just fine; we're all Harker students after all. Believe in yourself. Believe in your studying. MLIH

MLIH

Over winter break, relax and don't do too much homework. Though grades important, don't forget that spending time with your family and friends is a priority as well. They are the ones who support you unconditionally. Remember, you only have a few years or even months of high school left. Cherish them and make memories with your loved ones.

MLIH

One of my friends isn't doing very well in Calculus and is not looking very forward to the final. He asked me if I could spare one hour of my own study time to help him. I happily agreed!

MLIH

Even though finals are around the corner, don't stress too much. Have confidence in yourself and what you can do. Don't stay up late the night before to cram. Get a good night's rest and think positively. Good luck!

Welcome to the 2013-14 blog!

Hello NHS'ers! The 2013-14 My Life is Honorable blog is up and running! This blog is a forum for you to talk about your encounters with the four NHS pillars in your day-to-day lives. To submit posts, email Apoorva Rangan (15apoorvar@students.harker.org) with the text of your post as well as a title. Photos are also welcomed.

MLIH

This year, I ran for Honor Council. Even though I didn't win, I'm still proud that I stood for what I believe in: taking ownership of your work and actions. MLIH

MLIH

Last week, I asked my teachers how they were holding up after hearing about Ms. Padgett passing away. It's important to remember that our teachers are human too. MLIH

MLIH

Don't let APs get to you. It's definitely intimidating to think of sitting in a chair for three hours with a test, but keep your cool! Have faith in your own preparation and in the experience of the Upper School teachers. MLIH

MLIH

Every time I do not do my math HW, I tell my teacher instead of remaining silent and just bringing it in the next day. MLIH

MLIH

A fifth grader trying to identify a woman who was hurt used the word "white" in a completely non-derogatory way and then stated “I’m not trying to be racist or anything! I promise. I just remember seeing a white woman.” Seeing him get so flustered over such a small thing made me have hope that we are becoming a more accepting world. MLIH

MLIH

When given the choice to look up the answers to the AP HW-problems given to me or struggle and try them myself, I choose struggle every time. MLIH

Sandwich Seva | Namrata Vakkalagadda

Every month for the past three years, I have attended a community service project part of my religious school called Sandwich Seva, where we make seventy-five bags filled with two peanut-butter jelly sandwiches, a bar, an apple, and a juice to give to the Julian Center. Although I would regularly attend, I never really gave much thought to how this was benefiting our society. A few months ago, I attended a get-together with other from my religious school where dinner was being provided. There was a lot of left-over food, and so my family said they would take it over to the Julian Center. I had only been there once before, before I started participating in the Sandwich Seva, and so I had never really connected the actions I was doing to the people I was supposedly helping. As we arrived at the Julian Center, I realized why I take a measly one hour every month to make those seventy-five lunch bags: it was to help these people who were at a low point in their lives, and needed a little bit of help to keep them on their feet. The way the center graciously took the left-over food made me feel blessed. I was able to attend a get-together where there was more than enough food present, while others in our city waited for long-periods of time to receive even small amounts of food. After that event, I started to take my participation in the Sandwich Seva much more seriously and tried to make every effort my best, so that I could at least provide these people with the best for this one meal.

MLIH

When pestered by a fellow student as to whether there will be a pop quiz or not in English, I simply decline to respond. MLIH

MLIH

I noticed that a student was being bullied on Facebook and reported the incident to Mr. Williamson. MLIH

MLIH

On Thursday we received our graded Chemistry tests back, and I had not done well. As I was going through, I saw that our teacher had not taken off a point where I had made a multiple-choice mistake. Instead of keeping the point to at least have an okay grade, I told my teacher and braced myself for the consequences. MLIH (She didn’t deduct the point anyway :))

Costume Superstar | Namrata Vakkalagadda

As a dedicated member of the performing arts community, I never truly realized the meaning of character until my experience in this year’s spring musical, Oklahoma! During our tech week and show week, we make use of the middle school performing arts teachers’ classrooms as our respective male and female dressing rooms as well as our green room. All cast members do their make-up, get dressed, hang-out, do homework, relax, prepare for the show, and of course, eat, in these three rooms (and a little hallway). Naturally, by the end of each night, the rooms are a mess. Most of our cast members simply leave and expect the rooms to be clean and ready for classes and the show the next day. I myself was one of these people in previous shows. Every year, Tina Crnko, graduate of 2012, would win the Costume Superstar Award, presented by our costume designer who would be backstage with us and stay after every night cleaning the rooms along with preparing and repairing our costumes. I never really understood what Tina did until this year, when there was no more Tina. Our first day after using the rooms, I was about to leave when I noticed that in just the girl’s dressing room, chairs were strewn about, mirrors were left to be magically put away, the trash cans were overflowing, and yet, people continued to file out the door without a backwards glance. It was at that moment that I realized how much Tina and everyone else who used to stay behind did to help keep the teachers of the rooms we were using happy and letting us make use of their space. It was at that moment that I realized that I did not want to be the person that walked away, hoping that someone else would clean up for me; I wanted to be the person that people could look up to and strive to be, as Tina was and is to so many of the people who knew her, both as a Costume Superstar and as a person.

Don't Blow It | Aaron Lee

As all members of a seemingly tightly-knit community, each and every one of us are obligated to respecting one another. Even when not members of the same community, every one, no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, religious views, is bound to respect each other. As humans afforded certain equal natural rights, no one has the authority to infringe on others' rights and honor. In the recent Boston attacks, the perpetrators have either been caught or killed. As people settle down with relief, one must not help but wonder as to the reason these bombings occurred. What were their motives? Many attacks on society today have been based upon a common discontent with society and its members, based on past injustices and grievances. Of course, the claiming of the lives of so many innocent people is not justified - however, as members of American society, we must always keep in mind that a slip of honor may have been the direct cause of events such as these. Simple accumulation of disrespect towards one person may seem trivial, but it will eventually hurt the perpetrator in the future. Many may think their actions die with the past, but in reality their actions become the future of others. Don't blow it. If disrespect gives you satisfaction in the short term, don't be surprised at how hard you'll fall in the end.

42+0 Isn't the Answer to Life | Aaron Lee

Since today is April 20, 2013, the date struck me. Other than being a normal Saturday morning, today was national cannabis day. Across the globe, many celebrated this holiday. All of us are also fully aware that although illegal, many others - including high school students - make the decision to take drugs like these. Some may take it cause they think its the "cool" trend, some may take it out of curiosity, or some may take it as a solution to their anxiety, depression, and troubles. No matter how intruding some of us may be in attempting to influence others' personal decisions, we should work harder in making aware the influence of drugs. Some, curious as to what a "high" may be, may take it fully confident they can resist addiction. Drugs don't necessarily make you bad people - I found out in the past some of my nicest friends might have taken pot. No matter who you are, however, they will definitely destroy your identity. You may escape its addictive influence, but you will have mangled your identity and allowed drugs to shape yourself a new one.

The Illusion of Swag | Aaron Lee

As a high schooler, I often hear the word "swag" in campus life. Those who think they have "swag" are proud to bear it, as they think of themselves as "cool". In freshman year, I entered Harker, new to high school and Harker society. I formed new friendships as I eagerly adapted to Harker life. There to welcome me that year were a group of upperclassmen who I had no connection to, yet prided themselves on picking on me. Most of them were simply joking around, as some of them became my closest friends, but one simply thought he "was cool" in picking on me. He strutted around campus, thinking he was one of the coolest out of all of us, and he later had the audacity to run for student government, lying to himself and others by priding himself on his character. Having "swag" isn't a bad quality - it allows one to be more expressive with oneself, encouraging individualistic pride. Yet, when people chooses swag over honor, they are simply creating themselves illusions of "coolness". Some may think they have swag in hurting others, but they are fooling themselves. It is far more cool to know that you are being the right person, rather than violating basic tenets of respect and honor. As Harker individuals, we are proud and bold in bearing our individual "swag" - yet we should always keep in mind each and every one of us contribute to the image of honor that this community proudly stands on.

Serving Them or Yourself | Aaron Lee

Recently, a friend of mine quit his volunteering. When I asked as to why he quit, it was because he enjoyed focusing on another organization for volunteering, and he had grown discontent with his current one. After I advised him not to quit, he responded that he had already received a lot of hours and didn't need as many any more. It made me think, just a bit, after hearing those words. After all, service was about giving to the community, right? Those countless hours spent helping his organization - didn't those hours result in a net positive change to the community? Wouldn't people want to keep that consistency? As we serve our community, we should learn to look past the numerical statistics. A hundred hours served without passion is of far worse significance than a passionate thirty hours done with the right mindset. True: we all like to consider ourselves caring members of our community, and some of us might do complete more than thirty hours, for show. But we should all learn to look past the importance of those numbers and instead at the importance of the positive impact you make on the world, as that is a key factor in helping society progress today.

Starting Small | Aaron Lee

Harker is an institution that prides itself on the unifying honor of its community: its members are noble in following basic tenets that keeps the community bonded. As a Harker student, the word honor not only reminds me of ethics, but also of Harker's very own student government and honor council. As elections approach, one must think of the honor that these candidates portray to the community. True, when one runs, he or she might discuss improving the community, making it more honorable, and giving himself credibility by calling himself for example the "nicest guy on campus", in order to appeal to voters. Why not start small? Why not forget all the complexities one involves with honor and attempt to be honorable on a basic level? Keeping yourself honorable on a scale as small as respecting other fellow students, even when not in front of everyone, makes you a better person than that candidate who overlooks honor on the small scale and attempts to envelop himself with it on a bigger scale.

MLIH

After taking my English test, someone asked me how the test was and I simply responded - "It was like a test!" and walked away. MLIH

MLIH

Whenever I see trash lying around Manzanita, I always pick it up, even if it isn't mine. MLIH

MLIH

Today I saw that the teacher had given me extra points on a test and so I went to that teacher to get my grade changed accordingly. MLIH

MLIH

Today, at Safeway, the cashier asked my mother and I whether we would like to donate to Easter Seals for people with disabilities. The cashier also mentioned that she is cautious in using the right terms out of courtesy.  I am very impressed that she not only used the correct term (people with disabilities, not disabled people) but also was very considerate to those with disabilities. MLIH

Proud to be an American, Part Two | Ayush Midha

A few months ago, I wrote a blog post detailing my pride in the American emphasis on community service. My beliefs stemmed from the government’s recent efforts to promote volunteering and service through initiatives such as the National Service Day and United We Serve.

Recently, though, I watched the movie Zero Dark Thirty, and my pride was challenged. Of course, people can act in ways that are right and wrong at the same time, but the movie’s depiction of torture techniques such as waterboarding really struck a negative chord with me.

The movie had a few effects on me. The first was forcing me to rethink the motives behind government’s community service efforts. These initiatives are promoted across America while the United States actively pursues programs like Extraordinary Rendition, the process of transferring a person to another country, often for the purpose of torture. This made me seriously doubt the kind words I had written previously.

Second, I was incredibly disturbed by the idea that the United States was willing to do anything to accomplish a singular goal. After discussing my opinion of the movie with some of my friends, I realized that many people considered the movie a demonstration of the persistence and determination of America. I, however, was troubled that the government was willing to tarnish its moral record and public perception entirely for a single objective, however worthy the goal may be. 

While I thoroughly enjoyed watching Zero Dark Thirty, I drew a conclusion from the movie that was even more significant. Although I am still proud to be an American, I question the government’s efforts to portray itself as entirely benign, and I am alarmed by the horrible acts committed in the process of accomplishing a goal.

Honorable | Hannah Bollar

At Harker, we seem to have our own society. In it, we are given opportunity and the freedom to excel. These, however, are all due to the type of society we have created: a completely honorable one. Honor is one of the underlying features of Harker society. Sometimes it could be a little thing such as holding the door open for someone or not sharing one’s homework, and sometimes it could be a big thing as not cheating on a test. Being honorable is an important part of being a person who does the right things and follows gallant words with dutiful actions. In the Middle Ages, a Lord’s crest on the battlefield aided the soldiers in identifying their allies through a sea of people. At Harker, I feel this sense of pride toward our own Harker crest, which brings a sense of honorable unity to us academically and even on the field. The season has just begun, but every time I stand on the lacrosse field, I can count on my team to back me up as we push for the win. At this school, I have gained many lifelong friends, and the nature of Harker's society will influence how I will approach future situations in my life. With the type of society we have built, I am proud to say that Harker’s Life is Truly Honorable. (HLIH)

Who Are You? | Nitya Mani

What defines us, nowadays, is unfortunately becoming our grades, successes, failures, and the exterior perceptions we project onto society, and seems to becoming less about who we are. Countless people at Harker are often described as “the one with all A+’s” or “the person who won XYZ contest”. Even when we mean to be complimentary, we are unknowingly reducing people’s value to that of their accomplishments, but there are a plethora of other qualities that make people special, unique, and worthy of remembering. Furthermore, when we judge people by their grades or the amount of social media they use, we often distance ourselves from them as people and lose out on friendships and camaraderie that can last a lot longer than the memory of their outstanding grade on that one biology test.

Harker is a very competitive environment and so is the world out there, but that doesn’t mean that we should lose sight of what is truly important in life, not numbers on a page, but the people who will potentially be with us for our lives if we take advantage of the friendships we can form in high school and instead of judging people by an arbitrary quality, befriending them for who they are inside.

Relax | Hannah Bollar

This past summer, I had the opportunity to go on my first scouting tournament in which college coaches actually came and sat on the sidelines watching my every move. The first couple of games were so stressful. Every time I screwed up on defense, missed that one ground ball, or waited to long to make that assist pass, I could feel their eyes watching me. I would become so stressed in what I was doing wrong that it started to reflect in my playing abilities. My coach eventually pulled me to the sidelines and said, “Hannah, relax, get your act together, and score.” As I returned to the field, my coach gave me a little comforting pat on the back. Following her advice, I took a couple breaths, hyped myself up by jumping a few times, and set up for the draw. Sweat dripping down my face, I reached up for the ball, pivoted left, dodged down the field, and scored. It was my first official goal of the tournament.

Everyday, there are times when one becomes anxious or stressed. It is in these moments that if one takes the time to stop, take a breather and look at life from a third-person point of view before throwing oneself back into the chaos, the results of one of these moments improves. Instead of worrying about the stress, if one actually does something about it by taking it in stride with the experience, it’ll be a lot easier to quell that anxiety. So the next time you find yourself blanking during a test, panicking on the field, or even just worrying about the upcoming class, stop and think to yourself: is this worrying actually helping the situation? Or would it be better to take a quick breather, and then refocus myself with calmed nerves and a better view on the predicament?

I chose the latter. Which one will you choose?

Opportunity | Hannah Bollar

Going through daily life seems to be the most natural thing for everyone to do: the studying, the homework, the hard work that we put ourselves through and complain about many a time.

However, during my first NHS KIPP session, I had an eye-opening experience. I never realized the drastic difference in opportunities that Harker actually provides. I had a prior understanding that Harker taught students diligently and instilled within them a love for learning; however, I never truly understood the extent to which this made us truly privileged people. On the way home from the first session, my brother and I compared notes on our experiences there. He was tutoring a small group of sixth graders who would stumble on even some of the easiest words in  children’s books like Dr. Seuss. I was astonished; I had always taken my ability to read for granted. If children such as the ones I encountered, who are attempting to escape their impoverished life by aiming for college and trying to perform well at school are not even able to read fluently, then what about those who do not have the opportunity to aim for colleg?. What about those who have to drop out of school to help with family expenses or other reasons? What about them?

Before, I took all my experiences, privileges, and abilities for granted: my parents’ decision to send me to a private school and the opportunity to explore my future and give it multiple possibilities.

To my parents – I cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me and working to better my future possibilities.

Don’t take your opportunities for granted.

McQueen | Hannah Bollar

This past month was hectic. Everyday, I woke up at 6:00, got dressed, fed my dog, grabbed a bagel, crammed some studying during the car ride, mindlessly went from class to class, changed and went to lacrosse practice. Afterward, I did some running and practice on the bounce back while waiting for my ride, returned home at about 7:30, tiredly scrambled to finish my homework in a race against sleep, took care of my little brother, studied for all my tests, and crashed into bed, just to do it all again tomorrow.

After following this schedule multiple times, the results started to digress. This digression was shown not only in my academics but also my family life. At school, I began to notice that I wasn’t as focused in class, and it was harder to concentrate during tests. I was becoming forgetful. At home, I was sharp with my older brother, had no patience for my younger, and holed myself in my room everyday.

At first, I thought it was just from a lack of sleep. However, in reality, it was my entire schedule. Because of the time consuming activities I participated in during the week, I had decided early on that I would make up for the sleep I missed during the week on the weekend. This tactic, however, didn’t actually work. Because I was used to sleeping so little during the week, whenever I slept for more than that I messed with my sleep clock. Thus, every time I went from a few hours of sleep during the week to almost double the hours on the weekend, I felt more rested. However, when the new week began and I returned to the few hours of sleep, I was even more exhausted than before.

Most people have probably heard of Lightning McQueen, the famous racecar movie. At one point, my little brother had such an obsession for it that that was the only thing he would watch on television.

At the beginning of the movie, McQueen had just tied with two other famous racecars in the biggest race of the year, and was headed to a rematch race in which the winner would be decided. When his superior calls to congratulate McQueen on the way to the next race, the superior invites the racecar to a party stating that he is allowed to bring three friends. McQueen suddenly realizes that because of his self-involved personality, he has none. This realization leads to a change in the racer when McQueen falls out of his carrying truck late at night and finds himself in Radiator Springs, an old dying town because of a recently built highway bypass. There, he learns the value of taking one’s time while repaving the town’s only road, the importance of friendship that he finds in Mater, Sally, and eventually the whole village, and with these, McQueen breaks from his shell of self-centeredness. This compassion is ultimately depicted when, during the last lap of the tiebreaker race, McQueen stops to aid The King, an old racer who usually gets first place but crashed from being pushed by the third racer Chick Hicks. When the crowd gasps at McQueen’s action of losing the tiebreaker race and the trophy to save the dignity of the old racer, McQueen remembers the old words of a previous winner of the race, who he found in Radiator Springs, jokingly stating that it’s just an empty cup.

Like McQueen’s sudden realization of his self-centeredness, I eventually grasped the realization of my tiredness. McQueen was able to change this narcissism by changing the way he viewed life, taking things one step at a time, and recognizing the importance of the bonds he made with people. Like most students my age, I also needed to change my view on life. Instead of going blindly from class-to-class, project-to-project, and activity-to-activity, I need to slow down my activities. Better time management will lead to better sleep and more work productivity, along with more time to enjoy with my friends and family.

McQueen’s sudden change of view about the trophy being just an empty cup allowed him to actually enjoy the race and still remain happy after losing the biggest race of his life, because he had the relations to support him. Akin to this analogy, I realized that in order to change my schedule, I also had to understand that though every activity is important, it is also important to not lose oneself in the onslaught of daily life and to enjoy its little moments instead of remaining in the fast lane.

Honor in Representation | Katie Gu

Growing up, I had always perceived the quality of honor to be an intangible, abstruse concept, one that was buried in various actions: doors held open for strangers, integrity over cheating, and truth over deception. As a result of some quaint notion, I never conceived that one could find honor in representation.

Two summers ago, I discovered this alternate medium of honor. After earning a spot on the US National Synchro Team, I traveled to Milan, Italy for the 2011 Mediterranean Cup. There, while meeting and speaking to girls from a vast array of countries, I realized that there was something implicitly altered in my carriage and comportment. I was holding myself to a higher standard of dignity and poise than my habitual demeanor. As a result of being consciously aware of my presence as a representation of my country, a certain degree of honor was placed onto my shoulders, and I elevated myself to meet those standards. From my experiences that summer, I realized that I needed to integrate those very levels of decorum I held during the competition to all the situations and aspects of life.

The opportunity to represent comes with certain expectations. That one should carry a particular degree of esteem and finesse is certainly an implicit, if not explicitly stated, stipulation. Although these obligations present themselves more saliently when members of an organization are placed outside of their communities, the degrees of honor in their carriage should be kept at a consistent, unwavering level, not to be shaken by the circumstance of their environments.

What Is Service? | Vikram Sundar

I have spent two years at Reading Partners tutoring a fourth-grader, Angel, in basic reading and writing. Angel had fallen far behind grade level due to a lack of basic phonics education. In the time I have spent with him I have watched him grow from a hesitant picture-book reader to a mature and confident chapter-book reader. While he still has room for improvement, he now reads any nonfiction book he can get his hands on. I have seen him learn about the world around him, the plants, animals, planets, and stars, through his newfound capability to read. The change in his approach to books and his knowledge is remarkable, and this is a result of the hour that I spend with Angel every week, as well as the work of Angel’s teachers over the year.

My experience with Angel has taught me what service itself is about. Service is not just about the number of hours on our college application or the mindless labor that volunteers are too often relegated to. Service is about us making a positive impact on the community by reaching out to other citizens and improving their lives actively. Through my tutoring, Angel now has a chance to escape the cycle of poverty that would otherwise have trapped him within his community. I have given him more than money or food donations could possibly do; my service has provided him with the knowledge and armed him with the tools he needs to confront the real world and succeed. I have opened a whole new world of opportunities for him by teaching him how to read and he is taking advantage of it by reading as much as he possibly can and learning everything he can. As I watch him learn and read now, I know that I have succeeded in making a positive impact on his life; he has the tools he needs to move up the social ladder.

100 Hours or 100 Lives | Nitya Mani

To many people, community service means 30 or 100 hours or a bullet point on their college application. So many people only do community service for the rewards they reap from helping out their community. And while it’s perfectly alright to benefit from helping others out, there is a notable distinction between incidentally gaining from truly trying to help those in need, and stopping all aid once you hit the 10 hour mark or attain a certain status in an organization. Imagine what a different place our world would be if people stopped counting hours and only sought to reach their goals to help out as many people as they could. I think that our mercenary attitude towards community service has made some of us detached from the people we are helping out, and we often fail to realize that what we see as a checkbox are often human lives.

That’s not to say requiring community service is necessarily a bad thing. By mandating students help out in the community, you provide everyone with exposure to the world around them, and many times, people will connect and realize the truth behind community service. So many charitable endeavors have proceeded over time as people’s motives for doing service have changed over time, and yet, there are still so many people who stop once they have met the minimum requirement. I wish people could take a closer glimpse at what exactly community service is, giving back to the people around you in an effort to help those in need and save human lives, because just that knowledge itself can make a world of difference.

Embracing the Truth | Aaron Lee

In this world, human nature is often a tricky complex to analyze. One can never truly tell what another's personality is like until knowing the other, and even so, human nature is mysterious. Often, we are not what we appear to be on the outside - we are "phonies", a word that commonly recurs within J. D. Salinger's best-selling novel Catcher in the Rye. All of us, at some point in our lives, sometimes more than others, have been "phonies", creating facades of fake personalities to display to our community. Will doing so really help? Sure, you might gain something in the short-term; will you feel content about it? Will your character accept what you never were? How about we learn to embrace the truth and never let it go, instead of kicking it down.

Nostalgic | Vasudha Rengarajan

Nostalgic for the days of grade school, NHS members and other volunteers sit under the multi-colored parachute tent between tours.

NHS Members | Vasudha Rengarajan

NHS members pose for pictures before guiding visitors on tours of the spacious new Union campus.

Leadership As More Than a Title | Vasudha Rengarajan

Through the rose-colored glasses of my naivety, I had perceived the word "leadership" as simply a position of prestige and glory, of power and influence. I didn't find much evidence to teach me otherwise until late in my freshman year.

It was one of the many long car-rides to school. Music blaring through my shock-white headphones, I stared intently at a video on my iPhone screen. All the movement in the dance clip I was watching was so exquisite, strong and, well, perfect. That was the moment I had the idea for a new dance club, a way for students to express themselves through any form of dance and entertain the community simultaneously.

So I went through all the motions. I sought a faculty member to serve as an advisor, asked students to generate interest, filled out the necessary paperwork, and wrote up a three page plan for the club.

Then I learned that others wanted to join, and I was thrilled. But that meant I could not be president of the club. Instead, we formed a committee of officers without any leader in name.

 At that moment, I realized that I was absolutely fine without the glory, as long as I got to see my idea come to life. As of now, I still send out the emails to the officers, organize meetings, and contact community service venues. I love my job - I've found it rewarding to do the thing you love, even if there is no title.

Though I'm not president of the Harker Dance Club, I hardly call it a loss. Being a leader is about thinking about the project rather than oneself. Suddenly, there's a whole team larger than yourself, whose success you must account for. To me, that's one of life's most valuable lessons.

Honor: Looking Past the Black and White | Vasudha Rengarajan

To me, honor isn't holding the door for someone. It isn't turning in your own work. It isn't encouraging someone to better himself. Honor is the reason you do these things.

When I was young, I looked at things as black and white. Gray didn't exist in my world. I had never been taught that good people could learn from their transgressions, or that they made mistakes at all. 

Disney didn't help in that field either. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White were the pinnacles of purity, the paragons of perfection. 

School became my first glimpse into the duality of man, when my world view was turned upside down. We had classes about morality, read books about ethics, and eagerly watched short films about righteousness.

A common vein ran through all these stories: the characteristics of righteousness and integrity were rewarded. That was why I used to run home to tell my parents about all the "good" things I did: not because I was trying to develop my character, but because I wanted ice cream after dinner or a pat on the back. I don't blame my former self; after all, I was only four.

But the real problem is when this mentality persists as we grow up. Not transgressing because one is afraid of the consequences doesn't make him or her a good person.

What makes people honorable is the approach they take to their lives. It is doing what you think is right because you truly want to be a better person. Although I started out as any selfish four-year-old would, I've come to realize what it means to be a better person, and after everything, the satisfaction of knowing I am who I want to be is the most valuable reward I can hope for.

As a high school student, I still haven't gotten tired of the princesses or the dragons or the overoptimistically simplistic character traits, but I do understand now that the representation of morality in those contexts are slightly skewed, and that gray is one of the most common colors we will see in people.

Union | Apoorva Rangan

Taken at 3/9 Harker Union Preschool Campus Tour. Submitted by NHS member Apoorva Rangan.

Scavenging for Success | Sahana Rangarajan

Without a doubt, second semester thus far has proven more trying for me than first. As a result, I have grasped at every opportunity to pad my grades, even through endeavors as minor as getting all my homework in promptly or jumping at tiny opportunities for extra credit. Admittedly, my desperation for points has deflated my ego. A few days ago, I went to sleep much later than I would have preferred purely because of two of these "tiny" extra credit assignments that turned out to be much, much longer than I had originally anticipated. My mother, having stayed up with me as usual in an almost distressingly dedicated act of support, listened to my complaints with patient ears as I grumbled about how pathetic I was, scrambling for points like a vulture scavenging for scraps of a lion's meal. Just when I was feeling at my lowest, my mother did the best possible thing to mitigate my pain: she comforted me with profound words of wisdom: "But that's not pathetic at all! That's what sets the winners apart--others may wallow in their failure, but winners will do everything in their power to fix it. You're doing the right thing, now just keep at it!" And that's exactly what I've been doing.

Beethoven | Zina Jawadi

I have played classical piano since Kindergarten, and for many years, I preferred other classical music composers over Beethoven. However, over the years, I have gained a deeper appreciation of Beethoven, not only because music theory has increasingly allowed me to better understand his music, but more likely because I started connecting with him through our common disability: hearing loss.  For example, Beethoven had just completed a magnificent performance of one of his operas, earning him a standing ovation; however, Beethoven did not even hear the applause and ignored the audience, leaving everybody in tears.  In my humble ways, I have unknowingly ignored people waving at me or greeting me.  My father told me that one day, as he had just dropped me off at school, he noticed that a student waved at me and said good morning, but I had completely walked by the person without even smiling. While I had no intention of being disrespectful, I may have been perceived as rude - and I apologize immensely for all the times I have done this, which I cannot estimate, because I don't even know!  These small common struggles have allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of Beethoven, and Beethoven has now become a new source of inspiration for me, somebody who defied all odds and continued to compose music, even after he became deaf.  Let's all become the next Beethoven - the next person who defies all of society's underestimations and, instead, changes the world.

MLIH

Even after my volunteer shift had ended, I helped an elderly man get to his car. MLIH

OLIH

My friend took the last two cookies. Seeing that another Harker student wanted one, he gave one to that student. OLIH

OLIH

After most of my friends left lunch, the others who remained, including I, helped pick up after them. OLIH

Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reasons | Ayush Midha

It came as a shock to most of us when we learned the results of the Honor Council Survey that we took last year. While the majority of students agreed that they wouldn’t cheat, a large percentage of Harker students also felt that their parents would prefer cheating over getting a bad grade and that it’s not cheating if everyone is doing it. I was puzzled about why there would be considerable support for two apparently contradictory statements.

After thinking about the survey carefully, I thought I came to a conclusion. As indicated by the survey, the majority of Harker students don’t cheat. So that begs the question, “Why don’t we cheat?” 

A lot of people don’t cheat because they are afraid of getting caught. That was the only explanation in my mind for why most students would not cheat but still thought that cheating contributes to success and that their parents would be okay with it. I concluded that the majority of students believed that cheating is probably beneficial, but the risks of getting caught outweigh the potential benefits! This reasoning offers a stark contrast from following the honor code for the right reasons: it’s the right thing to do, preserves the honor of the school, and promotes real learning.

Of course, we can’t generalize about everyone’s motivation for not cheating. However, this is a phenomenon that is present in multiple scenarios. For example, a lot of people don’t speed on the highways because they are afraid of getting caught, instead of trying to keep the roads safe. Additionally, some volunteer just to obtain hours or to beef up their college application rather than in an effort to give back to the community and help those in need.

After pondering this for a while, I concluded that it’s not enough to merely do the right thing. It’s just as important to do the right things for the right reasons.

The Invisible Disability | Zina Jawadi

Last year, I thought of starting a disability club, but Mr. Williamson, Harker's high school Dean of Students, wisely recommended a more ambitious Disability Awareness Program instead.  Inspired by Mr. Williamson's suggestion, I reached out to Dr. Vinton Cerf, the inventor of the internet who also has hearing loss, to invite him to speak at Harker.  Despite his busy schedule and his living and working in the East Coast, Dr. Cerf graciously accepted.  On January 11, 2013, the Disability Awareness Program celebrated its first event, a speech by Dr. Cerf.  The assembly was a resounding success and a huge hit with both faculty and students.  A few days later, the program's second activity followed:  a hearing loss simulation spelling quiz.  The assembly and activity taught me the value of passion.  I am hearing impaired, I am dedicated to disability causes, and I always feel compelled to advocate for the civil liberties of people with disabilities.  Driven by my love of advocacy and disability rights, I felt ignited by a force larger than my own capabilities to achieve what seemed like a big task of organizing an event of this magnitude.  For the first time, I witnessed hundreds of students and tens of faculty seriously moved and influenced by something so dear to my heart.

I would like to thank Dr. Cerf, Mr. Williamson, Mr. Keller, Ms. Kohan, and many others who helped make this event such a success.  Hearing loss is often described as an invisible disability; however, this week, hearing loss was anything but invisible.  Rather, hearing loss was the impetus in changing people's attitudes about disabilities.

Lessons from Living with a Disability | Zina Jawadi

Having a disability is not about overcoming the actual disability but rather about overcoming society’s attitudes towards the disability.  The media portrays disabilities in a pitiable fashion and emphasizes the barriers of overcoming a disability; however, often times, reaching out to those without disabilities is more challenging than the disability itself.  Fortunately, research in contact theory has found that people who learn more about certain disabilities start to feel more comfortable with the disabilities and act more normally around people with disabilities.  Certainly, I can affirm this hypothesis through my personal experiences.  Explaining my hearing loss to my peers has influenced my peers positively and has increased their respect and appreciation of what I go through daily.  While hearing loss is considered a disability, my hearing loss has strengthened and shaped my personality, attributes, abilities, and outlook.  For example, hearing loss has taught me to focus intently in class in order to speechread and comprehend, to communicate better with my teachers, and to work hard to make up for what I do not hear in class.  Hearing loss has also taught me self advocacy.  And for these positives outcomes, I am proud of my disability, and I embrace, not shun, my disability.

Deaf President Now! | Zina Jawadi

In freshman year, during a speech-and-debate tournament, an orator discussed how his brother participated in the Gallaudet Deaf President Now Movement.  I have always been inspired by this movement, in which thousands of Deaf students at Gallaudet University, the world's first university for Deaf and hard of hearing students, demanded that a deaf president run the university, expressing their anger through sign language and through speaking.  As a result, when I heard this story by someone whose brother was personally involved in that movement, I could not help but feel moved, excited, and enthralled all at the same time.  The Deaf Movement symbolizes my love for the Deaf community, Deaf unity, and Deaf culture.  What initially began with the Deaf Movement soon sparked an entire Disability Rights Movement, which in many ways is still continuing.  December 3 was the International Day of People with Disability.  I’d like to dedicate this post to this awareness day.

Perseverance | Zina Jawadi

I remember arguing with my speech therapist, Sarah, when I was four years old, who was aimlessly urging me to pronounce the letter "r."  Now, at age seventeen, while at times I still feel frustrated and upset thinking back about how difficult and tormenting speech therapy was, I realize that speech therapy taught me valuable life skills beyond learning how to pronounce certain letters: I have learned about persistence, persuasion, and patience.  Hours of repeating the same letter again and again has taught me the life skill of perseverance and hard work.  The most challenging part of speech therapy is saying something that you hear differently.  Imagine you hear "bab," but you need to say "dad."  People with hearing loss sometimes pronounce certain sounds incorrectly, because they (the people with hearing loss) are hearing those sounds incorrectly.  Hearing something and saying it a different way requires persistence.  When I debated with my therapist over the correct pronunciation of certain letters, believing that my way was correct, I was also learning how to convince and persuade others.  Sitting through hours of speech therapy required patience and focus - something I can proudly say has helped me many times in my life.  As a result, despite the fact that I may grumble once in a while about speech therapy, I know I would not be where I am without speech therapy.  Beyond learning how to pronounce, speech therapy has helped shape my personality today, and if I were to start my life again and were given a choice to attend speech therapy or not, I would undoubtedly sit through the hundreds of hours of speech therapy again.  Thank you Sarah, Vicki, Sandra, Maryam, and all the therapists for the hard work and persistence in teaching me those lifelong skills!

DIS-ability | Zina Jawadi

We often hear the term "Are you retarded?"  I am always bothered by that expression, because it connotes that having a disability is unacceptable, shameful, and wrong and that people with disabilities are inferior to those without.  From my personal experience with hearing loss, a disability only becomes a DIS-ability when a person with the disability is at a disadvantage strictly because of her or his disability.  Given the same opportunity, people with disabilities are fully capable of excelling at almost everything people without disability can master.  Furthermore, people with disabilities often compensate and perform better in the same area of their disabilities.  For example, people with hearing loss may not hear well with their ears due to biological reasons; however, people with hearing loss often compensate with more and better speech reading (sometimes inaccurately called lip reading) and by observing people's body language and emotions more acutely than normal hearing people.  "Are you deaf?" is another offensive expression that our society does not seem to be able to shed.  Anyone who has been around deaf people will tell you that they tend to be highly expressive, including in their use of signing.  Next time we hear "are you deaf?" or "are you retarded?" we should object and remind the perpetrator that such expressions are simply unacceptable.

Potential | Zina Jawadi

Over the summer, my family and I sojourned in Egypt.  One day, while my mother and I were shopping for groceries, my mother stumbled upon an orphanage close to the place we were staying.  The building housed forty orphans, several of whom had disabilities.  I started visiting the orphans and was deeply moved by them, yet at the same time I was reminded of how fortunate and blessed Americans are.  One of the orphans I met was a five-year old boy named Adel who had autism and other mental challenges.  I was appalled to hear the terms used by the caregivers to describe Adel’s disability, especially his presumed “low IQ.”  All my encounters with Adel proved that he was nothing short of intelligent.  For example, Adel pointed to me and said, “Zina, look, there’s a man out in the balcony over there,” and surely enough, he was correct.  He was able to articulate his thoughts with remarkable ease and accuracy.  Having a disability does not mean that Adel had a “low IQ.”  I was truly saddened to see Adel’s potential being completely underestimated.  Distressingly, Adel is not alone.  Millions of other people in less fortunate countries are completely underestimated for different reasons, including disabilities.  While many people without disabilities pity, patronize, and preclude those with disabilities, people with disabilities are most often just as smart and intelligent as those without.  People like Adel will thrive if given the opportunity and the benefit of the doubt rather than just being labeled as a “low IQ.”

Honor Appreciation | Monica Thukral

My previous school’s everyday environment was absolutely the antithesis of that of Harker. Unfortunately, despite the many positive aspects of the school, the negative is what I will always remember: daily thefts and constant uneasiness.

When I joined Harker in the ninth grade, what surprised me the most was trust established within the tightly knit community. At first I laughed to myself at how naïve these students must be, as they left their laptops and other valuables scattered around the campus. Surely, they wouldn’t still be there when they returned, I thought. It wasn’t long before I began to do the same, eternally grateful for the ease at which I felt around the faculty and students of my new school.

In my opinion, this trust is the greatest aspect of Harker, and although we sometimes take it for granted, I love to think about just how lucky we are to spend our days in such an environment. Let us all work to keep it that way and increase the bond and faith we have between each other.

Proud to Be an American | Ayush Midha

Last Saturday, the weekend of Martin Luther King Day, was National Service Day in America. The day, a part of inauguration festivities that coincide with MLK Day, belongs to a nationwide drive to increase community service opportunities across America.

The National Service Day is just one feature of the widespread culture of community service in American politics. The idea of volunteering transcends the usual political infighting and is actively promoted by American politicians. For example, the Obama administration formed a nationwide initiative called “United We Serve,” a project inspired by the growing need for volunteers during the economic downturn. The project has started nationwide initiatives to provide hunger relief, give aid to Hurricane Sandy survivors, mentor youth, and serve veterans and their families. 

This pattern is also visible outside of American politics. For example, most high schools in America have community service requirements in order to graduate similar to those of Harker. This emphasis is unique to our country. The idea of required volunteering may seem odd, but it instills in young adults values of giving back to the community and serving those who are less fortunate. This sets a solid foundation for youth in America to begin serving the community well into adulthood.

The emphasis on community service makes me proud to be an American. Political beliefs aside, I am proud to have political leaders who actively promote volunteering and serve as role models to American youth. I hope that the culture of community service in America will continue to spread and make the world a better place.

Second Time Around | Arjun Goyal

During my most recent visit to KIPP Heartwood, I was placed in the fourth grade math class to tutor kids on integer manipulation. When I arrived, I was surprised to see Daniel, a kid who I had helped last year. I was even more surprised when he recognized me. Daniel is shy, but also pretty coy. He tries to find shortcuts, both to finish the problem more quickly and to get out of more work,  has no problem interrupting his working friends to squeeze in a joke, and smiles tacitly when he finally gets a problem. This occasion was the first time that I was able to tutor the same student more than once, and it was amazing to see his progress. After a brief refresher, he breezed through material he once found difficult. I was impressed and happy for him. After the two-hour session, Daniel and I fist-bumped (with an explosion, of course) and waved goodbye. Experiences like these are the reason I love going to KIPP.

What Break? | Ayush Midha

Just like every other high school student, I start counting down the days to Winter Break as soon as December begins. Two weeks of no work and complete relaxation seem like bliss to every teenager, especially after a grueling week of final exams.

This year, though, I began making lists and schedules of work to do, like volunteering, doing research for debate, practicing guitar, and getting a head start on some school assignments. My relaxing vacation was slowly turning into a stressful nightmare. I realized that too often, we forget about what’s important when we get sucked into the tornado of stuff that just needs to get done. Winter Break gives us an opportunity to spend time with family, catch up on some sleep, and help out in the community. While Harker’s policy of not assigning homework over break facilitates these important activities, other work (not just from school) always finds a way to fill up empty time like gas in a container. 

When we have so much stuff to do, we have to make sure that we set some time aside to have fun, and relax. For me, I realized this halfway through break, and as soon as I did, I spent more time with my family and even enjoyed doing some of the things on my to-do list. For example, I volunteered at a homeless shelter the day after Christmas and really enjoyed the experience. Although this activity started off as something on my to-do list, I felt incredibly satisfied and content after volunteering. I realized that I could be productive and enjoy my break at the same time. As soon as I made this commitment, my break became so much more enjoyable.