Rachel Harkin’s sense of humor often gets her into trouble. This became immediately apparent upon walking into her American Literature class.

“Mr. Rabiola put me in the front of the classroom.  Everybody in my class talks but I seem to be the one who gets to sit up front every single time,” Harkin said.

Most people know Rachel Harkin by her outrageous and sometimes shocking sense of humor.  She feels that those who appreciate her sense of humor will like her, while those who don’t have the same sense of humor will not.

“Rachel Harkin is a pusher,” junior Devon Lohrenz said. “I feel personally violated by her on a daily basis.”

Harkin believes the biggest misconception about her is that she is mean.

“But I’m not mean,” Harkin said. “I just like having a good joke. C’mon people, laugh a little.”

She attributes her sense of humor to God.  

“I came out of the womb telling jokes,” Harkin said.

In addition to her distinctive sense of humor, Harkin’s obsession for cats sets her apart.  Throughout the day she frequently drew cats on her assignments and notes.

“I think I’m more obsessed with cats than the average person,” Harkin said. “I love cats.  I get made fun of for drawing cats. Nathan Hermann for example says I kick my cats and shove them in closets, neither of which is true.”

The school day was far more interesting than usual with Rachel as a constant source of entertainment.  Throughout the day she was always providing comedic relief in the classroom.  

And Rachel is not easily ignored.  During our interview in the hallway we were hushed by a classmate who could hear the loud conversation and laughter through the door.  The teacher also came out in the hall to figure out the cause of the noise.  

In zero hour AP U.S. History Rachel prepared us for the rest of the day by scratching her typical “I heart Jesus” emblem on both of our hands.  

Cookie Friday was one of the highlights of Harkin’s day.  Fridays are the only day Rachel and her lunch table condone buying cookies from the Snack Shack.

Rachel also looked forward to learning Chinese words from Meixi Wang during her American Literature class.  So far she has learned to say “Ni hao,” a greeting in Chinese.

Although she doesn’t like the structured environment of school, Harkin enjoys conversing with her peers and meeting new people.  This is apparent as she conversed with a wide variety of people throughout the day.

“At least you can talk to people and meet creative people like Meixi Wang,” Harkin said. “You’re not just sitting there alone all day being homeschooled.”

Following Rachel for a day showed me just how fun a day in the life of Rachel Harkin really is.  Having a joke for every situation helps her and her peers laugh and enjoy themselves during school.  Her distinct and constant humor is truly unique.