The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

“I love losing. I love messing things up. I love failing. As cliche as it sounds, that is the fastest way for me to learn things, to get better at things. If you’re doing things wrong, and no one ever tells you, or you never lose, you think you’re doing everything right but you might not be, Adrian Liu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Setting up success

by Katerina Matta, Co-Sports Editor November 15, 2023

It’s Adrian Liu’s (12) first high school volleyball practice of the year, and he’s one of two freshmen on varsity. Apart from the nerves of playing with upperclassmen this marks one of his first...

Humans of Harker: Confidence in creativity

Humans of Harker: Confidence in creativity

by Mia Tang, Reporter November 15, 2023

A self-portrait featuring a face covered in butterflies, reflective of self-consciousness regarding one’s beauty and appearance. A novel, versatile robot that originally seemed daunting to build...

“For every time we break one end mill drill bit, we add a tally on the machine. We have a list each year of how many times weve broken that, and its huge. Stuff breaks. We get back up and keep working,” Vivek Nayyar (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Drills and thrills

by Kairui Sun, Reporter November 13, 2023

The dazzling white floodlights of the George R. Brown Convention center dim to a soft, pulsing purple on cue with the music. Vivek Nayyar (12) gazes at the crowd of familiar, smiling faces, illuminated...

“If you dont feel like doing something, you should do it. Ive had way too many days where I didnt take running as seriously. Every time I didnt want to run, I wouldnt run, and that was really bad. But now, when I dont want to run, Ill end up going on a run, and it works out so much better than if I didn’t, Veyd Patil (12) said.

Humans of Harker: From start to finish

by Chayce Milheim, Co-Photo Editor November 9, 2023

The sun's first rays break through the morning mist, and an electric anticipation fills the air. Hundreds of determined athletes gather at the starting line, their breaths synchronized, their hearts...

“Now, my mindset going into everything is, no matter what happens, you have to know that you gave it everything you had. When I step up on stage and go up to play the piano, I make sure that when I get off that stage, I left everything I had on that piano. Then, if I lost, I couldnt make the excuse that I didnt try hard enough,” Edward Huang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Pedaling through pressure

by Victor Gong, Co-STEM Editor October 29, 2023

“Next up, Edward!” In front of a sea of eager listeners, Edward Huang (12) steps up onto the stage and sits down on the black leather piano stool. Taking a deep breath, he carefully places his hands...

“I’m the type of person who’s drawn to excitement, can’t sit still or always has the next crazy idea. It’s not in my nature, but I learned to sit down and enjoy the process of what I’m doing, the process of tackling issues or looking at unexpected results in a positive way,” Kaitlyn Wang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: No door left unopened

by Ella Yee, Co-Editor-in-Chief October 26, 2023

Ever wondered about how we got to planet Earth? Curious about exoplanets that endure extreme conditions to orbit their host stars? Kaitlyn Wang (12) is the person to talk to. But she’s also someone who’s...

Even if I have one bad morning, that doesnt mean I have to waste the rest of my day. With writing, I get writers block sometimes, but [my mindset is] that if something I wrote doesnt come out well, I can always go back and edit it. I try to move on, and who knows? Maybe the next part will be better, Sebastian Dionne (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Shelf of dreams

by Ashley Mo, Reporter October 22, 2023

A spiral tower brimming with trap-ridden chambers and magical creatures. A cyborg-esque robot on a quest to navigate a distant planet. Whether delving into the realms of fantasy or Sci-Fi, Sebastian Dionne...

“Along with motivation comes being able to adapt. Just because you fail the first time shouldnt mean that whatever youre doing isnt right for you. Sometimes it just means that you have to improve on areas youre weak on. By doing that, I learned that being motivated and having an open mindset is really what keeps me going,” Chloe Lee (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Through the looking glass

by Jonathan Xue, Humans of Harker Co-Managing Editor October 18, 2023

Reflective and transparent, glass is multifaceted in nature. Within its very substance lies infinite possibility, all captured in a single sheet. Peer deeply, and who knows what can be seen? A mirror,...

“One [thing I’ve learned] is creativity and problem solving. Theres a lot of innovation, like ‘How can I manipulate this to look like what I want, but without using countless things?’ I’ve also learned precision and focus, and I have an eye for small details. That applies to school, so when I’m learning, I make sure to understand every aspect of a subject, Katie Reed (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Wired for success

by Tiffany Zhu, Reporter October 15, 2023

As Katie Reed (12) scrolls through her social media feed, a video of a creator expertly threading a wire through a metal charm to create jewelry catches her attention. For a brief moment, she pauses, captivated...

Humans of Harker: Skating through limits

Humans of Harker: Skating through limits

by Edward Huang, Winged Post Co-Managing Editor October 6, 2023

The screech of skateboard wheels against asphalt echoes through the secluded skatepark as Sathvik Chundru (12) propels himself toward the half-pipe. He launches into the air, effortlessly executing...

“As soon as I learned about this amazing new field of medical humanities, I wanted to share it with other people through workshops and what other means I could. Whatever I’m really interested in, whatever I learn, I immediately want to spread it to other people,” Anika Mantripragada (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Canvas of curiosity and culture

by Ananya Sriram, Winged Post Co-Managing Editor October 4, 2023

What do cells, “lehengas” and Audrey Hepburn have in common? Not many similarities appear at first glance, yet a union between each forms as Anika Mantripragada (12) twirls in her “lehenga,”...

Being a lifer, I really want to put my knowledge to use. Being a TEDx speaker is a really big honor in and of itself, but to be able to actually address the Harker community was really important to me because I wanted to have an impact on the place that Ive been at for 13 years, Arissa Huda (23) said.

Humans of Harker: Prescribing change

by Michelle Wei, Humans of Harker Co-Managing Editor August 17, 2023

At Arissa Huda (‘23)’s local mosque, patients sit waiting for their appointment at the free monthly health clinic. One by one, Arissa calls them in, taking their temperature and blood pressure, then...

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