The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
Humans of Harker: Leading with every lesson
Humans of Harker: Leading with every lesson
“For me, discipline can only happen when I try the things that I really like. Since I like basketball and I like guitar, I'm willing to contribute to the discipline. It's not really discipline at that point — it's passion," senior Advay Monga said.
Humans of Harker: Dribble and drive
“Working on Roobi has taught me how to bounce back from failures, and that problems need to be addressed one bit at a time because you can't just tackle huge goals. I learned to not be afraid of failure because every failure is a step towards success. I try not to look back and wish I could change something because I can't. It's the past. Instead, I look forward," senior Daniel Dorfman said.
Humans of Harker: Steeped for success
“With volleyball and Medical Club, I love working with people. I get to work with people who aren't necessarily in my classes or aren't my friends specifically, but we get to work hard and work together towards a common goal. That collaboration aspect is really important to me," senior Navya Samuel said.
Humans of Harker: Cooperation through competition
“Human connection is very important to staying grounded and stable. The people around me are one of the reasons that I'm not fully burnt out, so I really prioritize keeping a good schedule for myself. Being able to prioritize the things in life that give me internal satisfaction is important to me because that's what allows me to have the drive to do good with the rest of my time. Talking to people is a way for me to replenish," senior Kashish Priyam said.
Humans of Harker: Pep in every step
Humans of Harker: Cooking with creativity
Humans of Harker: Cooking with creativity
“There's a lot of value in every moment and everyone around you. I appreciate people who just appreciate the little things. For me, I feel like everyone you meet can teach you a little bit, and that's something that I've really internalized over the years. I think that's part of why I like being around people and different communities so much. Because in each of these communities, you can learn so many different things from everyone," Olivia Xu ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Purpose towards progress
“I get to choose how much effort and detail I put in, and that’s what you’re going to see in the end. I love that you can see the truth on paper. A lot of my work is in black and white, so I can’t rely on color to cover it up or make it more interesting — I can only rely on my skill and willingness to go into the studio and add to my piece," Katelyn Zhao ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Envisioning the everyday
"I used to think that I have to keep doing dance just because it's what I’m known for. But now I’ve realized there’s beauty behind all the madness that happens. And it’s now a part of me, so not doing dance or not having Legos is like I’m losing a part of my identity," Luke Mehta ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Building with style
“Why not? So many things are very foreign or unknown to us, but there’s not much to lose by just trying things. I initially wasn’t very comfortable with DECA, especially with impromptu, but the community really helped me grow out of that. And DECA is now one of my top high school memories. Just giving things a try is really worth it, and if it fails, the worst thing that can happen is you just try something else," Claire Luo ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: It’s all in the details
"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 I've been at for 13 years," Arissa Huda ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Prescribing change
"I’ve learned discipline: practicing a lot and then knowing what your strengths are, knowing where to improve. That discipline is definitely going to stay with me. If I’m trying to get a big piece of work done in general when I'm interested in it, I'll stop at nothing to reach my goals," Linette Hoffman ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Artistry in motion
"I have this philosophy with theater. I wholeheartedly believe that my life was made for the stage, and all my make or break moments have happened there. While some people learn best through lectures or visuals, I learn best from having a spotlight on me," Zubin Khera ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Scripts to success
"One of the most important things for me about performing is its transformative power. There was one concert where we were singing this commission about gun violence, followed by a piece about climate change, a piece about the Holocaust. Watching the audience's expressions and how they reacted to the music we were singing was the first time that I was like, ‘Whoa, music has the power to change lives and engender positive change,’” Sawyer Lai ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Symphony of spirit
"It’s been fun getting to know the chefs at La Mar, their team and how different cultural influences blend together. For example, they make ceviche, which is a traditional Peruvian dish, but they infuse it with many different cultures. They have a version of their ceviche which is inspired by African tastes and spices, and they also have a Japanese form of that same ceviche dish. I think it’s interesting to watch how these fusion dishes form," Alex Lan ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Flavors of knowledge
Prakrit Jain ('22) searches for new animal species to help the environment and wildlife.
Humans of Harker: Scorpion spotter
Arnav Gupta ('22) moves a DNA construction.
Humans of Harker: Coding for a cause
“[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.
Humans of Harker: Blast of creativity
"Every single person I've interviewed for Humans of Harker has said one killer quote that has stuck with me even through four years of high school, and I think I really do internalize those messages. There are nuances in every single person's experience that makes it unique to them and also makes it a good lesson for everyone else. It's just amazing to see how much wisdom every single person at Harker has, and it's fascinating to learn about those stories," Erica Cai ('22) said.
Humans of Harker: Harmony in humanity
“Something I took away from baseball is that there's always the opportunity to bounce back when things don't go particularly right. Even the best hitters only go one for three, so being able to push through that is one of the most important parts of the game. Being able to identify what goes wrong and learning from that is important to being able to find success in the future," Mark Hu ('22) said.
Humans of Harker: The perfect pitch
Humans of Harker: Perseverance on par
Humans of Harker: Perseverance on par
It's been obviously rough, turning on the news and seeing another death, seeing another acquittal every single time … but, ‘How much can I do?’ is the question I'm asking myself. ‘How much can I help, and what impact can I have?’” Brian Pinkston ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: For the future and the present
“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.
Humans of Harker: Leading with DECA-cation
Class of 2021: Humans of Harker compilation, part three
Class of 2021: Humans of Harker compilation, part three
“I feel really good about myself when I'm relaxed and enjoying the world. There’s so much to learn about the world and so many ways to do so," Daniel Wang ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: Mapping the unknown
"I'm the person that always has a plan for everything. And then I have backups for the plan, and I have backups for the backups," Nicole Chen ('19) said.
Humans of Harker: Calendars for a cause
"I don’t ever intend on letting the internal love of life that I have leave me. As I grow up and I maintain my love for the random things I do, I know I’ll be happy– and hopefully people around me will be, as well," Mathew Mammen ('19) said.
Humans of Harker: Jack of all trades, master of fun
Humans of Harker: To dance, to feel
Humans of Harker: To dance, to feel
"The more serious side, people will never see. You'll never see who's behind one of these websites that people may be using," Neil Ramaswamy (12) said. "Several freshmen have approached me like, 'hey, you're the really funny guy at school meeting' and I'm like 'hey, yeah, nice to meet you' and at the same time they might be using an application that I've written not knowing that it's me. I kind of get that personal satisfaction knowing that there is a serious side to me, you just don't know about it."
Humans of Harker: Dueling with duality
Humans of Harker: Humanity in art
Humans of Harker: Humanity in art
“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.
Humans of Harker: Neymika Jain finds balance in life
“A lot of the time, when I’m out at nail salons, nailers ask me if I‘m Vietnamese. I say yes, but they say that I don’t speak the language and have never been back to Vietnamese, so am I really? I always felt disconnected, like I would be Vietnamese-American but never Vietnamese. When I went to Vietnam for the first time, it brought me closer to my culture. I realized I shouldn’t view myself as a different. I have to see Vietnamese-American and Vietnamese as one and the same," Haley Tran (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Haley Tran values her cultural identity
“One time, I was hiking up this giant off-trail path, and this is going to make me sound like a complete hippy, but what I was thinking at the moment was that every single tree out there must have had some sort of backstory. Even when I was walking to Shah, there was this tree right next to the building, and I was like, ‘Maybe this tree had a lot of other tree friends, but then this building came up and they had to get cut down.’ That made me pretty sad. So, when I was coming up with backstories for trees, it reminded me of my childlike innocence of playing pretend or playing with my stuffed animals because I thought my imagination would never run as wild as it once did. But, this experience made me feel happy because it’s something that I’ve lost, and I feel like I gained some of it back," Aashish Jain (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Aashish Jain finds inspiration in painting through watching Bob Ross videos
“For me, robotics has always been a great way to learn about how to build things and how things work. Honestly, that is the reason why I love robotics. When you see everything working, you look at it and say 'I helped make this happen,' which is really really gratifying," Andrew Tierno (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Andrew Tierno reflects on his passion for robotics
“A lot of being a choreographer is about digging deep, understanding, and finding out which event leads to the next, which is basically what science is. You would take a circuit and break it apart to understand each of the components, and you would do that to a song,” Sneha Bhetanabhotla (‘17) said.
Humans of Harker: Sneha Bhetanabhotla learns to connect robotics and dance
“I can be serious, and I care a lot about a lot of things, but I also just like having fun and people feeling comfortable being their true selves,” Isabella Spradlin (12) said. “You don't have to be one-sided — you can have different sides of your personality, and different moods.”
Humans of Harker: Isabella Spradlin gleans insight from sisterhood
“This is like a melting pot of Cupertino, Lynbrook, Saratoga, some people from De Anza, so you meet all kinds of people,” Rahul Mehta (12) said. “Half the time I’m not even playing with my friends, so I’m playing with random people. You start off in the beginning a bit wary of each other, and then by end you’re playing like they’re your friends. It’s kind of gradual. Like after a really cool play, you’ll high five each other, and that’s how it all begins.”
Humans of Harker: Rahul Mehta befriends others through banter
"People are always debating, you know, ‘should I go up to a higher weight or not?’ And I’ll just yell, ‘do it, you won’t,’" Tiffany Shou (12) said. "And then, you know, it’s like that challenge, and so it always pushes them pick that higher weight, and then they can accomplish it, so it’s even more gratifying."
Humans of Harker Video: Tiffany Shou pushes her limits in the weight room
“First, I start at my house,” Sparsh Chauhan (12) said. “Then, I turn on Saratoga, and it’s always crowded with traffic and stuff. That’s when I’m setting the music, checking the tire pressure, the gas. After downtown, the road gets smooth, which is when I put the windows down. I go all the way down until there’s a dip and then I go back. Even when I have stuff to do, I drive that same route every day. I don’t have to take directions. I know all the traffic times; I know exactly where I’m going.”
Humans of Harker: Sparsh Chauhan takes pride in his work
“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.”
Humans of Harker: Angel Cervantes chases his goals
“[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.
Humans of Harker: Learning to fall
“You just have to go for it. You think, 'In the future, if I think back and regret it, is that how I want to end up — or would I rather just try something and see what happens?' Usually, it turns out well,” Montek Kalsi (’20) said. 
Humans of Harker: All fun and games
“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.
Humans of Harker: Leadership and love
Humans of Harker: Grit and grind
Humans of Harker: Grit and grind
Humans of Harker: Artistic nonconformity
Humans of Harker: Artistic nonconformity
The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
As you read...
Staff Travels
Over the Thanksgiving break, I visited the islands of Tahiti and Mo’orea, my third venture into Polynesia after visiting Hawaii and New Zealand years prior.
Out of the Nest: Tahiti and Mo’orea
by Suhani Gupta, Co-A&E/Lifestyle Editor

Looking at a map of the world, it’s easy to overlook the tiny islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that make up French Polynesia. The...

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A Rodin sculpture features prominently in the main hall of the Legion of Honor’s upper level. Surrounded by smaller works by the acclaimed sculptor, the work exemplifies the importance of the Rodin collection to the museum’s legacy.
Out of the nest: A day in San Francisco
by Gabe Sachse, Aquila Managing Editor
Beaming with bulbs: San Francisco Tulip Day draws crowds
Beaming with bulbs: San Francisco Tulip Day draws crowds
by Katerina Matta and Young Min
Out of the nest: Walk the High Line
Out of the nest: Walk the High Line
by Alison Yang and Brandon Zau
Students traveling to France relax in the lounge of the Paris airport. They awaited their flight to Rennes, where they would start their trip.
Out of the nest: A glance at France
by Suhani Gupta
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With the Professionals
Vinay Reddy advises former President Biden on a speech. “It doesn't matter who you're writing for,” Reddy said. “The real, most important thing is [that] you understand that person."
So you wanna be a speech writer?
by Samaara Patil, TALON Assistant Photo Editor • March 8, 2025

As soon as Director of the Office of Speech Writing Vinay Reddy arrives at his office, the room buzzes with energy. The team is excited for the annual Diwali White House celebration being hosted later...

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Claudia Chee poses with a cart inside Costco. Chee has over 215K followers on Instagram, where she posts product recommendations.
So you wanna be a Costco influencer?
by Chelsea Xie, Assistant News Editor
So you wanna be a concert cellist?
So you wanna be a concert cellist?
by Young Min and Chelsea Xie
So you wanna be a destination wedding guitarist?
So you wanna be a destination wedding guitarist?
by Jessica Wang, Co-Opinions Editor
MandatoryQuest, a Gloomhaven Youtuber, interviews Motti Eisenbach. Eisenbach showed him the game during PAX Unplugged, a board game convention, and filmed a short interview about his process of becoming a board game designer.
So you wanna be a board game designer?
by Saahil Herrero, Asst. Copy Editor
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Reviews
Released March 7, “MAYHEM” finally revives the beloved electric debut of Lady Gaga’s illustrious career but lacks further inspiration.
“MAYHEM” launches Lady Gaga’s boring Renaissance
by Claire Tian, Assistant STEM Editor

Since stepping into the scene in 2008, Lady Gaga has dazzled audiences with her ability to shapeshift—to melt into distinct theatrical personas and musical genres. Gaga first topped charts with electropop,...

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Bad Bunny’s latest album is full of political and social messaging and makes strong statements before you even press play. My top tracks were NUEVAYoL, DtMF and BOKeTE.
Bad Bunny captures snapshot of Puerto Rico in “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS”
by Claire Tian, Assistant STEM Editor

Bad Bunny’s latest album is full of political and social messaging and makes strong statements before you even press play. “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” features track titles that reflect his Puerto Rican...

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The sheer vulnerability of Tyler’s personal reflections alone makes Chromokopia worth listening to. For any creative at his level of popularity, there is a distinct threat of becoming more of a brand than an artist. While Tyler does not veer into anything that could be considered unmarketable or controversial on the record, he does bring a certain rawness to the table.
Tyler, Created
by Gabe Sachse, Aquila Managing Editor

“Do I look like him?” So goes the most impactful and emotional lyric on rapper Tyler, the Creator’s 2024 record, "Chromakopia." In the lyric, Tyler refers to his estranged father, but he could...

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TaoTaoTea’s attention to detail in both decor and drink preparation makes it a standout among boba shops in San Jose. The friendly staff provide excellent service, delivering drinks to customers and giving helpful recommendations for first-timers like us.
Our favorite dish by far was the chicken tikka masala; boneless chicken cooked in a thick savory gravy with a sweet undertone that perfectly complemented the protein. We paired the tikka masala with the garlic naan, which was flavorful and crispy due to its charred outer crust.
Chinese animation Ne Zha 2 breaks records across film industryReleased March 7, “MAYHEM” finally revives the beloved electric debut of Lady Gaga’s illustrious career but lacks further inspiration.Friday Five: Harker InstagramsJunior Aanya Shah explains her painting to French teacher Galina Tchourilova. As part of the AP Art curriculum, students conduct a Sustained Investigation, which involves an in-depth exploration of a single idea. Poulenc Trio and Shawnette Sulker showcase lively classical music in Concert Series
“MAYHEM” launches Lady Gaga’s boring Renaissance

by Claire Tian, Assistant STEM Editor | March 19, 2025

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Friday Five: Harker Instagrams

by Cynthia Xie, Assistant A&E/Lifestyle Editor | March 13, 2025

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The TikTok trend colloquially dubbed BookTok led to the growth of new genres like “romantasy”—a portmanteau of ‘romance’ and ‘fantasy.’ These trends coupled with TikTok’s short-form video style allowed BookTok to become an innovative book marketing strategy.
When selecting courses, aim for a mix of rigor and personal interest. Find a balance that allows you to thrive.
Kerbis points out the emotion and movement embodied in a line from a cartoon. She invited attendees to take turns reading a line of their choice and suggested improvements to their acting.
Calorie-tracking apps and fitness trackers often feed into unhealthy habits related to eating. Teens who are already vulnerable to body image issues may become obsessed with counting every calorie.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni faced online backlash after their press tour for the movie "It Ends with Us." Lively accused Baldoni of sexually harassing her on set.
Book Corner: A fading silver lining
Sophomores Megha Unny and Sophia Zhu smile as they sing together onstage. They harmonized in a cover of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me."
Jillian and Chloe, played by frosh Anya Lu and sophomore Laya Sankara, notice that a newcomer is coming to their bus stop. "I had a great group of actors, and they were really dedicated," Ananya said.
Hozier’s album “Unreal Unearth: Unending” weaves varying genres – from blues to folk to soul – and experimentation with synth and orchestral compositions into a compelling tracklist of 26 songs. Borrowing the narrative structure and many thematic elements of Dante’s “Inferno”, the album explores the depths of human emotion and delivers sharp societal commentary. 
Senior Varun Thvar plays the cello in the orchestra's opening performance of "Sleigh Ride." The song featured instrumental teacher Jaco Wong dressed as the Grinch and a ringing slapstick.
Senior Jessica Wang performs her solo on the flute. She was chosen to perform at the Winter Instrumental Concert after Orchestra’s annual concerto competition.
Predictions for the 67th Grammys
As the year comes to an end, many may feel nostalgia. Harker Aquila editors reflected on the bittersweet feeling of traditions and memories fading into the past in these winter themed tiny love stories.
Saanvi Bhargava (12), Shruti Srinivasan (12) and Holly Templeton (11) pose during "Jingle Bell Rock." "It’s so fun to perform because we have such an interactive audience," Shruti said.
Friday Five: Top childhood book series
Fall is a time when one pulls out layers, rediscovers old favorites, and embraces a cozier way of life. With its unpredictable weather—cool mornings, warm afternoons, and chilly evenings—fall requires a perfectly curated wardrobe.
fall choral concert 2024
Student composers express musical dreams through song
TaoTaoTea’s attention to detail in both decor and drink preparation makes it a standout among boba shops in San Jose. The friendly staff provide excellent service, delivering drinks to customers and giving helpful recommendations for first-timers like us.
Zheng poses in front her map “How to Make a Golden State.” This map charts the labor of the Asian farmworkers who played a crucial role in shaping California’s agricultural infrastructure.
Junior Spencer Chang records one of his comedy dad-joke videos for his Instagram account “spencerbfunny.” His first viral reel blew up on March 15, recieving milllions of views and now having around 253,000 likes.
Time in “Catch-22” moves cyclically, stagnating and doubling back instead of flowing linearly. This structure depicts war as chaotic and absurd: in this winding story, the readers are introduced to a veritable myriad of bizarre characters, each uniquely offbeat yet equally meaningful.
Sophomore Lana Tariq performs her monologue as Queen Margaret from “Henry VI: Part 3.” She won first place for her performance and will go on to perform in the regional Shakespeare monologue contest in San Francisco.
Violinist Nancy Zhou and pianist Serena Wang play a duet on their respective instruments. “Nancy tells a story on the violin like no one else, and Serena is just brilliant,” their manager Earl Blackburn said.
King of the fairies Oberon, played by junior Bee Chadwick, schemes to trick the four Athenian lovers. "'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is one of the most entertaining comedies," theater teacher Brandi Griffith said.
Remakes and sequels send mixed messages to movie enthusiasts
Friday Five: Bingsu
The Allen Elizabethan Theatre set features a Victorian-style balcony with a pink lighting. Students watched "Much Ado About Nothing" as the final play in the trip.
Dalton Trumbo’s anti-war novel pushes readers into a world of suffering, where his mind remains vibrantly alive, yet his body is a mere shell. It’s a stark exploration of the human cost of conflict, a journey through memory, loss and the bitter truths of existence.
Connecting with friends and being present are just some of the many benefits. According to a study from the American Academy of Ophthalmology, advantages of digital detox also include improved sleep, less stress and better productivity. 
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