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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

Saxophonist Kirsten Edkins showcases her expertise during the song "Angelica." Each musician shined during this song with solo moments.

Kirsten Edkins Quintet brings jazz to life in Concert Series

by Chelsea Xie and Cynthia Xie September 12, 2025

“When life gives you speed bumps, you can choose to either slow down, or speed up and take the bump like a ride. Wuhoo!” The Kirsten Edkins Quintet performed original jazz music at 7 p.m. in the...

Sophomore Tanvi Dhoot slowly melts through a move with her own personalized flair. “He gives us a lot of freedom to choose what we do with the moves,” attendee Jennifer Liu (11) said. “He told us to ‘melt’ between moves — you have a lot of control and a lot of time to find your feeling in the moves.”

Professional dancer teaches jazz funk Masterclass

by Claire Tian and Chelsea Xie September 7, 2025

Professional dancer Davarria Ford instructed a jazz funk masterclass, open to all students, on Aug. 29 in the dance room. Ford taught a routine to a remix of “1 Thing” by Amerie that he had co-choreographed...

Theater teacher Brandi Griffith explains details of the Certificate program to a group of frosh. The Certificate program allows students to focus on one performing arts discipline throughout high school.

Performing arts students set stage with new theme at Conservatory Kickoff

by Chelsea Xie and Leah Krupnik September 2, 2025

Current and prospective members of the Harker Conservatory connected and learned about various performing arts departments and events during the Conservatory Kickoff at the Rothschild Performing Arts Center...

Senior Tiffany Zhu gazes at a Pop Mart blind box as other customers around her glance at nearby products. Pop Mart’s revenue rose to $1.9 billion in 2024, thanks to the popularity of the Labubu toy in the “Monsters” line.

Pop Mart encourages consumerism through social media trends and cute designs

by Lindsay Li, Multimedia Editor August 31, 2025

Pop Mart’s strangely endearing creations push teenagers and adults alike to spend thousands on everything from miniature figurines to phone cases in the past year and a half. Between resellers and passionate...

Lindsay Li (12) studies the food in the display case at Hello Kitty Cafe. The counter showcases classic desserts as well as seasonal specials.

Hello Kitty Cafe: Picture perfect, but falls short on flavor

by Hannah Jeon and Lindsay Li August 30, 2025

Bearing the promise of sweet treats and Hello Kitty-themed delight, the Hello Kitty Cafe at Westfield Valley Fair opened mid-July. With the face of the iconic cartoon figure everywhere, the cafe sparkled...

A HEYTEA employee cleans up a matcha latte before handing it off to a customer. HEYTEA drinks spanned a wide variety of flavors, from creamy milk to bright citrus.

Tasty Tidbits: HEYTEA reinvents summer drinks with fruity flavors and fresh ingredients

by Chelsea Xie, Cynthia Xie, and Lily Peng August 30, 2025

HEYTEA’s newest Cupertino location provides instant relief on a hot summer day, the cool air flowing through the spacious cafe acting as a refreshing change from the heat outside. Sunlight streams through...

Barber Zane Sharif trims a clients hair. “You imagine your client as a canvas, and you’re almost painting,” Sharif said. “Your tools and razors are your brushes. So, in a sense, it is almost the same thing as art."

So you wanna be a barber?

by Wenjie Zou and Heather Wang August 29, 2025

Zane Sharif unzips a blue tent and steps inside the barbershop set up in his backyard. Inside, a ring light sits in one corner, a mirror and a cabinet of various tools in another and a salon chair in the...

The band Wallows performs at Outside Lands. Fans crowded the stage as they played "Are You Bored Yet?".

Music festivals or concerts, which is better?

by Samaara Patil, TALON Photo and Sports Editor August 29, 2025

The lights dim, and a roar erupts from the crowd. Hundreds of people pull out their phone as they wait in anticipation for the chart-topping artist to begin signing. This is an environment that can only...

Past summer anthems included Sabrina Carpenter’s light and poppy "Espresso," Kendrick Lamar’s club banger “Not Like Us” and Charli XCX’s hyperpop album "Brat." On the other hand, this summer's top single "Ordinary" by Alex Warren is instead characterized by its manufactured authenticity.

Summer hits lose their spark, formulas become standard

by Suhani Gupta and Sam Li August 24, 2025

This summer’s charts crowned American singer-songwriter Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” as the season’s soundtrack, taking Billboard’s top spot. However, it lacks the originality of past anthems:...

HDC members perform a jazz choreography to "See Me Now" onstage in the Patil Theater.  Both teams showcased the routines they learned during the closing performance on Friday.

Dance teams kickstart year with United Spirit Association dance camp

by Heather Wang, Humans of Harker Managing Editor August 18, 2025

Harker Dance Company and Kinetic Krew kicked off the year with new choreography and team bonding during a camp led by United Spirit Association (USA) on campus from Aug. 13 to 15. Both teams learned...

Senior Fern Biswas addresses junior Ollie Masoni. Fern was the final performer before the Certificate mentors honored Jack Farnham ('17) with the Life in the Arts award.

Conservatory concludes year with Hammies and Senior Showcase

by Lily Peng, Sports Editor May 28, 2025

Conservatory honored performing arts students and Certificate seniors in the annual Hammies and Senior Showcase on May 17 in the Patil Theater. Hammies, Harker’s Conservatory awards ceremony, kicked...

Although the USC Mind Challenge was created with the intent of raising funds and awareness, in reality, it did little to combat mental health stigma. 
“For these types of challenges, it’s important to take actual action,” junior Amishi Gupta said. “Out of the people that were informed, maybe 10% of them donated towards the cause, but the other 90% of videos can be a little performative.”

USC Speak Your Mind Challenge floods Instagram feeds, raises little awareness

by Chelsea Xie, A&E/Lifestyle Editor May 23, 2025

During a class break, sophomore Ryan Pham opens his phone and clicks into his friend’s Instagram story. “Thank you for nominating me…” With a sigh of annoyance, he watches the video of his classmate...

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