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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

The most ephemeral moments have the ability to penetrate the membrane of short-term memory.

Stanzas with Shreyas: Wondering and wandering

by Shreyas Karnam October 5, 2025

Any student walking from class to class (hurrying, if the trek is from Dobbins to Shah), runs the risk of collision: I speak, of course, of the countless students I see walk past with their heads down,...

Starting last year, my friends and I took turns buying one of these Poppin' Cookin' food kits every Friday, and we would spend the next lunch period pouring gummy powders, taste-testing and laughing over how ridiculous the abominations looked.

Friday Five: Popin’ Cookin’

by Christina Ruan, Reporter September 30, 2025

I walk into Lion Market, mind locked on one target. Hurrying into the candy aisle, I spot it: Popin’ Cookin’. Starting last year, my friends and I took turns buying one of these small Japanese gummy...

Enzensberger captures the sheer wonder experienced by students forming connections between seemingly unrelated fields, allowing me to experience the joy of figuring something out for the first time all over again.

Book Corner: Logical whimsy

by Mihir Kotbagi, Aquila Managing Editor September 26, 2025

In your dreams, a mysterious talking beetle confronts you with vexing mathematical queries. Do you ignore it and wake up, convinced that not even sleep provides respite from your algebra homework, or plunge...

Aarya Vaidya (10) performs as the soothsayer Nostradamus during auditions for the musical Something Rotten. Students auditioned for roles in the production during the week of Sept. 15.

“Something Rotten!” auditions set stage for Spring Musical

by William Jiang and Aahana Sharma September 25, 2025

Fifty-two students auditioned for the Spring Musical “Something Rotten!” last week in the RPAC. Students performed both a monologue from the musical and a song of their choice on Monday and Tuesday...

HDC captains juniors Aurelia Spura and Hannah Jiang perform a part of the audition dance. In the routine, they made sure to include many different techniques and styles for dancers to showcase their strengths.

“Once Upon a Time” dance production leaps into auditions

by Cynthia Xie and Liana Barooah September 19, 2025

87 students auditioned for the upper school dance production ‘Once Upon a Time’ in the Patil Theater on Friday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Harker Dance Company captains Aurelia Spura (11) and Hannah Jiang...

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...

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