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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

Visitors to the Sphere settle into their seats before the show. "Postcard to Earth" tells the story of two astronauts, Bryon and Fang.

Find nature’s stamp on “Postcard from Earth”

by Ashley Mo, Assistant STEM Editor February 15, 2024

The lights dim as I settle into my seat at the uppermost level of the Las Vegas Sphere. Below me, a sea of spectators stretches out, thousands of visitors anticipating the renowned “4D” experience....

Characters in "Pressure" crowd around Hannah Streeper's Sam after she fainted. All four SDS plays centered around the high school experience and adolescence's stresses.

Annual SDS showcase spotlights student directors

by Young Min, Emma Li, and Alison Yang February 15, 2024

A girl strides up to the mirror and finds her younger self staring back. A classroom strains under the stress of a sudden lockdown. A quartet of teenagers face the social, familial and academic pressures...

Arthur Wu (11) extends his arms during "Clocking out." This high-energy routine was choreographed by Luke Mehta (12).

‘Night and Day’ Dance Production mesmerizes Harker community

by Young Min and Suhani Gupta February 14, 2024

A cluster of dancers, loosely huddled together, rhythmically undulate in a mesmerizing cadence. A red spotlight illuminates their iridescent leotards and mesh pants as the dramatic intro of “(I Just)...

"Botticelli Drawings" welcomes visitors with a projected slideshow of the exhibit. The Legion of Honor's exhibition is the first to focus on the preparatory drawings over the finished pieces.

Out of the nest: Trace the line

by Alison Yang and Emma Li February 11, 2024

As an artist works, countless lines are sketched, erased and refined between studies and finished product. In presenting a piece to the public, they draw one final line connecting themselves and the viewer....

Mindy Truong rehearses before her recital at Santa Clara University on Jan. 28. Her dream is to play Rachmaninoff's "Piano Concerto No. 3" with a professional orchestra.

Harmonize piece by piece

by Alison Yang, Co-A&E/Lifestyle Editor February 6, 2024

A piano’s action is the ultimate translation: from composer through pianist through keys through hammer to note. Each iteration represents a deposit of personality, an augmentation of collective expression....

As an avid Murakami reader, reading “Sputnik Sweetheart” felt like reconnecting with an old friend: comforting, nostalgic and moderately gut-wrenching. Complete with alternate universes, moon portals and other typical Murakami narrative devices, the plot follows a detective-style pattern reminiscent of earlier works like “Norwegian Wood,” unfolding with a familiarity that is predictable yet enjoyable all the same.

Book Corner: Separate orbits

by Alena Suleiman, Aquila Co-Editor-in-Chief January 26, 2024

As the moon casts its enigmatic glow over the landscape, a portal opens to the other side. Leap or stay? Sumire, the protagonist of Haruki Murakami’s “Sputnik Sweetheart,” chooses to leap, in hopes...

"Priscilla" presents the famous relationship between Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu from her perspective. Directed by Sofia Coppola, the film delves into her coming-of-age both within and outside the gates of her marriage.

“Priscilla” can’t help scrutinizing loneliness, liberation and love

by Eva Cheng, Assistant Sports Editor January 20, 2024

Hi, I’m Eva, and today I am going to be talking about my thoughts on the 2023 release of Priscilla, starring Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi and directed by Sofia Coppola. Honestly, I didn’t have...

Winter instrumental concert rings in seasonal spirit

Winter instrumental concert rings in seasonal spirit

by Alison Yang and Jessica Wang January 17, 2024

Discord fills the Rothschild Performing theater. Upstairs, the tuning of instruments battles with anticipatory chatter and last-minute pep talks. Downstairs, audience members rustle through programs...

The main gameplay includes multiple cooking facilities, where cats chop vegetables like carrots and cabbage. All stations are located in the overlying cat forest, where they can be arranged and personalized.

Cooking soup with cats

by Suhani Gupta, Co-Assistant A&E/Lifestyle Editor January 15, 2024

Nestled deep in a forest, cats cook soup in a cozy village. They work around the clock to create masterful dishes and earn enough money to live in luxury.  While this charming scenario may seem like...

Originally a novel released in 2020, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" by Suzanne Collins debuted in theaters on Nov. 17, 2023.

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” soars

by Young Min and Jessica Wang January 5, 2024

A group of teenage fans stop in front of a poster depicting a gilded snake lunging at a metallic songbird mid-flight amongst a garden of golden roses behind the window of the IMAX theater. Other poster...

Downbeat performs an acapella remix of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" at Santana Row on Dec. 4. They also performed at Harker again on Dec. 15.

Downbeat spreads holiday cheer on annual tour

by Shareen Chahal and Ashley Mo December 31, 2023

Upper school show choir Downbeat traveled across the Bay Area for their annual Holiday tour on Dec. 1st.  Downbeat held a home show in Nichols Auditorium, where they sang a collection of winter songs...

Middle school dance team High Voltage performs to a remix of Wham!'s "Last Christmas." A total of seven groups from Harker performed at Spirit of the Row.

Harker performing arts groups shine bright at ‘Spirit of the Row’ celebration

by Ariana Goetting, Alison Yang, and Gabe Sachse December 31, 2023

Lights strewn across the Santana Row Christmas tree bathe spectators’ faces. Murmuring in anticipation, the crowd surrounds the stage as two students clad in sparkling gold dresses and black scarves...

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