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

After focusing much of her career on creating chart-topping pop singles, Swift now embraces synth-pop styles. It’s difficult to pigeonhole TTPD into a singular category, and Swift, who has tackled almost every genre throughout her career, would probably uphold that sense of ambiguity.

Taylor Swift shares poetic poignancy in “The Tortured Poet’s Department”

by Ashley Mo, Tiffany Zhu, and Kairui Sun May 11, 2024

31 tracks, two hours — the longest album singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has ever released. Swift dropped “The Tortured Poet’s Department” on April 19, breaking the record for most streams in 24...

Maggie Rogers new album “Don’t Forget Me” largely hinges on experiencing a complicated relationship with love itself. Outside of her lyrics, Rogers unites diverse instruments under a cohesive sound in her newest work. S

‘Don’t Forget Her:’ Maggie Rogers etches herself into singer-songwriter legend

by Gabe Sachse, Co-Aquila Managing Editor May 3, 2024

“Everybody’s going crazy / See them walking down the street” croons Maggie Rogers as she opens her new album “Don’t Forget Me” with an existential twist. Right away, the indie singer-songwriter...

Poetry offers students a place to express themselves, whether through writing, reading or reciting it. You can just use words and use the feelings of those words to create a painting, Eric Zhang (11) said.

Poetry empowers student voices

by Suhani Gupta, Co-A&E/Lifestyle Editor April 30, 2024

Adolescence often feels like a struggle. In these turbulent years, teenagers may feel the need to express themselves, to make their voices heard. Poetry is one such mode of expression, allowing for a release...

Daniel Wu (22) performs “If Ever I Would Leave You” by Robert Goulet. Daniel and The Spizzwinks visited Harker as a destination of their Hometown Tour.

Yale Spizzwinks brings harmony home

by Young Min and Suhani Gupta April 3, 2024

Threads of voices weave together, uniting into a rich, almost instrumental sound. Unique stories, expressed through singing, intertwine and transcend barriers to create a sanctuary for the audience. Yale...

Students David Jiang (9), Tiana Salvi (11), Harshini Chaturvedula (11) and Ivanya Sadana (9) express their cultures by playing musical instruments, dancing and singing while wearing cultural apparel. (Illustration by Young Min, Photos by Margaret Cartee and provided by Tiana Salvi)

Creativity builds cultural bridges

by Tiffany Zhu March 28, 2024

Every step to a dance, every stitch for a keychain, every note from an instrument and every lyric in a song form a vibrant tapestry of cultural expression, weaving a connection between artists and their...

Nicki Minaj performs at her Pink Friday 2 Tour, smoke and smotlights lighting up the stage. The concert had a setlist of 36 tracks with songs from all of her albums. (Provided by Ie-Chen Cheng)

Nicki Minaj brings the heat at Pink Friday 2 tour opener

by Ashley Mo, Assistant STEM Editor March 24, 2024

Hot pink spotlights. Drums clashing. The stadium erupts in cheers as the iconic opening of “I’m The Best” fills the air while flashes of white light dance to the synth beat. Rapper and singer Nicki...

Moshfegh exposes the emptiness and futility of chasing after superficial pleasures, painting a bleak portrait of a society adrift in a sea of excess. However, her dry wit and razor-sharp observations inject much-needed lightness into an otherwise heavy narrative, making it a surprisingly enjoyable read.

Book Corner: Wake up

by Jessica Wang March 17, 2024

Sometimes, you just want to sleep. The stress of everything around you presses on more and more. Maybe erasing yourself would serve as the easiest form of release from all external pressures. But the world...

Downbeat member Shayla He (12) sings Jupiter: Every Day I Listen To My Heart, a Japanese song by Ayaka Hirahara. The upper school acapella group also performed Cells, Planets and Levitating.

United Voices resonates inspiration and connection

by Eva Cheng March 11, 2024

Backstage, a twelfth grade performer adjusts the crooked collar of his seventh grade companion. A fourth grade student weaves her way through Rothschild Performing Arts Center, waving at the older students...

Harshini Chaturvedula (12) waves her hand as she conducts a the string ensembles rendition of Adoration by Florence Price. I’m always in admiration of the talented, friendly musicians around me, Harshini said. Everyone contributes to this community and makes it the amazing group it is for all of us.

Orchestra members take charge in student-led Chamber Music Concert

by Kevin Zhang March 10, 2024

Harmonies greet guests entering Patil Theater, as the glint of instruments sparkle among student performers illuminated onstage. Intermittent notes echo throughout the venue while musicians tune their...

Predictions for the 2024 Oscars

by Desiree Luo and Gabe Sachse March 9, 2024

Gabe: Hi, I'm Gabe Sachse, and I'm an Assistant News editor for Harker Aquila. Desiree: And I’m Desiree Luo, and I'm one of the Aquila Managing Editors. Gabe: Today we're going to be discussing...

Bahar Sodeifi (11) and Kyle Li (11) play the saxophone during Jazz Bands performance at the Essentially Ellington Festival. Harker performed Manceta by Dizzy Gillespie. (Provided by Essentially Ellington Festival)

Jazz Band attends Essentially Ellington Festival in Orlando

by Disha Gupta March 9, 2024

Amidst rows and rows of passionate high-school musicians, all eyes turned to the Harker Jazz Band as they took center stage at the Essentially Ellington Festival held at the Phillips Center of Performing...

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