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

Travis Scotts fourth full-length album UTOPIA features disconnected songs and thinly-veiled attempts at virality. While the album may offer moments of brilliance, it leaves listeners yearning for the depth and authenticity found in his earlier works.

Not quite utopia

by Edward Huang, Winged Post Co-Managing Editor August 30, 2023

After over five years of silence, hip-hop artist Travis Scott has finally returned. Releasing his fourth full-length studio album "UTOPIA" on July 28, the hip-hop artist marked his long-awaited return...

A house finch pinches a cherry blossom in its beak at the Washington Park Arboretum. The Washington Park Arboretum borders Lake Washington and is home to finches, ducks, turtles and other wildlife.

Out of the nest: 3 days in Seattle

by Claire Zhao, Co-STEM Editor May 31, 2023

It’s my first time in Seattle, Washington –– the bustling city of coffee, greenery, planes, cherry blossoms, Pike Place, the Space Needle and tempestuous weather. All it took was a simple itinerary...

Modern haikus bend traditional rules; they blend old and new again.

Haikus for National Haiku Day

by Jessica Wang and Claire Su May 24, 2023

Learn about the history of haikus in a series of 5-7-5 poems we wrote to honor National Haiku Day on April 17! Sparse syllables flow Haikus born in Japan's past Bashō's artistry  Seventeen sound...

Hannah Streeper (10) finishes her recording session during Harker Conservatory’s Rap Composition Workshop led by guest artist Justin Smith on April 14. “My favorite part of the process is watching students come in for the first time, how they react to hearing themselves and [gain] confidence,” Smith said.

Lyricism and learning: Conservatory hosts first rap composition workshop

by Alison Yang, Co-Arts & Entertainment Editor April 27, 2023

Tick. Tock. With the clock’s steady rhythm as a metronome, students scribble and type furiously. Muttering rhymes under their breath, they hold phones to their ears. Through their tinny speakers, the...

Shareen Chahal (11) as Leaf Coneybear. The eccentric homeschooled speller becomes an underdog of the bee.

Conservatory brings pandemonium with Spring Musical

by Alison Yang, Jonathan Xue, and Young Min April 12, 2023

In thirty minutes, Rona Lisa Peretti, played by Samvita Gautham (12), will take the stage, pink pumps and purple power suit bursting out from the beige set. “Syzygy,” she spells, as the cheers in her...

Harker Dance Company perform Control, their second dance of the show. The contemporary routine contrasted with Trumpets, their hip hop number.

Annual “Just Dance” celebrates student skills

by Jessica Wang and Alison Yang April 11, 2023

As the curtains rise and the music starts to fill the theater, the stage comes alive with a fusion of colors, rhythms and movements. From the fluid movements of contemporary dance to the high-energy routines...

Phoebe Castle (11) takes in a work from the Color Trip: Yoshida Hodaka’s Modern Prints exhibit at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco during a field trip on Mar. 27. I was immediately drawn to the different themes of color in each one of the [prints], she said.

AP Art History students tour San Francisco Asian Art Museum

by Felix Chen and Katerina Matta April 3, 2023

Advanced Placement (AP) Art History students visited the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco during a field trip on Mar. 27.   After attending their fifth period classes, students left school from the...

An illustration of the title card for the first season of White Lotus. The first season premiered on July 11, 2021 and immerses viewers into the opulent lives of wealthy, upper class vacationers and the hardworking, underpaid hotel staff who cater to their every whim.

Checking in at ‘The White Lotus:’ A review of the twisted tropical tale

by Ariana Goetting, Co-A&E and Lifestyle Editor March 26, 2023

Picture yourself about to begin your dream summer vacation as your boat glides towards the luxurious White Lotus resort. The world seems perfect as you soak in the breathtaking scenery and pristine beaches,...

An illustration of the choreography in “Naatu Naatu, which inspired a variety of dance trends on Instagram and TikTok. This song won at this years Academy Awards for Best Original Song, making it the first Indian film song to be both nominated for and win an Oscar.

The significance of ‘Naatu Naatu’’s Oscar win for India

by Ananya Sriram, Co-Features Editor March 23, 2023

“Not salsa, not flamenco, my brother … Do you know Naatu?”  And with the pulsating beat of drums, the tune of a mandolin and bright vocals, the concept of “Naatu” comes to life. As I sat...

Downbeat performers pose for a photo at the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) on March 10. Downbeat placed fourth in the quarter finals against seven other a cappella groups from California.

Downbeat places fourth at ICHSA quarter finals

by Young Min and Alison Yang March 20, 2023

Harker’s show choir, Downbeat, placed fourth in the quarter finals of the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) on March 10 at John Burroughs High School, competing against seven...

Anna Yang is a twelfth grader at Notre Dame High School in San Jose and is the 2022-2023 Santa Clara Youth Poet Laureate. Anna’s writing has been published in The New York Times and KQED. Anna spoke with Harker Aquila about her experiences in poetry, and how it relates to her identity and past.

The Poet’s Project: ‘Depths of my mind’

by Felix Chen and Aishani Singh March 16, 2023

Anna Yang is a twelfth grader at Notre Dame High School in San Jose and is the 2022-2023 Santa Clara Youth Poet Laureate. Anna’s writing has been published in The New York Times and KQED. Anna spoke...

The poster at the entrance of Nichols Atrium. 3-D and 2-D work occupied the majority of the downstairs floor and walls and 2-D work resided in the upstairs walls.

AP Art Exhibitions showcase works by 22 students

by Alison Yang and Alena Suleiman March 13, 2023

Nichols Atrium is typically an echoey cavern inhabited by backpacks, fish and the occasional robotics student. Yet over a rainy weekend, tan partitions half a story high begin to populate the area, a labyrinth...

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