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

Women’s History Month serves as one way students and faculty can celebrate women’s many contributions to modern society and recognize their erasure throughout history. “It’s a chance to pause and reflect on the fact we need a separate category of history for half the population of the world,” FEM Club Advisor Donna Gilbert said.

“We can still do better:” honor her-story

by Arjun Barrett, Managing Editor March 16, 2023

Amongst the many boards along the colorful walls of Main Hall, one in particular stands out. Adorned with flowers, a purple and green board shows the faces of various influential figures from our past....

MandatoryQuest, a Gloomhaven Youtuber, interviews Motti Eisenbach. Eisenbach showed him the game during PAX Unplugged, a board game convention, and filmed a short interview about his process of becoming a board game designer.

So you wanna be a board game designer?

by Saahil Herrero, Asst. Copy Editor March 14, 2023

When Motti Eisenbach created The Crimson Scales, a custom fan-made expansion to one of the most well known board games in the industry, Gloomhaven, he never imagined that it would become so popular that...

Upper school English teacher Charles Shuttleworth poses with his recent book titled “Desolation Peak: Collected Writings, a collection of Beat Generation poet Jack Kerouac’s writings. “I did some good investigation, and it was really fun,” Shuttleworth said. “I love [Kerouacs] writing, I really respect it, so to be able to transcribe it just for myself was worth it. Overall, I felt I got to know and understand him better than I ever had.”

Taking a peek into “Desolation Peak”

by Olivia Xu, Humans of Harker Managing Editor February 16, 2023

With $14.57 in his pocket and 900 miles to travel, Jack Kerouac hitchhiked to the North Cascades National Park in July of 1956. Beyond fulfilling his role as a fire lookout, he sought enlightenment, an...

Hundreds of notes are posted on the wall in the alley way where the Itaewon incident happened. 158 lives were taken away by this catastrophe during a Halloween celebration.

Look behind the alleyway

by Young Min, Assistant A&E Editor February 8, 2023

The Itaewon the world knew was full of flashy nightlife and home to the trendiest clubs in South Korea. This forever changed after the crowd crush on Oct. 31 last year in a small alleyway in the city took...

Although they often go unnoticed, the Anna’s hummingbird is here on campus all the time. They frequent the red flowers in the orchard; they enjoy the company of the sage bushes in the quad; they sing their animated song in the trees near the Zhang Athletic Center.

Find a feathered friend: The Anna’s hummingbird

by Mirabelle Feng, TALON Reporter February 6, 2023

Believe it or not, there are wild fighter jets on campus. You can catch a glimpse of the green blurs as they zoom around the orchard and the quad, parking on trees by Manzanita Hall and the front loading...

Upper school speech and debate teacher Greg Achten was recently elected to the National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA) Board. “I want to make debate a more open and inclusive and kind of awesome place for students to come together and express their ideas,” Achten said. “Thats what I would like. [The debate coaches at Harker] all share the same vision of having a vibrant community where we all appreciate each others work.”

Upper school speech and debate teacher Greg Achten elected to NDCA Board

by Jessica Wang, Assistant Opinions Editor January 27, 2023

Upper school speech and debate teacher Greg Achten was elected to the board of the National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA) for the October 2022 to 2025 term following his involvement in the association...

Lunar New Year decorations spice up a local Gogo Pho restaurant. We celebrate happiness and success together and hope to have good luck for earning more money in the new year, Gogo Pho waiter Tung Nguyen, who identifies as Vietnam, said.

Lunar New Year welcomes in Year of the Rabbit

by Emma Gao, Ella Yee, and Sabrina Zhu January 27, 2023

“I miss my parents so much.” Eight years ago, Tung Nguyen, a waiter at local restaurant Gogo Pho and student at San Jose State University, left his family in Vietnam to study electrical engineering...

As the Holiday season arrives, many students celebrate a variety of different holidays. “Its less of the religious aspects behind it, or the traditional meaning of Christmas,” Zubin Khera (12) said. “Its more so a reason to meet up with family, have a good time and spread the cheer to your friends.”

Dashing into the season of celebration

by Vika Gautham and Isabella Lo December 25, 2022

The chilly December breeze, the smell of hot chocolate, and the sound of carolers— signs that point to the start of the holiday season. For Zubin Khera (12), he recalls spending one Christmas in Truckee,...

Talk around campus: Favorite study spots

by Selina Xu, Medha Yarlagadda, and Sally Zhu December 8, 2022

From the library to the orchard to all the different academic buildings, the upper school campus offers a variety of places for students to work and study during the day. Whether you're looking for a quieter...

Head of Upper School Paul Barsky first notified students of the new crosswalks during the school meeting on Oct. 28. He encouraged students to use them to stay safe and for student drivers to pay attention to new safety features and developments.

New crosswalks installed in parking lots promote student safety

by Sidak Sanghari and Isabella Lo December 7, 2022

Harker administration installed new crosswalks in the front loading zone parking lot leading onto the campus and one from the far student parking slots to Davis Field during the last week of October to...

Neurodiversity describes the idea that people experience the world around them in various ways, and that there is no right way of thinking. On average, about 15% of the U.S. population is neurodiverse.

The weight a word holds: Neurodiversity’s modern meaning in our community

by Vika Gautham, Asst. Features Editor December 7, 2022

Dyslexia. Down syndrome. Attention Deficit Disorder. When the word neurodiversity appears, these words might pop into your head. There are various preconceptions of neurodiversity, such as the fact that...

Aastha Mangla (12) answers a question during the GSA panel on Oct. 21, which featured other students and teachers. Olivas moderated and asked questions to the panelists about their life experiences surrounding their identities.

‘We’re not colorblind:’ Upper school commemorates members of the community during LGTBQ+ month

by Felix Chen, Vika Gautham, and Sidak Sanghari November 15, 2022

A sea of rainbow stickers glimmers in the sun, placed on the sweatshirts, masks and even foreheads of students. Scattered around campus, Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) members offer these stickers to...

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