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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

I stand knee high in the damp underbrush as I erect my tripod on the perimeter of the lake. As I set my settings, I catch myself staring not at the Palace itself, but at its distorted reflection in the lake.

Long exposures by night

by Jonathan Dai, TALON Photo Editor May 26, 2015

Nikon D610. 24-70 mm f/2.8. Extra batteries. Remote. My bag packed, there is only one more thing to do — wait. As dusk approaches, I throw on a sweatshirt, fold my tripod, and head out the door. Something...

The seamy side of online dating

The seamy side of online dating

by Sindhu Ravuri, Wingspan Editor-in-Chief May 23, 2015

Laura was at her wit’s end. The 23-year-old sat alone in her apartment kitchen, staring at the words “STUDENT LOAN” on the crumpled piece of paper in front of her. The type on the letter...

Turning love invisible

Turning love invisible

by Elisabeth Siegel May 23, 2015

Ignoring the protests of one’s partner may be acceptable, even sexy, in sensational sensual fantasy like $248.7 million-earning novel-turned-movie “Fifty Shades of Grey.” In real life,...

President Obama sets a wreath in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Memorial Day in 2013. Students and teachers at Harker will spend their Memorial Day weekend in different ways.

Students and teachers to celebrate Memorial Day

by Lauren Russell, Reporter May 23, 2015

Memorial Day, a day for students and teachers to commemorate and celebrate soldiers in the armed forces who died while serving, remains a day that is special to many students and staff members who have...

Courtesy of Wajahat Ali
Co-host of "The Stream" Wajahat Ali sits in his spot at the news anchor desk in Al Jazeera's D.C. office.

Q&A with Harker alum Wajahat Ali

by Shay Lari-Hosain May 22, 2015
On Islamophobia, on the future for Muslim-Americans.
Pictured is "Don't Write Me a Love Song," which was written by Meilan Steimle (10) and published in Wingspan as an installation of her column "Meianderings." Wingspan was released on May 22.

Second issue of Wingspan reveals overarching theme of love and ethics

by Tara Parimi, Aquila Managing Editor May 22, 2015

Revolving around the themes of love and ethics, the second issue of Wingspan, the Upper School journalism program’s longform features magazine, was released this afternoon at the start of period seven. Co-founded...

California has been in a state of drought since 2012. This dry riverbed is one of thousands of examples of the impact the drought has had on the environment.

California state government sets up new water regulations

by Jackie Gao, Reporter May 21, 2015

Since 2012, California has been experiencing a drought that was small at first, but has caused water supplies to decrease over the years and forced Harker to cut water usage. Just last week, Governor...

Performers reenact the Armenian genocide at a commemoration ceremory hosted by the San Francisco City Hall. Upper school student Natalie Simonian (11) attended the event to pay tribute to those who fell victim to the attack.

American population commemorates 100th anniversary of genocide

by Vineet Kosaraju and Kavya Ramakrishnan May 18, 2015

For the past ten years, you’ve lived a relatively isolated life in Musa Dagh, an Armenian zone in present-day Southern Turkey consisting of six main villages. Recently however, that peace has been threatened. There’s...

Dharahara Tower, an 1824 military watchtower, has collapsed in the earthquake. Nepal has been devastated with much destruction.

A little action goes a long way

by Sharanya Balaji and Derek Yen May 16, 2015

A few days ago, Ray Mitra was packaging Neosporin and various other medicines in his living room. Three days later, that same Neosporin was used by a doctor to help heal a young boy in Nepal suffering...

Efrey Noten '14 was last year's Baccalaureate speaker. This year Ethan Ma (12) will speak.

Upper School to host annual Baccalaureate ceremony

by Meena Gudapati and Raveena Kapatkar May 16, 2015

Baccalaureate, a ceremony which honors juniors and seniors, will take place on May 21 in the Quad. Ethan Ma (12) and Upper School Mathematics Teacher Mary Mortlock will address the the junior and senior...

Upper School Latin Teacher John Hawley plans on retiring at the end of this school year. He will act as a substitute teacher in the future.

Language teachers leave positions for upcoming school year

by Raveena Kapatkar, Vijay Bharadwaj, and Adrian Chu May 16, 2015

Upper School Spanish Teacher Daniela Rozanes and Latin Teacher John Hawley have announced that they will not be returning to their positions in the upcoming 2015-2016 school year. Rozanes has been teaching...

The CollegeBoard prepares and oversees standardized testing and advanced placement examinations across the country. Questions and concerns have been raised regarding the organization, and the validity of its "non-profit" status.

AP exams generate mixed responses from student body and faculty

by Kacey Fang, Tara Parimi, and Emma Yu May 15, 2015

For two weeks of the school year, the bells are silent. In the gym and Atrium, only the scratching of pencils can be heard--students bent to their Advanced Placement (AP) tests. This year, Upper School...

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