The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
“I've been doing programming and CS for a while, but I get a lot more enjoyment out of making games. It's something that will give me something tangible compared to working on code problems or fine tuning some specific software. This is a lot more physical to me, even though it's still digital. It feels a lot more personal because it's something that I can physically play," senior Pranav Sukesh said.
Humans of Harker: For the love of the game
“Oftentimes on the Veena, I'm able to play out tunes that are familiar for the seniors. I played a lot of classics for them, which they really seem to enjoy. And it's been fulfilling because a lot of them have never seen the instrument before, so they'll come up to me after and ask me to explain how it works. It's really exciting for me to be able to share my culture and also connect with their culture," senior Hasini Namala said.
Humans of Harker: Culture and chords
Humans of Harker: A flash of color
Humans of Harker: A flash of color
"What’s more important to me is knowing that if someone had a bad day, I helped make it better: that I put up a little bit more happiness and a little less seriousness sometimes into the Harker community," senior Sara Glusman said.
Humans of Harker: Connection with community
“After you hit a bad shot or you have a bad hole, you still have four hours left in front of you. It’s your choice to let it bring you down or you can recover and bounce back from your mistakes. The strong mental aspect of the game has helped me recover from bad grades to friendships in everyday life." senior Allison Yang said.
Humans of Harker: Swinging to stability
Humans of Harker: Cooking with creativity
Humans of Harker: Cooking with creativity
“There's a lot of value in every moment and everyone around you. I appreciate people who just appreciate the little things. For me, I feel like everyone you meet can teach you a little bit, and that's something that I've really internalized over the years. I think that's part of why I like being around people and different communities so much. Because in each of these communities, you can learn so many different things from everyone," Olivia Xu ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Purpose towards progress
“I get to choose how much effort and detail I put in, and that’s what you’re going to see in the end. I love that you can see the truth on paper. A lot of my work is in black and white, so I can’t rely on color to cover it up or make it more interesting — I can only rely on my skill and willingness to go into the studio and add to my piece," Katelyn Zhao ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Envisioning the everyday
"I used to think that I have to keep doing dance just because it's what I’m known for. But now I’ve realized there’s beauty behind all the madness that happens. And it’s now a part of me, so not doing dance or not having Legos is like I’m losing a part of my identity," Luke Mehta ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Building with style
“Why not? So many things are very foreign or unknown to us, but there’s not much to lose by just trying things. I initially wasn’t very comfortable with DECA, especially with impromptu, but the community really helped me grow out of that. And DECA is now one of my top high school memories. Just giving things a try is really worth it, and if it fails, the worst thing that can happen is you just try something else," Claire Luo ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: It’s all in the details
"Being a lifer, I really want to put my knowledge to use. Being a TEDx speaker is a really big honor in and of itself, but to be able to actually address the Harker community was really important to me because I wanted to have an impact on the place that I've been at for 13 years," Arissa Huda ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Prescribing change
"I’ve learned discipline: practicing a lot and then knowing what your strengths are, knowing where to improve. That discipline is definitely going to stay with me. If I’m trying to get a big piece of work done in general when I'm interested in it, I'll stop at nothing to reach my goals," Linette Hoffman ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Artistry in motion
"I have this philosophy with theater. I wholeheartedly believe that my life was made for the stage, and all my make or break moments have happened there. While some people learn best through lectures or visuals, I learn best from having a spotlight on me," Zubin Khera ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Scripts to success
"One of the most important things for me about performing is its transformative power. There was one concert where we were singing this commission about gun violence, followed by a piece about climate change, a piece about the Holocaust. Watching the audience's expressions and how they reacted to the music we were singing was the first time that I was like, ‘Whoa, music has the power to change lives and engender positive change,’” Sawyer Lai ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Symphony of spirit
"It’s been fun getting to know the chefs at La Mar, their team and how different cultural influences blend together. For example, they make ceviche, which is a traditional Peruvian dish, but they infuse it with many different cultures. They have a version of their ceviche which is inspired by African tastes and spices, and they also have a Japanese form of that same ceviche dish. I think it’s interesting to watch how these fusion dishes form," Alex Lan ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Flavors of knowledge
Prakrit Jain ('22) searches for new animal species to help the environment and wildlife.
Humans of Harker: Scorpion spotter
Arnav Gupta ('22) moves a DNA construction.
Humans of Harker: Coding for a cause
“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.
Humans of Harker: Blast of creativity
"Every single person I've interviewed for Humans of Harker has said one killer quote that has stuck with me even through four years of high school, and I think I really do internalize those messages. There are nuances in every single person's experience that makes it unique to them and also makes it a good lesson for everyone else. It's just amazing to see how much wisdom every single person at Harker has, and it's fascinating to learn about those stories," Erica Cai ('22) said.
Humans of Harker: Harmony in humanity
“Something I took away from baseball is that there's always the opportunity to bounce back when things don't go particularly right. Even the best hitters only go one for three, so being able to push through that is one of the most important parts of the game. Being able to identify what goes wrong and learning from that is important to being able to find success in the future," Mark Hu ('22) said.
Humans of Harker: The perfect pitch
Humans of Harker: Perseverance on par
Humans of Harker: Perseverance on par
It's been obviously rough, turning on the news and seeing another death, seeing another acquittal every single time … but, ‘How much can I do?’ is the question I'm asking myself. ‘How much can I help, and what impact can I have?’” Brian Pinkston ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: For the future and the present
“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: Leading with DECA-cation
Class of 2021: Humans of Harker compilation, part three
Class of 2021: Humans of Harker compilation, part three
“I feel really good about myself when I'm relaxed and enjoying the world. There’s so much to learn about the world and so many ways to do so," Daniel Wang ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: Mapping the unknown
"I'm the person that always has a plan for everything. And then I have backups for the plan, and I have backups for the backups," Nicole Chen ('19) said.
Humans of Harker: Calendars for a cause
"I don’t ever intend on letting the internal love of life that I have leave me. As I grow up and I maintain my love for the random things I do, I know I’ll be happy– and hopefully people around me will be, as well," Mathew Mammen ('19) said.
Humans of Harker: Jack of all trades, master of fun
Humans of Harker: To dance, to feel
Humans of Harker: To dance, to feel
"The more serious side, people will never see. You'll never see who's behind one of these websites that people may be using," Neil Ramaswamy (12) said. "Several freshmen have approached me like, 'hey, you're the really funny guy at school meeting' and I'm like 'hey, yeah, nice to meet you' and at the same time they might be using an application that I've written not knowing that it's me. I kind of get that personal satisfaction knowing that there is a serious side to me, you just don't know about it."
Humans of Harker: Dueling with duality
Humans of Harker: Humanity in art
Humans of Harker: Humanity in art
“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Neymika Jain finds balance in life
“A lot of the time, when I’m out at nail salons, nailers ask me if I‘m Vietnamese. I say yes, but they say that I don’t speak the language and have never been back to Vietnamese, so am I really? I always felt disconnected, like I would be Vietnamese-American but never Vietnamese. When I went to Vietnam for the first time, it brought me closer to my culture. I realized I shouldn’t view myself as a different. I have to see Vietnamese-American and Vietnamese as one and the same," Haley Tran (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Haley Tran values her cultural identity
“One time, I was hiking up this giant off-trail path, and this is going to make me sound like a complete hippy, but what I was thinking at the moment was that every single tree out there must have had some sort of backstory. Even when I was walking to Shah, there was this tree right next to the building, and I was like, ‘Maybe this tree had a lot of other tree friends, but then this building came up and they had to get cut down.’ That made me pretty sad. So, when I was coming up with backstories for trees, it reminded me of my childlike innocence of playing pretend or playing with my stuffed animals because I thought my imagination would never run as wild as it once did. But, this experience made me feel happy because it’s something that I’ve lost, and I feel like I gained some of it back," Aashish Jain (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Aashish Jain finds inspiration in painting through watching Bob Ross videos
“For me, robotics has always been a great way to learn about how to build things and how things work. Honestly, that is the reason why I love robotics. When you see everything working, you look at it and say 'I helped make this happen,' which is really really gratifying," Andrew Tierno (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Andrew Tierno reflects on his passion for robotics
“A lot of being a choreographer is about digging deep, understanding, and finding out which event leads to the next, which is basically what science is. You would take a circuit and break it apart to understand each of the components, and you would do that to a song,” Sneha Bhetanabhotla (‘17) said.
Humans of Harker: Sneha Bhetanabhotla learns to connect robotics and dance
“I can be serious, and I care a lot about a lot of things, but I also just like having fun and people feeling comfortable being their true selves,” Isabella Spradlin (12) said. “You don't have to be one-sided — you can have different sides of your personality, and different moods.”
Humans of Harker: Isabella Spradlin gleans insight from sisterhood
“This is like a melting pot of Cupertino, Lynbrook, Saratoga, some people from De Anza, so you meet all kinds of people,” Rahul Mehta (12) said. “Half the time I’m not even playing with my friends, so I’m playing with random people. You start off in the beginning a bit wary of each other, and then by end you’re playing like they’re your friends. It’s kind of gradual. Like after a really cool play, you’ll high five each other, and that’s how it all begins.”
Humans of Harker: Rahul Mehta befriends others through banter
"People are always debating, you know, ‘should I go up to a higher weight or not?’ And I’ll just yell, ‘do it, you won’t,’" Tiffany Shou (12) said. "And then, you know, it’s like that challenge, and so it always pushes them pick that higher weight, and then they can accomplish it, so it’s even more gratifying."
Humans of Harker Video: Tiffany Shou pushes her limits in the weight room
“First, I start at my house,” Sparsh Chauhan (12) said. “Then, I turn on Saratoga, and it’s always crowded with traffic and stuff. That’s when I’m setting the music, checking the tire pressure, the gas. After downtown, the road gets smooth, which is when I put the windows down. I go all the way down until there’s a dip and then I go back. Even when I have stuff to do, I drive that same route every day. I don’t have to take directions. I know all the traffic times; I know exactly where I’m going.”
Humans of Harker: Sparsh Chauhan takes pride in his work
“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”
Humans of Harker: Angel Cervantes chases his goals
“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.
Humans of Harker: Learning to fall
“You just have to go for it. You think, 'In the future, if I think back and regret it, is that how I want to end up — or would I rather just try something and see what happens?' Usually, it turns out well,” Montek Kalsi (’20) said. 
Humans of Harker: All fun and games
“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.
Humans of Harker: Leadership and love
Humans of Harker: Grit and grind
Humans of Harker: Grit and grind
Humans of Harker: Artistic nonconformity
Humans of Harker: Artistic nonconformity
The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
With fun celebrations like National Houseplant Appreciation Day and Lipid Day, these days can offer a unique break from everyday life, turning any normal day into a special one. In this list, I present my five favorite national days.

Friday 5: National Days

by Isabella Lo, Aquila Co-Managing Editor • May 3, 2024

When I am tired, done with all my other random iPhone games and having absolutely nothing to do, I go for The New York Times but not for the news. Instead, for the plethora of games that catch my attention, from Connections to Wordle to the Mini Crossword.

Friday Five: New York Times games

by Sidak Sanghari, Humans of Harker Co-Managing Editor • March 15, 2024

We all have that one app we open when the boredom crisis reaches a different level of extreme. When I am tired, done with all my other random iPhone games and having absolutely nothing to do, I go for...

With my experience in selling these special cookies, these five are my favorite Girl Scout cookies of all time.

Friday Five: Girl Scout cookies

by Janam Chahal, Assistant News Editor • March 8, 2024

In the spirit of Girl Scout cookie season, which runs from Jan. 29 to March 17, I will be ranking my top five Girl Scout cookie selections. I was once a Girl Scout, so these flavorful, unique cookies will...

In honor of Miyazaki’s final film, “The Boy and the Heron,” which released Friday, here’s a list of my favorite Ghibli films to introduce viewers to the magical adventures that await in the Ghibli world.

Friday Five: Studio Ghibli films

by Charlize Wang, Assistant Opinions Editor • December 8, 2023

I never enjoyed animated movies. The shallow dialogue, cliché themes and predictable storylines offered little substance to fulfill my imaginative mind.  My interest in animation only began when I...

At first bite, my worries melt away as the beauty of these sweets shine through and overshadow any lingering feelings of regret. And with that, here are my top five favorite Harker lunchtime treats of all time.

Friday Five: Harker desserts

by Mia Tang, Reporter • December 1, 2023

After devouring delicious, savory lunch foods, I often find myself craving a sugary dessert to cleanse away the undesirable aftertastes of marinara and the like. Often, I choose to seek out a package of...

With all the new apps out there, it's easy to forget about the classics that once brought us so much joy.

Friday Five: Best Childhood Mobile Games

by Ashley Mo, Reporter • October 6, 2023

Do you ever find yourself mindlessly scrolling through the same few apps on your phone, craving something else to explore? I know I do. Whether your go-to app is TikTok, BeReal or Instagram, sometimes...

Friday Five: Non-coffee Starbucks drinks

Friday Five: Non-coffee Starbucks drinks

by Disha Gupta, Reporter • September 15, 2023

As soon as school ends, Harker students trek to the Starbucks at the corner of the Lion Food Center in flocks, filling the cafe with streams of constant conversation. If you are like me, your parents...

For some, the feeling of stress helps motivate them into studying more. For me, it’s a ticking time bomb that’s ready to explode at any moment, which is why I look for ways to relax and reduce any nervousness.

Friday Five: Ways to relax before APs

by Vika Gautham, Co-Features Editor • April 28, 2023

Advanced Placement (AP) tests. Standardized exams that quantify how well you’ve mastered certain content pertaining to a specific subject. To me, a nightmare that I don’t want to think about. As APs...

An illustration representing various motifs in some of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poems. Many regard Poe as the greatest poet to ever live.

Friday Five: Poe(ms)

by Jonathan Xue, Humans of Harker Profiler • March 8, 2023

Edgar Allan Poe died of consumption. But even a century and a half later, his works continue to gnaw at me; their biting twists and subtle nuance are truly captivating. Each poem he writes is layered with...

An illustration of a can of "Harker's Condensed Tomato Soup." Harker Aquila's assistant opinions editor Jessica Wang shares a ranking of the best five soups.

Friday Five: A definitive soup ranking

by Jessica Wang, Assistant Opinions Editor • January 20, 2023

It's believed that the first bowl of soup was prepared around 20,000 B.C. However, my most poignant memory regarding soup is closer to 2022 A.D. It was a fateful Tuesday. For lunch that day, we were served...

I flip through an array of Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Although some of the films lack top-notch, logical writing and center around almost all white male heroes, the continuity between them make the MCU immersive and somewhat addictive.

Friday Five: Marvel Cinematic Universe movies

by Arely Sun, Aquila Co-Managing Editor • December 3, 2021

I’ve been a huge Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan since my friend persuaded me to start a MCU marathon with “Iron Man” in eighth grade. Within the next few months, I powered through all the movies,...

In honor of Taylor Swift’s recording of her album “Red” next Friday, today I will present my top five Taylor Swift songs of all time — from debut to “evermore” and “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and everything in between.

Friday Five: Taylor Swift

by Sally Zhu, A&E and Lifestyle Editor • November 5, 2021

In honor of Taylor Swift’s recording of her album “Red” next Friday, today I will present my top five Taylor Swift songs of all time — from debut to “evermore” and :Fearless (Taylor’s Version)"...

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