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

 “For me, it all comes down to having perspective on whats important in the grand scheme of things. Actually learning something is definitely way more important than the grade Im going to get and so on, but its really hard to see that in the moment. But things like hiking, which gives me a moment to just slow down and reflect, or talking to my older brother, who shares his experiences and realizations with me, or just messing around with my friends, who have made high school way more enjoyable than I thought was possible, have helped me stay above the stress and adopt a perspective that lets me enjoy the little moments,” Priyanka Taneja (12) said.

Priyanka Taneja adapts a unique approach to high school from the people around her

by Kshithija Mulam, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief February 22, 2017

“High aspirations, low expectations.” Through the trials and tribulations of high school, this core philosophy has served as a guide to life for Priyanka Taneja (12). Priyanka picked up this motto...

“I have always been a pretty shy person, so when I volunteered to air guitar on stage in front of the whole school, I really surprised myself. When I first got called up, I was just excited for Sharks tickets, but then when I saw the video, my stomach dropped because I thought I might have to do that. Then, as my other contestants went, I started to think maybe I can do this,” Lyndsey Mitchell (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Lyndsey Mitchell takes on new challenges

by Julia Amick, TALON Asst. Photo Editor February 19, 2017

For Lyndsey Mitchell, high school serves as an environment where she can try new activities outside her comfort zone and explore her interests. Whether it was joining cheer Freshman year or taking on  captain...

“I’ve been doing [art] since I was really little and it’s kind of just become a part of my life. I feel like it’s the only way I can express my feelings,” Irene Bashar (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Irene Bashar channels her emotions through art

by Anvi Banga, Reporter February 16, 2017

Irene Bashar (12) first discovered her love for art when her parents decided to put a stop to her scribbling on all of their notebooks. “When I was about 8, I used to scribble on my parents’ notebooks,”...

“Success is knowing that you did your best and being happy with what you did. It doesnt mean that you have to be the best thats out there, but if youre happy with your end result and you know you tried your hardest, and that is all you can do and you should be proud of that,” Medha Shah (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Medha Shah explores her passion in the arts

by Gloria Zhang, Reporter February 15, 2017

Despite exploring different passions, Medha Shah (12) only discovered her love for performing arts later in life during a voice lesson. “I had a teacher who used to be opera singer, and she really...

“I write fictional stories, and I spend a lot of time thinking about situations. Even though Im trying to delve into other peoples psychologies when I do this sort of thing, at the same time, I feel that helps me satisfy my desire to figure out how people think. Its a way for me to explore what sort of ways people think about the people around them or their settings. Thats one of the things I find most rewarding about creative work and creating characters and plots and imagining settings,” Tiffany Zhu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Tiffany Zhu immerses herself in stories

by Angele Yang, Reporter February 12, 2017

Since middle school, senior Tiffany Zhu has devoted her time outside of school to writing. In seventh grade, she read Crime and Punishment with fervor, though she didn’t quite understand its themes at...

“The future will always be there, and to a certain extent you need to mold your life to achieve your future goals. But in doing so, you cant get so caught up that you forget to live in the present and start to lose yourself. Ive learned that all these trivial moments are what make for the best memories and it is important not to forget that, Raveena Kapatkar (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Raveena Kapatkar learns independence through past experiences

by Meena Gudapati, Winged Post News Editor February 11, 2017

Although Raveena Kapatkar (12) has lived most of her life in the U.S., her time spent in India has had a huge impact on her life. When Raveena was nine years old, she moved to Hyderabad in South India...

“Scientific research has really been a learning process for me. Its been a wild rollercoaster. One moment you feel you know exactly what you are going to do, but the next moment you wonder why you are even here. There’s a lot of twists and turns along the way, but you just keep going and you always make it through in the end,” Albert Pun (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Albert Pun fuels his passion for learning

by Neil Bai, Copy Editor February 10, 2017

Since beginning science research at Luo’s Lab, a biology laboratory in Stanford, senior Albert Pun has expanded his learning through hands-on experience outside of the classroom. “Scientific research...

At this point, its hard for me to think about what life wouldve been if I hadnt happened to ask my parents for an art tablet because its led me to making new friends and pretty much set me on the art path Im on right now. Id probably have no idea what I would want to do at college and after if it werent for it to be honest, Grace Park (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Grace Park pursues graphic design

by Ria Gupta, Reporter February 9, 2017

After wanting to recreate the pictures she saw online as a child, Grace Park (12) began to love art and graphic design. “I’ll always remember that first piece of digital art I did when I was like...

I think it’s being more of a confident and open person, because I kind of create a wall around myself when I don’t know people or if I’m in a new situation for the first time, and it’s really hard for me to feel comfortable with myself until I somebody approaches me or I’m prompted to do something, and I think I need to especially work on this for next year, because I’m going to be in a completely new environment and I should be able to take initiative. I’ve improved on that in the past four years because in freshman year i was super shy, I didn’t join any clubs, I didn’t do anything, but I think now I’m more comfortable with myself, Anuva Mittal (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Anuva Mittal develops confidence throughout high school

by Sahana Srinivasan, Winged Post Managing Editor February 8, 2017

Dancing fingers, she and her friends call them, and they do dance. As Anuva Mittal (12) speaks, her fingers never cease to move, hands flipping and gesturing with every phrase. “I think that’s...

“Star Trek has this one episode with a doomsday device. They hypothesize its from an undiscovered galaxy or part of the universe, and considering how destructive it is, its also likely that those who created it no longer exist. Theres the obvious commentary on potential nuclear holocausts, but it kind of also makes you think about consequences of your actions. Also, theres something that people just think is haunting and beautiful about an advanced civilization being lost like that, Lauren Liu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Lauren Liu enjoys reading web comics

by Ruhi Sayana, Winged Post Copy Editor February 7, 2017

For Lauren Liu (12), XKCD and SMVC webcomics create a perfect storm of romance, sarcasm, math and language. Lauren explores the world of XKCD and SMBC web comics on the Internet when she’s not playing...

 “I’m an empathetic person. I use that word because I think theater has helped me with that. I mean, you play different characters and you enter people’s lives for a bit, and it helps you see different perspectives. Sympathy is different than empathy. I think I’m an open-minded person,” Marina Newman (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Marina Newman exhibits personalities of the characters she plays

by Jin Tuan, Reporter February 6, 2017

 Both feet planted firmly on the pine needles and head held high, Marina Newman (12) stands for a silent second before becoming her character on the impromptu stage. As soon as she opens her mouth to...

“Coaching has taught me a lot of leadership skills because its pretty hard to organize kids who really dont know you. Ive also had to interact with parents, and that can also be challenging. Sometimes you have to take that criticism and use that to adapt, and other times you just have to tell them that youre the coach so you have to stand up to them, Rahul Shukla (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Rahul Shukla coaches youth basketball

by Eleanor Xiao, TALON Student Life Editor February 5, 2017

Senior Rahul Shukla has been coaching elementary school kids at his local YMCA since the start of high school. In order to juggle the workload of high school alongside his love of basketball and service,...

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