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

“When I think about my high school as a unit, I find its defined by a lot of events and a lot of trends, its just that some of those trends, like especially me starting to sing—theyre not connected at all to any goal I had when I stepped onto the campus,” Praveen Batra (12) said. “I remember at the first club fair I heard Guys’ Gig, they were touring, and I thought, ‘Wow, thats one club Im never going to join.’ So if you look, theres a big disconnect between what my vision of what my high school would be like and where it actually turned out being.”

Humans of Harker: Praveen Batra masters both types of keyboard

by Derek Yen, Winged Post Opinion Editor October 31, 2017

Praveen Batra (12) has resolved to enter college with a singular conviction: to pursue computer science to the greatest degree. But when he entered high school, Praveen had no strong expectation of what...

“Life should have variation,” Karena Kong (12) said. Its boring to live every day, day to day on the same schedule. You should always do what you really want, live by your interests and have fun instead of living by this rigid standard. Theres times when youre experimenting, and its okay to be spontaneous and make a mess. You never know what might turn out.”

Humans of Harker: Karena Kong values variety

by Julia Huang, TALON Academics Editor October 27, 2017

One shiny steel pot. One block of cheddar cheese. A mission to create cream of broccoli soup. As Karena Kong stared down into the pot, she wondered why the cheese did not melt properly into liquid form. “We...

“I think the biggest thing I was forgetting to think about is what I truly believed in,” Eleanor Xiao (12) said. Even though I guess I’m pretty sociable, I think that made me scared to be opinionated because I didn’t want to rub anyone the wrong way. Because I was so scared of voicing my opinion, it just turned into a point where I didn’t really have any opinions. For a while, I thought, ‘Oh, I’m just taking everyone into account,’ but eventually, I realized it was just me escaping the possibility of not being liked by everyone.”

Humans of Harker: Eleanor Xiao opens up about empathy

by Megan Cardosi, TALON Student Life Editor & Sports Managing Editor October 26, 2017

“Hi, I’m Eleanor, and I’m from TALON yearbook.” Accompanied by a sheepish smile, Eleanor Xiao’s (12) classic yearbook announcement opening has become a running joke in the senior class. Her bubbly...

“The kids that look up to you matter the most,” Jenna Sanders (12) said. “Sometimes, they’ll just try to be your best friend. It’s important for me to be not only a friend but a teacher for them. When they had trouble reading, I [don’t] just read to them, but help them how to do it independently. It is really cool to figure out a balance between being a friend and being a teacher.”

Humans of Harker: Jenna Sanders brings heritage to next generation

by Adrian Chu, Columnist October 25, 2017

Jenna Sanders (12) looks to the future when working with kids and looks to the past when studying her Jewish heritage. “Working with kids is really cool because they value you as someone that’s...

“People might describe me as a troll,” Kevin Xu (12) said. “I guess being lighthearted is a good characteristic to have in general. Ive naturally been pretty friendly to people, and theyve returned the favor to me. I just think a lot of my relationships are built off that personality—being lighthearted and empathetic.”

Humans of Harker: Kevin Xu solves nontraditional problems

by Andrew Chang, TALON Organizations Editor October 24, 2017

Kevin Xu (12) leans over the Foosball table on Shah Patio, expertly controlling his players. A crowd of seniors gathers around the table to watch the long periods of back-and-forth as the plastic ball...

“One day I went to India and I saw a chickens head getting chopped off and a whole line of sacrificial animals,” Aria Coalson (12) said. “I had befriended a goat in the line, and that’s when I realized that they were going to kill and eat the goat. After that, I turned hard core vegetarian.”

Humans of Harker: Aria Coalson advocates for others

by Maya Kumar, Wingspan Managing Editor October 23, 2017

From the exterior, Aria Coalson (12) appears to be an introvert. She is quiet and values spending time alone, yet she is still keenly observant of her surroundings, always taking note of those who are...

“‘Stand tall and proud. Sink your roots into the earth. Be content with your natural beauty. Go out on a limb. Drink plenty of water. Remember your roots, and enjoy the view!’” Some of the ideas here embodying confidence and not being afraid to try new things, is something that I wanted to experience when I went into high school, and I feel like I’ve successfully done that. When I look at this poster—the reason I have it over my bed and always in my direct view—is to remember: Don’t be scared, because someone out there really believes in you,” Sumati Wadhwa (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Sumati Wadhwa reflects on the human condition

by Darren Gu, TALON Sports Editor October 20, 2017

“Stand tall and proud. Sink your roots into the earth. Be content with your natural beauty. Go out on a limb. Drink plenty of water. Remember your roots, and enjoy the view!” Something about this redwood...

“I would describe myself to be pretty laid back, but also pretty introverted in a way,” Kevin Tzeng (12) said. “I don’t really like going out of my comfort zones at times, and making new friends is something that I really struggled with. If I get to know you better, then I get a lot more comfortable with you, but at the same time, in the initial stages I really don’t want to get to know other people. My first friend [at Harker] was Vinke [Kevin Xu (12)], because I met him in 6th grade. Having that first friend there enabled me to get to know other people because I was more relaxed around Vinke, so others would get to know me better.”

Humans of Harker: Kevin Tzeng finds escape in other worlds

by Alex Wang, Opinion Editor October 19, 2017

Kevin Tzeng (12) has one blue earbud in as he listens to music, the other one dangling loose as he tunes into the world around him. What’s on his playlist? Most likely Day6, his current favorite K-Pop...

“I used to be the one who was bold, outgoing, brave, always wanted to be the first person in line,” Ashley Jiang (12) said. “I always spoke in class, but eventually I became that person who sat in the back row. Photography was a means of escape for me. Other than a way of practicing my creativity, I found comfort in it. It was a way of becoming more aware of the world and what’s happening around me.”

Humans of Harker: Ashley Jiang sees the world through her camera lens

by Gloria Guo, TALON Editor-in-Chief October 18, 2017

Gripping onto the edges of the device, Ashley Jiang (12) carefully raises the camera body to her eye. Pressing her cheek onto the surface of her Canon EOS Rebel T3i, she squints and peeks through the viewfinder...

“In general, I’m really bad at planning really far into the future, because I always think about how much could change and how much will change,” Megan Cardosi (12) said. “I can’t really picture where I’m going to be in the future, so I just focus on what I can control for the next small part of my life. If you keep doing that, eventually youll look back and realize how far youve come.”

Humans of Harker: Megan Cardosi thinks small to achieve big

by Eleanor Xiao, TALON Editor-in-Chief October 17, 2017

Megan Cardosi’s (12) presence at school is far from unnoticed. On the volleyball court, she anchors the team as an outside hitter. Behind those reflective journalism doors, Megan attends to three publications,...

“I’m the type of person to look at the recipe, but when I actually go cook it I’ll avoid following it and just go by my own taste,” David Wen (12) said.

Humans of Harker: David Wen experiments in the kitchen

by Neil Bai, Copy Editor October 16, 2017

Through his hours spent in the kitchen, David Wen (12) has developed his own cooking style. He tastes everything before moving to the next step, seasoning dishes gradually. He believes that a great sauce...

“I just have a different outlook on the world,” Meena Gudapati (12) said. “I’m probably not the only one who thinks this way, but I don’t really think anything is a big deal. Tests aren’t a big deal; the ACT isn’t a big deal; college isn’t a big deal. It’s all fine. The world is so big. Nothing matters. It’s all for fun, you know? I don’t really get worried about those things. They’re all just little bits and pieces, and they don’t actually ruin the world or anything.”

Humans of Harker: Meena Gudapati finds the fun in life

by Sahana Srinivasan, Winged Post and Wingspan Co-Editor-In-Chief October 13, 2017

Meena Gudapati (12) moves with a rather distinctive gait—toes and feet angled inwards in what’s commonly referred to as the “pigeon-toed” condition. She also speaks with an accent quite unusual...

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