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

Part of the reason I wanted to come to the U.S. by myself initially was me just wanting to get away from the family. I wanted to be a man and do everything on my own, Nemo Yang (12) said. Later I learned that it was so hard. But I learned so much in the process of doing so. I learned a lot from moving from host family to host family and eventually living on my own.”

Humans of Harker: Home away from home

by Andrew Chang, TALON Sports Editor October 12, 2018

The words that Lizhi “Nemo” Yang (12) remembers hearing from his dad when Nemo moved to America alone four years ago have stuck with him: “The harder you work, the luckier you will get.” Nemo’s...

“Some people call it perseverance, some people call it stubbornness. It’s the same reason that I didn’t drop out of Harker when I came and started suffocating under the new workload,” Hannah Eckert (12) said. “I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, and here I am, in senior year. It does you justice to stick things out.”

Humans of Harker: Creating character

by Delaney Logue, TALON Photo Editor October 11, 2018

A bright red head amongst a crowd of black, brown and blonde-haired people, Hannah Eckert stands out in stark contrast from her surroundings, her dark clothes creating a striking juxtaposition. Spending...

“Each piece that I play, when Im playing it, its more than the music. Every piece has its own historical meaning, especially for classical music. Sometimes the composers were trying to express different sorts of meanings that were relative to the historical context during the time, so I think its really interesting to study that. Studying music and playing music in relation to history, and especially when Im on orchestra tours, and being able to play a piece that was composed in that specific country, is extremely cool. For my Mitra topic, Im doing [research] related to the French Revolution and opera. Ive always been interested in the intertwined  nature of history and music,” Constance Horng (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Beyond the labels

by Sara Yen, Asst. Features Editor October 10, 2018

Poised and graceful, Constance Horng (12) nods over her bow, signaling the other players in the quartet to start, as she smoothly glides her bow across the strings of her violin, releasing a clear, precise...

Since I was little, I would follow in my sister’s footsteps — it was just something that I was used to, Stephanie Xiao (12) said. It was more obvious at the beginning of high school, but now my parents can see that were two different people and were taking two different paths. I feel like recently, even though I followed the original steps that she took, Ive been able to find my own voice, take the leaderships skills I learned from cheer and apply it to honor council to become a more extroverted person.

Humans of Harker: The frontier of kindness

by Emily Chen, TALON Co-Academics Editor October 9, 2018

Whether it’s her bright and bubbly personality shining through at Interact Club meetings, her enthusiastic smile radiating across the field when cheering or her selflessness in caring for others, Stephanie...

I’m kind of an unusual person, Lilia Gonzales (12) said. First of all, there’s all those stuff about what I like to do in my free time, which is not something first of all most girls like to do and second of all, most people my age like to do. Usually the other people in the hobby [of records and stereo] currently are 50 year old men; it’s kind of funny.

Humans of Harker: Making a sound purchase

by Laura Wu, TALON Co-People and Seniors Editor October 8, 2018

As the needle scratches to find its groove, a slight static noise fills Streetlight Records, a music store in Willow Glen, before the needle falls into place and the music starts to play. Long rows of...

“Research is effectively ultimately the point where you get all the source for education,” Ayush Pancholy (12) said. “It’s like you are finding out something new that hasn’t been found before. So research is interesting because you get a new perspective on things. You also learn about things that you otherwise wouldn’t learn about, especially with a topic that you didn’t choose.”

Humans of Harker: Where patience meets grit

by Saloni Shah, Asst. Humans of Harker Editor and Columnist October 6, 2018

Gazing intently at his computer screen, you will find him lost in deep thought about the simulations running for his research project. Quiet, reserved, and a man of few words, senior Ayush Pancholy’s...

Its a very aggressive stance to be up there and to be shouting and to be a very spirited person, Matthew Hajjar (12) said. But the way Ive always seen it is not me being an alpha force, but rather me contributing myself to the community, saying I give myself fully. I give my heart, I give my passion, I give my voice. I give myself to the community in hopes that Ill get not self-worth but rather a better life experience at Harker.

Humans of Harker: Eagles up and walls down

by Katherine Zhang, Editor-in-chief October 4, 2018

"Put. Your. Eagles….. UUUUUUUPPP!" We’ve all seen him: springing from one side of the gym to another at school meeting, his face contorted in an effort to achieve a sound that will carry across...

People now come up to me when they need a mix in songs, Jerry Peng (12) said. It’s really placed my mark in Harker. I want to be remembered for that guy who did music and made music. Thats really all I want. Music has taught me more than just a melody, it has taught me perseverance, dedication, leadership and gratitude — and those lessons spill over into all aspects of my life.

Humans of Harker: Channeling life through beats

by Anjay Saklecha, Senior Copy Editor October 3, 2018

If you hear a rhythm, you may see Jerry Peng (12) nearby, tapping out the tempo with his heel. His mind focused, eyes closed and head nodding synchronously with his foot. For Jerry, life moves to the beat...

“Knowing that I’m helping other people and other girls feel empowered to make their own money, save money, and be conscientious, and knowing that I’m doing that and even making a small difference in people’s lives, that’s what makes it worth it,” Nishka Ayyar (12) said.

Humans of Harker: When 110 percent effort comes with smiles all around

by Nicole Chen, Editor-in-chief October 2, 2018

CEO. Philanthropist. Volleyball player. At first glance, Nishka Ayyar (12) appears to be an ambitious person who stops at nothing to get what she wants. In reality though, at her core, she’s your carefree,...

“I think you have to measure your impact and what you’ve done for other people–to know that you’re doing good with what you’re doing. You have to create a world for yourself, with your actions, that you would want to live in,” Ryan Guan (12) said. “For myself, I want to have something that I strive for– and that’s making a difference.”

Humans of Harker: Power in thought

by Prameela Kottapalli, Editor-in-chief October 1, 2018

Unlike Ryan, the question is unremarkable. But it’s narrow in an attempt to capture his detail-oriented persona: “Why do you wear a watch?” While considering the question, he lounges on a modernist...

To sum it up in one word, its empathy,” Kelsey Wu (12) said. “Ive always been very interested in learning the stories of other people and helping other people, and what really ties everything I do together would be my goal of empathizing with others and understanding others. From a performing arts perspective, putting yourself in a character is obviously a very empathetic way of understanding others, and then in a student council, service standpoint, serving other people and really digging at what makes them happy—and also whats bothering them—is a really good medium of understanding how people work.

Humans of Harker: Toy libraries, jazz music and “person of the people”

by Kathy Fang, Managing Editor September 27, 2018

Many students in public service begin their careers in high school or even middle school, stepping first into positions of student government as advocates of later start times, increased snack options...

I can say pretty happily that a lot of my high school career has been a series of failures or rejections. I think it was Open Lab that really made me realize that you kinda have to keep on doing, because when people tell you no, you just have to find a new way to do things. At the end of the day, the only person youre really responsible for is yourself, and you have to be your own agent for these kinds of things. The series of failures Ive had in research and performing arts—all those failures and all those rejections have definitely made me a more persevering person, Rahul Bhethanabotla (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Rahul Bhethanabotla thoughtfully considers others

by Winged Post Opinions Editor, Derek Yen April 22, 2018

Friends and teachers speak enthusiastically about senior Rahul Bhethanabotla in his wholly different capacities: researcher, performer, musician, or Honor Council member. But in all the separate spheres,...

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