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

“Whatever side of the political spectrum you fall under, a lot of things you might think are true are not true if you delve a little deeper,” Jay said. “It doesn’t mean you stop supporting whatever you support, I think it’s more important, but I think you sound more educated with you present a point with evidence to back it up, Jay Menon (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Informed discourse

by Irina Malyugina, Photo Editor May 12, 2019

When he’s with his friends, Jay Menon (12) speaks quickly, delivering concise, acerbic remarks by the minute, then laughing assuredly at his friends’ responses, a confident, calm smile on his face....

“I think we all put too much pressure on ourselves to be perfect, and we forget that maybe there’s some beauty in that imperfection. When we come to that realization, we can be happier as people and as a community. I am still working on finding the balance between striving to be my best self and just being okay with who I am, Anika Rajamani (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Roots and resilience

by Irene Yuan and Emma Gurleroglu May 11, 2019

The crowd cheers wildly as Anika Rajamani (12) sprints from third base, black hair streaming out from underneath her helmet. A cloud of dust rises as she slides into home base just as the fielder catches...

I’ve got a pretty good life and have a lot of reasons to be happy. And I want other people to be happy, too, [so] I always try to be the best supporter that I can be. I [am] a feminist and ally, because I can’t just sit around… I need to do my part and help out. I actively participate, because if I don’t decide to be really committed, I won’t be able to make a real impact. If you want change to happen, then you need to do your part to make change happen, Damini Kaushik (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Joy in spreading joy

by Helen Yang, Columnist May 11, 2019

With dangling silver earrings and bold, framed glasses resting gently on her face, Damini Kaushik (12) brings life to the otherwise still backdrop of greenery with her easy smile and light banter. Some...

The human experience is timeless, and humans have been trying to understand it and study it for so long. I think with AI, theres a really unique opportunity to better understand what makes us human, what aspects of our humanity are important, and I think technology can help us do that, Nikhil Dharmaraj (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Disruption

by Nicole Chen, Editor-in-Chief May 9, 2019

Nikhil Dharmaraj (12) always walks with purpose. With his signature grey backpack, white sweater and classic blue jeans, his pace– faster for the usual second semester senior– emits an aura of gravity....

“Something that is really important to me and how I live my life is the idea that, if I have the capacity to help someone, I should. I don’t want to be the person that ignores an issue, no matter how small it is. Whether it’s just me checking in about how their day or sharing personal advice, I think that there’s never a reason for me to ignore someone else’s problem, Emmy Huchley (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Behind the curtain

by Esha Gohil, Reporter May 8, 2019

Curled, golden hair frames her face as Emmy Huchley (12) confidently strides across the Patil Theatre stage, fully immersed into her role as the lead, Hope Cladwell, in the musical Urinetown. As the spotlight...

I think of myself as caring about being feminist. It’s not necessary saying ‘hey, I’m feminist!’ or going to all those feminist rallies. I just never want anyone to think that I can’t do something just because I’m a girl, or that I’m worse than someone just because they’re a guy, or that guys are more capable. Making it clear to everyone that I’m not lesser, or no girl is just because they are a girl, is really important to me, Ria Gupta (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Unconventional resilience

by Devanshi Mehta, TALON Editor-in-Chief May 3, 2019

As the captain of the varsity girls soccer team and a softball enthusiast, it’s no secret that Ria Gupta (12) thrives and grows in athletic settings. “I absolutely love soccer,” Ria said. “Being...

In my experiences, not just in the classroom, but also teaching other students, Ive learned that you can learn a lot of things like empathy, and thats helped me build stronger relationships with people, including my teachers, because when I teach my students they know that theyre learning from someone whos been through it before. When I tell them about my personal experiences, I know that that can be really helpful, Sumantra Banerjee (12) said.

Humans of Harker: To teach is to learn

by Saurav Tewari, Reporter May 2, 2019

Poised and ready, Sumantra Banerjee (12) executes multiple taekwondo moves with a focused look in his eyes. His movements come off as lasers, unpredictable yet laser-focused on the target. Sumantra’s...

I feel like [my art] sort of reflects me in that it’s really disparate in what its about. There’s a wide spectrum of things that I enjoy working on. I feel like that sort of reflects me in that I’m not just artsy, edgy, whatever, but I’m also not just carefree and humorous. I have a little bit of both, and so does my art, Karan Gupta (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Evolution

by Delaney Logue, TALON Photo Editor April 30, 2019

On a cool February afternoon, Karan Gupta (12) sits in a relatively quiet corner of Manzanita. His fingers drum against the table, lips upturned in a thoughtful smile. He runs his fingers through his slightly-overgrown,...

“I want everyone to have their own memory of me. I feel that I can’t even characterize myself in one way. But because there are so many things that I participate in, I want everyone to have their own idea and reflection on what I meant to them, Cameron Zell (12) said.

Humans of Harker: The octopi within

by Julia Amick and Kathy Fang April 29, 2019

Cameron Zell’s hand reaches up towards her ear and fidgets with her earring. The light catches the stud as she spins it around. A timid smile forms on her face, and she lets out a small laugh. Despite...

“The most effective thing for me to be doing is probably just inspiring people. Its a very small chance that Id be able to do something to change the world, so maybe Ill help that if I inspire a thousand different people, Ryan Adolf (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Sense and serenity

by Michael Eng, Reporter April 28, 2019

Emblazoned on many students’ laptop screens is CheckPCR, an application that improves the user friendliness and overall functionality of the PCR system by allowing students to customize settings and...

“Whatever I do I want to make sure Im helping people and helping society. I’m planning on going into some computer science kind of field and I feel a lot of companies are a detriment to society, like Facebook with their scandals. I very much disagree with that, so Im trying to find something that would fit me and helping other people while following my passions, Robert Bobby Bloomquist (12) said.

Humans of Harker: “Mochi with the red bean inside”

by Sriya Batchu and Kathy Fang April 27, 2019

Sitting on picnic benches in the upper school quad, Robert “Bobby” Bloomquist’s (12) face lights up as he enthusiastically talks about water polo. Bobby didn’t always play water polo. He actually...

“When I interact with people I want to make them happy and I want everyone to have a good time. It’s like when I’m playing cello I want to make the audience feel how I feel when I’m playing music, almost like I’m spreading the feeling that I have,” Henry Wong (12) said. “It’s hard to see sometimes because I’m very shy, but it’s really that interaction, working with other people, that makes me love what I’m doing.”

Humans of Harker: Committed, carefree and considerate

by Esha Gohil and Sriya Batchu April 24, 2019

His eyes focused intently on the sheet music in front of him, Henry Wong (12) begins moving his fingers along the strings of his cello with lightning speed and precision. As he continues to play, his eyes...

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