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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

“As I’ve grown older, I’ve [begun to] feel like ‘oh I could have done this better, I could have done that better’, and that’s my personality as a perfectionist. But also, I understand that in the moment I made this decision because I thought it was the right thing to do, and I want to live my life like that: not doing things that in the moment I know I shouldn’t be doing, that in the moment I know I’ll regret later,” Ramanand Vegesna (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Keep up the rally

by Jessie Wang, Senior Copy Editor April 7, 2020

Ramanand Vegesna (12) can flip a tennis racket and catch it over and over again, without stopping or even breaking eye contact from the friends he’s chatting with. He simply flicks his wrist, sending...

“I wanted to be able to document everything I was living through because I have been loving my life. In high school, I suddenly had so many new friends and we were hanging out quite often, traveling all over with each other. It was so beautiful that I could capture these moments with photography. I hope that I can continue to capture these types of moments in the future as well,” Mohan Awasthi (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Strive for independence

by Ritika Rajamani, TALON Photo Editor April 6, 2020

Sitting in his room, Mohan Awasthi (12) listens to music. A pencil in his hand, he stares down at a crisp, white sheet of paper, thinking of designs for his new line of clothes. As his hand begins to move,...

“I just live how I think I should rather than thinking that I have an identity that I should fit or thinking that I don’t have an identity. I just keep going ... If I act a certain way, I act that way no matter what other people think,” Christine Tang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Detail is key

by Olivia Guo, Humans of Harker Profiler April 5, 2020

Eyes focused on the beads in front of her, Christine Tang (12) deftly adds onto the pink bunny keychain, her meticulously-completed crafts scattered across the table. Ensuring that each aspect is perfect,...

“One motto I believe in is, ‘why not?’ A lot of times I question that to people who aren't as fully willing to do things and doing things without hesitation because at the end of the day we only really spend four years of our lives here. It's really special for us to be able to engage with each other through this really transformative period in our lives and I think that ‘why not?’ really captures how I feel about taking opportunities and just making the most of it,” Chloe Chen (12) said.

Humans of Harker: On pointe

by Emily Tan, Winged Post Asst. Features Editor April 5, 2020

Flying across the stage, Chloe Chen (12), with her hair slicked back into a high ponytail and costumed in a simple burgundy dress, leaps and spins with dance partner Vance Hirota (12) to Work Song by Hozier...

“I like the intensity. Even when you’re not playing basketball, maybe it’s just for me, but you’re always so focused on the game. It draws you in, even if you’re not on the court. And plus, because it’s so intense, you create such strong bonds with your team. I think some of the bonds that I’ve made, they’re going to last forever,” Sara Lynn Sullivan (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Try everything

by Nina Gee, Winged Post Managing Editor April 4, 2020

On the outside, you may perceive a quiet, calm demeanor from Sara Lynn Sullivan (12). Hands playing with the sleeves of her bright red sweatshirt and eyes locked on the air in front of her, she gives the...

“I’m always working towards building something better. I’m always interested in looking around and trying to find solutions that may not be obvious to other people and trying to build on them. I don’t necessarily have anything in mind right now, but I definitely want to continue building and exploring new ideas,” Arnav Joshi (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Ready, set, hack!

by Erica Cai, Humans of Harker Profiler April 4, 2020

It lasted a mere 24 hours, but the possibilities were endless. Lines of code spilled from fingertips on keyboards and flowed across hundreds of screens. Fragments of designs ballooned into fleshed out...

“Nothing is too crazy. Nothing is too much. Everything can be achieved if you just put your mind to it,” Roma Gandhi (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Rise to unite

by Kathy Fang, Editor-in-Chief April 3, 2020

Wherever she is, whatever she’s doing, Roma Gandhi (12) is not one to sit quietly on the sidelines: She’s at the front of the bleachers, cheering on her classmates as they race across the gym floor....

“[Riding motorcycles] really showed me that it doesn't matter what I want to do, as long as I put my mind to it, I can really get to know the task and become good at it. When we go on group rides with my dad and my brother . . . we have to learn our own weaknesses and each other's weaknesses. And that's a big part of understanding, first of all, who we are and how we are able to interact with each other in a new environment,” William Rainow (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Humming with passion

by Gloria Zhang, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief April 2, 2020

When you hear the word “bass,” what do you imagine? Perhaps, a polished, wooden, lowest-pitched string instrument featured under low-beam lighting in your favorite jazz cafe. Or maybe, a glossy,...

 “I honestly think that the most important part about being a person is not who you are, but the connections you have and what happens within those connections. I think that, to me, is where the magic happens. No one's really an island,” Jessica Jiang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Comfort from connection

by Delaney Logue, TALON Sports Editor April 2, 2020

The hospital can be an intimidating place, a place of anxiety and worry. Jessica Jiang (12) has taken it upon herself to change that. When you enter the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Kaiser Santa Clara...

“The fact about performing is that no matter which direction you’re facing, no matter what audience you’re in front of, you have to perform the same exact thing, with the same exact amount of energy, and the same exact amount of emotion,” Kenya Aridomi (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Finding strength on stage

by Shinjan Ghosh, TALON Reporter April 1, 2020

With a smile on his face, Kenya Aridomi (12) moves confidently to the beat of the cheerful music. Synchronized voices echo over the speakers as bright lights illuminate the stage. As the song comes to...

“How would I identify a good person? Most probably someone who cares. I could throw out all the synonyms, all the vocab words, the ones like kind, benevolent, nice-hearted, but ultimately I think the essence of what I think a good person is just someone who cares,” Jessie Wang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Exploring boundaries

by Helen Zhu, TALON Academics and Co-Conservatory Editor April 1, 2020

Embarking on a scenic hike along the trails at Sanborn County Park, Jessie Wang (12) stopped by a pond with frogs and lizards, watching 10-year-old kids enamored by the search for the little critters....

“Bharatnatyam is a very different style of dance. You're trying to tell a story and it's all about learning a story from the past. It's all about getting in the mind of like those characters and portraying their similar emotions outwards to the audience. I think that right now, for me, that is the most important thing,” Sejal Krishnan (12) said. 

Humans of Harker: Performance of a lifetime

by Ritika Rajamani, TALON Photo Editor March 31, 2020

Before her performance, Sejal Krishnan (12) waits in the dressing room, her hair and makeup being touched up. As the performance gets closer, her nerves increase as well. Stepping onto the stage, the sound...

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