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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

“Each piece that I play, when I'm playing it, it's 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 it's really interesting to study that. Studying music and playing music in relation to history, and especially when I'm on orchestra tours, and being able to play a piece that was composed in that specific country, is extremely cool. For my Mitra topic, I'm doing [research] related to the French Revolution and opera. I've 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 we're two different people and we're taking two different paths. I feel like recently, even though I followed the original steps that she took, I've 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...

"It's 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 I've 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 I'll 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. That's 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, it's empathy,” Kelsey Wu (12) said. “I've 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 what's 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 be serious, and I care a lot about a lot of things, but I also just like having fun and people feeling comfortable being their true selves,” Isabella Spradlin (12) said. “You don't have to be one-sided — you can have different sides of your personality, and different moods.”

Humans of Harker: Isabella Spradlin gleans insight from sisterhood

by Melissa Kwan, Humans of Harker managing editor July 15, 2018

A sense of humor can be “droll” or “witty,” “dry” or “tongue-in-cheek” ; each word carries a slightly different meaning. “Goofy” is Isabella Spradlin’s (12) descriptor of choice. “I...

“This is like a melting pot of Cupertino, Lynbrook, Saratoga, some people from De Anza, so you meet all kinds of people,” Rahul Mehta (12) said. “Half the time I’m not even playing with my friends, so I’m playing with random people. You start off in the beginning a bit wary of each other, and then by end you’re playing like they’re your friends. It’s kind of gradual. Like after a really cool play, you’ll high five each other, and that’s how it all begins.”

Humans of Harker: Rahul Mehta befriends others through banter

by Melissa Kwan, Humans of Harker managing editor June 24, 2018

“Let me tell you, that guy knew he was a natural charmer,” Preeya Mehta (‘14) said of her brother Rahul Mehta (12) in his childhood years. She and Rahul are standing by the counter at the bustling...

"People are always debating, you know, ‘should I go up to a higher weight or not?’ And I’ll just yell, ‘do it, you won’t,’" Tiffany Shou (12) said. "And then, you know, it’s like that challenge, and so it always pushes them pick that higher weight, and then they can accomplish it, so it’s even more gratifying."

Humans of Harker Video: Tiffany Shou pushes her limits in the weight room

by Sydney Takemoto, Reporter June 21, 2018

This is the eighth installment of the Humans of Harker 2018 video series. Through this project, the Harker journalism program aims to tell the story of the senior class, one profile at a time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoLqvlyQjGY

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