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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

"I am confused on what you can judge research on because to me, all research is important. How can you say that one person's research is more valid than another's? To me, that's like saying that one person is more valid than another, or that biology is more valuable than physics," Amrita Singh (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Amrita Singh develops her passions for research and theater

by Katherine Zhang, Asst. STEM Editor February 25, 2017

Sixth graders aren’t normally supposed to participate in the Synopsys Science Fair, but that didn’t faze Amrita Singh (12). Undeterred by being told that she was too young, she decided to do a project...

“Stop caring. First semester of junior year, I was really worried about what everyone thought, and even second semester I was the same, but this year, I’m cruising through life, doing me, and I don’t care what people think of me anymore. I used to be really, really obsessed with what everyone thought, and I tried to change myself a lot, and that wasn’t me, and it wasn’t fun. But this year, I made it a goal to not let what other people do define me,” Illana Goldberg (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Illana Goldberg finds her place despite high school transfer

by Kshithija Mulam, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief February 24, 2017

Coming to a new school is hard enough. Joining a new school as one of only four new kids in her class in her junior year is even tougher. But Illana Goldberg (12) has managed to make her voice heard at...

“People always make fun of me for driving really far ‘just for a drink’ or ‘some food.’ But for me it's more than that; it's a unique way to experience the world. What can I say? I have a big appetite for culture,” Era Iyer (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Era Iyer explores her passion for singing and her love of food

by Raveena Kapatkar, Editor-in-Chief February 23, 2017

For Era Iyer, singing serves as a mode through which she can relax and have fun. She had her first encounter with music when she began playing the violin to follow her older brother’s footsteps. However,...

 “For me, it all comes down to having perspective on what's important in the grand scheme of things. Actually learning something is definitely way more important than the grade I'm going to get and so on, but it's really hard to see that in the moment. But things like hiking, which gives me a moment to just slow down and reflect, or talking to my older brother, who shares his experiences and realizations with me, or just messing around with my friends, who have made high school way more enjoyable than I thought was possible, have helped me stay above the stress and adopt a perspective that lets me enjoy the little moments,” Priyanka Taneja (12) said.

Priyanka Taneja adapts a unique approach to high school from the people around her

by Kshithija Mulam, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief February 22, 2017

“High aspirations, low expectations.” Through the trials and tribulations of high school, this core philosophy has served as a guide to life for Priyanka Taneja (12). Priyanka picked up this motto...

“I have always been a pretty shy person, so when I volunteered to air guitar on stage in front of the whole school, I really surprised myself. When I first got called up, I was just excited for Sharks tickets, but then when I saw the video, my stomach dropped because I thought I might have to do that. Then, as my other contestants went, I started to think maybe I can do this,” Lyndsey Mitchell (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Lyndsey Mitchell takes on new challenges

by Julia Amick, TALON Asst. Photo Editor February 19, 2017

For Lyndsey Mitchell, high school serves as an environment where she can try new activities outside her comfort zone and explore her interests. Whether it was joining cheer Freshman year or taking on  captain...

“I’ve been doing [art] since I was really little and it’s kind of just become a part of my life. I feel like it’s the only way I can express my feelings,” Irene Bashar (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Irene Bashar channels her emotions through art

by Anvi Banga, Reporter February 16, 2017

Irene Bashar (12) first discovered her love for art when her parents decided to put a stop to her scribbling on all of their notebooks. “When I was about 8, I used to scribble on my parents’ notebooks,”...

“Success is knowing that you did your best and being happy with what you did. It doesn't mean that you have to be the best that's out there, but if you're happy with your end result and you know you tried your hardest, and that is all you can do and you should be proud of that,” Medha Shah (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Medha Shah explores her passion in the arts

by Gloria Zhang, Reporter February 15, 2017

Despite exploring different passions, Medha Shah (12) only discovered her love for performing arts later in life during a voice lesson. “I had a teacher who used to be opera singer, and she really...

“I write fictional stories, and I spend a lot of time thinking about situations. Even though I'm trying to delve into other people's psychologies when I do this sort of thing, at the same time, I feel that helps me satisfy my desire to figure out how people think. It's a way for me to explore what sort of ways people think about the people around them or their settings. That's one of the things I find most rewarding about creative work and creating characters and plots and imagining settings,” Tiffany Zhu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Tiffany Zhu immerses herself in stories

by Angele Yang, Reporter February 12, 2017

Since middle school, senior Tiffany Zhu has devoted her time outside of school to writing. In seventh grade, she read Crime and Punishment with fervor, though she didn’t quite understand its themes at...

“The future will always be there, and to a certain extent you need to mold your life to achieve your future goals. But in doing so, you can't get so caught up that you forget to live in the present and start to lose yourself. I've learned that all these trivial moments are what make for the best memories and it is important not to forget that," Raveena Kapatkar (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Raveena Kapatkar learns independence through past experiences

by Meena Gudapati, Winged Post News Editor February 11, 2017

Although Raveena Kapatkar (12) has lived most of her life in the U.S., her time spent in India has had a huge impact on her life. When Raveena was nine years old, she moved to Hyderabad in South India...

“Scientific research has really been a learning process for me. It's been a wild rollercoaster. One moment you feel you know exactly what you are going to do, but the next moment you wonder why you are even here. There’s a lot of twists and turns along the way, but you just keep going and you always make it through in the end,” Albert Pun (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Albert Pun fuels his passion for learning

by Neil Bai, Copy Editor February 10, 2017

Since beginning science research at Luo’s Lab, a biology laboratory in Stanford, senior Albert Pun has expanded his learning through hands-on experience outside of the classroom. “Scientific research...

"At this point, it's hard for me to think about what life would've been if I hadn't happened to ask my parents for an art tablet because it's led me to making new friends and pretty much set me on the "art" path I'm on right now. I'd probably have no idea what I would want to do at college and after if it weren't for it to be honest," Grace Park (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Grace Park pursues graphic design

by Ria Gupta, Reporter February 9, 2017

After wanting to recreate the pictures she saw online as a child, Grace Park (12) began to love art and graphic design. “I’ll always remember that first piece of digital art I did when I was like...

"I think it’s being more of a confident and open person, because I kind of create a wall around myself when I don’t know people or if I’m in a new situation for the first time, and it’s really hard for me to feel comfortable with myself until I somebody approaches me or I’m prompted to do something, and I think I need to especially work on this for next year, because I’m going to be in a completely new environment and I should be able to take initiative. I’ve improved on that in the past four years because in freshman year i was super shy, I didn’t join any clubs, I didn’t do anything, but I think now I’m more comfortable with myself," Anuva Mittal (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Anuva Mittal develops confidence throughout high school

by Sahana Srinivasan, Winged Post Managing Editor February 8, 2017

Dancing fingers, she and her friends call them, and they do dance. As Anuva Mittal (12) speaks, her fingers never cease to move, hands flipping and gesturing with every phrase. “I think that’s...

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