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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

“Star Trek has this one episode with a doomsday device. They hypothesize it's from an undiscovered galaxy or part of the universe, and considering how destructive it is, it's also likely that those who created it no longer exist. There's the obvious commentary on potential nuclear holocausts, but it kind of also makes you think about consequences of your actions. Also, there's something that people just think is haunting and beautiful about an advanced civilization being lost like that," Lauren Liu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Lauren Liu enjoys reading web comics

by Ruhi Sayana, Winged Post Copy Editor February 7, 2017

For Lauren Liu (12), XKCD and SMVC webcomics create a perfect storm of romance, sarcasm, math and language. Lauren explores the world of XKCD and SMBC web comics on the Internet when she’s not playing...

 “I’m an empathetic person. I use that word because I think theater has helped me with that. I mean, you play different characters and you enter people’s lives for a bit, and it helps you see different perspectives. Sympathy is different than empathy. I think I’m an open-minded person,” Marina Newman (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Marina Newman exhibits personalities of the characters she plays

by Jin Tuan, Reporter February 6, 2017

 Both feet planted firmly on the pine needles and head held high, Marina Newman (12) stands for a silent second before becoming her character on the impromptu stage. As soon as she opens her mouth to...

“Coaching has taught me a lot of leadership skills because it's pretty hard to organize kids who really don't know you. I've also had to interact with parents, and that can also be challenging. Sometimes you have to take that criticism and use that to adapt, and other times you just have to tell them that you're the coach so you have to stand up to them," Rahul Shukla (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Rahul Shukla coaches youth basketball

by Eleanor Xiao, TALON Student Life Editor February 5, 2017

Senior Rahul Shukla has been coaching elementary school kids at his local YMCA since the start of high school. In order to juggle the workload of high school alongside his love of basketball and service,...

“I like that [debate] allows for lot of creativity. The topics are pretty broad and you can focus on one thing and talk about that. There [are] many different styles that are acceptable [and] there [are] different types of arguments, so you can choose whatever you want to do or whatever you are good at. I like the debate community in general; I have made lot of friends from all over the U.S. That is also very cool,” Emmie Malyugina (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Emmie Malyugina finds a passion for debate

by Nisha Shankar, Reporter February 4, 2017

Through Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate, Emmie Malyugina (12) deliberates over moral dilemmas in topics from economics to social justice. “I did not get into [debate] until this year because I used to...

“I’m really competitive and I always try my best. I’ll do whatever it takes to get what I need done. I’m really self driven, and I just really want to do well for myself. It’s just doing what makes you happy and doing what you think is right,” Jordan Thompson (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Jordan Thompson incorporates basketball into her everyday life

by Nicole Chen, Features Editor February 2, 2017

As a middle schooler, Jordan Thompson (12) didn’t make the decision to join the basketball team: her father was the one who signed her up. After five years, her life revolves around the sport. “I...

“Foreign languages increase your scope of communication. It’s the ability to communicate with other people that are from different parts of the world that is interesting for me. I think when you want to learn about someone else’s culture, and if you’re able to do so in their language, rather than conversing in English, that makes it a lot more powerful,” Aditi Maheshwari (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Aditi Maheshwari explores different languages

by Ruhi Sayana, Winged Post Copy Editor February 1, 2017

As the president of the Spanish National Honor Society, Aditi enjoys learning foreign languages and exploring Latin American culture. Fluent in three languages and in the process of learning a fourth,...

“It’s a lot about bringing the community together, using visual elements to bring everyone together through art, and just to give everyone the opportunity to see that there is a lot of art in life. It’s something that makes life more interesting and something that makes life more vivid," Joyce Li (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Joyce Li uses softball and art to adjust to her new environment

by Anika Rajamani, Reporter January 31, 2017

Three years ago, Joyce Li (12) and her family moved from Taiwan to the United States, leaving her school, friends and her home behind. She attended freshman and sophomore year at Monta Vista high school...

“I feel like pride is an aspect that drives me in football. Football is just a reminder that when life hits you you get back up and you fight it. I’m pretty resilient as a football player and that ties back to pride because no matter what hits me, I’m going to get back up," Rishabh Nijhawan (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Rishabh Nijhawan learns resilience on the field

by Andrew Chang, Reporter January 30, 2017

Moving from Houston, Texas to the Bay Area was a huge shift for Rishabh Nijhawan (12). Behind his Houston house, his brother would often hold him on his shoulders so that he could watch the football games...

“I have plans to own a horse; I want a Clydesdale. I love Clydesdales—they’re the giant horses—they’re draft horses, and I want to be able to have my own mini farm. I don’t want to sell anything but I want it to be half self-sustaining and grow myself stuff and eat it. A horse could pull the plow and since it wouldn’t be a full blown farm, I wouldn’t need a tractor. I also want a Clydesdale because they also have really nice canters, but it will be tricky because Clydesdales eat a lot,” Marti Sutton (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Marti Sutton draws inspiration from horses

by Kevin Huang, TALON People Editor January 29, 2017

Marti Sutton (12) has been fascinated by horses all her life. As a four-year-old, she fed wild mustangs at a farm where her mother grew up. As a six-year-old, she started riding horses. As a seven-year-old,...

“I feel like success is reaching all your goals, but while simultaneously being happy and maintaining a balance of being ambitious in what you want to do, while at the same time being happy with what you are doing. I feel that if you are confident in what you have done and not regretting any of it, then you are successful," Kavya Duvedi (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Kavya Duvedi appreciates music

by Eric Fang, Reporter January 28, 2017

While many high school students find classical music to be boring and monotonous, Kavya Duvedi (12) enjoys listening to the harmonies created, whether it be two or fifty instruments playing together.  She...

 “I hope to be remembered as the guy who was always in a great mood. Never really sad and just enjoying himself. I just want to be remembered as that guy whose aura was very positive and just because of  him, the people around him were happy as well," Diego Figueroa (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Diego Figueroa emits positive energy

by Nina Gee, Reporter January 28, 2017

Public speaking is something Diego Figueroa (12) innately enjoys, whether it’s talking in front of a large crowd or something as simple as presenting in front of a classroom. “I feel very in place...

“Most people think that classical music is boring, but I don’t think that’s so. I think they’re possibly listening to the wrong thing or they don’t pay as much attention to it. I guess it’s just surprising because you don’t expect what comes next as much as in pop music, because pop music is more repetitive and standard,” Crystal Jin (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Crystal Jin finds solace in classical music

by Kathy Fang, Reporter January 26, 2017

Crystal Jin (12) describes classical music a as “close friend” whose personality she is endlessly discovering. “Most people think that classical music is boring, but I don’t think that’s so,”...

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