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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

“In [competitions], there’s a winner, there’s a loser, and it’s just—can you be the winner?” Misha Ivkov (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Misha Ivkov practices a winning mentality

by Derek Yen, STEM Editor December 3, 2016

Misha Ivkov has been playing water polo since seventh grade, but his outlook on the game changed entirely with one improbable victory. “Tenth grade. We had a game against Willow Glen, who is two leagues...

“When we do dramatic exercises in acting, there are moments where all my friends and I literally just sit in a circle and cry together. It's absolutely amazing, the way we all have power and control over our emotions and how we can make ourselves feel a certain way. I think it's absolutely beautiful," Tamlyn Doll said.

Humans of Harker: Tamlyn Doll uses acting to channel her emotions

by Heidi Zhang, TALON Asst. Photo Editor December 1, 2016

Around campus, Tamlyn Doll’s (12) name is usually mentioned in conjunction with dance. It's been seven years since she took her first dance class in fifth grade, and she has dedicated thousands of hours...

“In four years, I hope I’m still in college,” he said. “I hope I’ve started to get my life together and maybe get a few gigs here and there, but I'll still definitely be taking weekly lessons. I want to go to graduate school after that, maybe at a conservatory, and then who knows? Just hopefully playing whatever, however that is, whether it’s an orchestra or a salsa band or whatever. As long as I’m playing, it’ll be fine," Jack Farnham (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Jack Farnham pursues career as trumpet player

by Nina Gee, Reporter November 30, 2016

To the most of us, music is a means of relaxing, channeling emotions or escaping the stresses of daily life. But to Jack Farnham (12), music is much more than that: it’s his future. “My dream job...

“With speech, you get these 10 minutes to say whatever you want and I think what you say says so much about you, the stories you share and what’s important to you. With theater, it’s the same thing, but it’s a more collaborative experience, and you’re there to share your story for a longer time. I think that both theater and speech, the reason why I do both of them and love both of them so much, is that you can really share what’s important to you, and it’s kind of a place where people have to listen to you," Sana Aladin (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Sana Aladin makes her voice heard

by Kevin Huang, People Editor November 29, 2016

Sana Aladin (12) has a lot to say, so it’s no surprise that she takes part in theater and speech. “Anyone who knows me would probably say: ‘She’s someone who will keep talking and talking and...

“I don’t really remember getting stage fright for any performance necessarily, but sometimes when I’m talking in front of large audiences as myself, I tend to get stage fright, which is kind of the opposite of most people. It’s much easier to be open and just in front of a large audience as someone else, as a character or as a singing, dancing and showy guy," Emre Ezer (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Emre Ezer expresses creativity through performing arts

by Kathy Fang, Reporter November 28, 2016

Dressed in a light gray Harker Conservatory sweatshirt, light-washed jeans and worn gray sneakers, Emre Ezer (12) rehearses his monologue to an invisible audience, his low and calm voice echoing around...

“My mom has always told me, and still reminds me to this day, that every little thing matters, and that the time and effort that I spend in doing something is never wasted if I whole-heartedly put everything I have into it. [I] give my all, [my] 100% effort into everything I do, because it’ll eventually pay off in the long run, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time," Mahlet Demissachew (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Mahlet Demissachew plays drums as mode of self-expression

by Raveena Kapatkar, Editor-in-Chief November 26, 2016

Mahlet Demissachew’s friends know her best for her bright and caring personality and fun sense of humor, but recently she decided to pursue a lesser-known passion: drumming. She started learning the...

“I feel like a kid in the candy shop whenever people talk to me about astronomy because there’s so much about it we don’t know. We exist in the solar system, which exists in a galaxy, which exists in a cluster of galaxies, which exists in a supercluster of galaxies— and so on until you get to the universe. When I first took a class and that’s what I learned, I was stricken with this intense existential crisis with the fact that I’m a tiny little human being on a tiny little planet— and that anything I do doesn’t matter," Mataan Peer (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Mataan Peer reflects on distinctive laugh, astronomy interest

by Tiffany Wong, Aquila Copy Editor November 21, 2016

Whether it’s projecting his voice in class or offering a generous laugh after a joke, Mataan Peer (12) constantly finds himself breaking the silence. “I think [my laugh is] a mix of the words chortle...

“I have a dog and his name is Captain. In some ways, I’m an only child, so he’s pretty much my brother. I pet him, take him on a walk, run, stuff like that, it really gives me perspective. His life is so simple, he only cares about food and play and if I’m getting stressed out, if I see my dog, I realize that there’s a lot more to life than just school," Sandip Nirmel (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Sandip Nirmel develops new hobbies

by Nicole Chen, Features Editor November 17, 2016

Although you wouldn’t know it from hearing Sandip Nirmel (12)’s deep announcer voice at school meetings, he wasn’t always a confident speaker. While Sandip serves as the president of the student...

“Water polo is an aggressive, physical contact sport, and I feel like it's helped me go after what I do because there's always going to be someone chasing you down and trying to score the ball on your goal. So it's being aggressive, going after what you want, and thinking in the moment," Sarah de Vegvar (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Sarah de Vegvar enjoys working with a team

by Katherine Zhang, Asst. STEM Editor November 16, 2016

Sarah de Vegvar (12) gained a plethora of skills when helping to build a robot from scratch, ranging from power tool protocol to team communication. "[Robotics] was one of those things where there were...

“I tinker with whatever I can get my hands on. If I am in class, every once in awhile, I'll just pick apart a pen just for fun and put it back together. When I am at home, I will just build with whatever is around me. I'll just build something, whatever I have," Anthony Crook (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Anthony Crook connects robotics to his daily life

by Rashmi Iyer, Reporter November 14, 2016

As a member of Harker’s robotics club, Anthony Crook (12) uses the organization as a place to let his inner tinkering spirit run free, all of the tools and parts he needs at his disposal. Robotics provides...

“Don’t be afraid. Even if you’re big or small, slow or fast, you still have a place on the field, it’s for everyone. Big guys, they have the line. Fast guys, they have the wide receiver or running backs. There’s always a place for anyone on the team, so don’t feel like ‘Oh I’m not big enough,’ you can work on that. Just don’t be afraid of trying out football, it’s not that scary," Davis Howard (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Davis Howard plays with no fear under pressure

by Gloria Guo, TALON Academics Editor November 11, 2016

Davis Howard (12) remembers everything about that one play. The sweat dribbling down his temples, the black helmet adorned with a glossy “H” perched on top of his head. Illuminated by the lights beaming...

“When I look at a character, whether it’s a character that I’m reading or a character who’s right in front of me, an actual person – because they're really not that different, a fictional character and a real character – the reason that appeals to me is because I can see so much of myself in that character," Andrew Rule said.

Humans of Harker: Andrew Rule and the personas we make

by Derek Yen, STEM Editor November 9, 2016

Andrew Rule, who writes short stories, is fascinated with the construction of characters. Andrew pursues his interest in writing in his free time, serving as a co-editor-in-chief of Harker’s Eclectic...

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