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

Humans of Harker: Lending an ear

by Trisha Iyer, Reporter April 22, 2022

In senior Nicole Arena’s happiest memory, she’s splashing her friends in the Garden of Eden swimming hole along the San Lorenzo River down in Santa Cruz. She describes the trek down to the water as...

“I want people to be more open about programming and computer science. I know a lot of people say that programming is boring, and in a lot of ways, yes, coding can be, if you let it be boring. I thought programming was boring until I found an application for it that I found interesting. If there’s a subject or topic one doesn’t initially like as much, they should try and be more open and willing to give it a chance, Rohit Tallapragada (12) said.

Humans of Harker: One click away

by Claire Bauschlicher, Reporter April 22, 2022

Sitting down with his laptop in front of him, Rohit Tallapragada (12) quickly scans the hundreds of lines of code within his program, carefully debugging his code for any errors. Although in the past,...

“I definitely feel that stretch and pull between the two parts of me, and thats a difficult part of being biracial — being able to connect with the part of you thats probably less prominent in the world that you live in. Sometimes it feels like you never belong. But it also feels like you can make your own identity because you can be so many different things at once, Justin Fung (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Recipe for reflection

by Michelle Wei, Reporter April 21, 2022

Justin Fung (12) fondly describes memories of watching his grandparents cook traditional Chinese dishes such as lo bak go, a type of turnip cake. Justin would eagerly observe them shred and boil daikon...

“I thought to myself that I had to suppress that fear or face that fear and realize that if I focus on the task at hand, focus on doing what Ive set out to do, thats far better than just focusing on any fear and insecurity of what I can and cannot do, John Zeng (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Teamwork and tackling

by Medha Yarlagadda, Reporter April 21, 2022

Recalling one of his favorite memories with football, John Zeng (12), the offensive and defensive lineman and captain of the football team, recalls the Harker seven on seven tournament. The competitive...

“I wish people would care about others a little bit more. [In] martial arts, I try to teach our students the strength of character and how to become a good person in addition to developing their physical skills; I want to help them grow into better people because that’s what my coaches did for me when I was younger, Andrew Vodinh-Ho (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Strength in mind and body

by Katie Reed, Reporter April 20, 2022

Firmly gripping a polished naginata with both hands, Andrew Vodinh-Ho (12) lunges forward, face grim and unrelenting as he stares forward in concentration. His black belt, cinched around his waist, flutters...

“I dont really have grand aspirations to change the world. I just want to make something that will impact other people and make them reflect and think about their lives the way that media has made me reflect thinking about my life, whether its a painting or its a game, Gloria Zhu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Blurring the lines

by Lucy Ge, Aquila Co-Managing Editor April 20, 2022

Carefully etching into a linoleum block with a sharp metal tool, Gloria Zhu (12) works deftly to make a sketch come to life in a matter of minutes using her latest artistic medium of choice — printmaking....

“Anything can happen in a tennis match. The score can flip really quickly. In that sense, I have to be really patient. So, in a match, if I’m losing a set, there’s still one more I can play. I have to reset, and I can continue trying, Shika Tseitlin (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Swinging into the present

by Young Min, Reporter April 19, 2022

Shika Tseitlin (12) remembers one of his first tennis tournaments after rebounding from quarantine. After playing two tiring matches and beating two people ranked higher than him on the same day, he finally...

“I can view [art] this [way] and another person based on their unique experience can view it in a completely different way. It’s because we have so many diverse perspectives, that makes art history subjective, but also really enriching because you can always gain new insights from talking to another person and hearing what they have to say about how they view a piece of art, Melody Luo (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Behind the canvas

by Angelina Burrows, Reporter April 19, 2022

Melody Luo (12) sits perched on the tables near Manzanita. The soft breeze pushes back her hair as she expresses her journey through high school. She speaks quickly, utilizing her broad vocabulary to illustriously...

“People think about debate as some holier than thou activity where two white dudes in suits talk really pompously and get out their points. Debate is high schoolers chugging Red Bulls at 10 p.m. because the tournament doesnt end until midnight, they both smell, [since] they dont have time to shower in the morning, and they probably havent eaten, Deven Shah (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Just an academic game

by Emma Milner, Reporter April 18, 2022

From debating about building a space elevator to persuading others that global warming may benefit the planet, Deven Shah (12) has done it all. As an avid debater, he has taken on many different and sometimes...

Humans of Harker: Passion for positivity

by Medha Yarlagadda, Reporter April 18, 2022

Ava Lett (12) lights up as she talks about Unique, a nine-year-old girl who Ava has seen grow up through her club, Make-A-Birthday-Wish. Unique was four years old when Ava first met her, and seeing how...

“I’ve always been super self-motivated to reflect on and improve myself while also being curious, which is one of the things doing math has helped cultivate in me; Math is beautiful just like artwork or music, Alex Hu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Curiosity larger than the universe

by Steven Jiang, Reporter April 17, 2022

Alex Hu (12) recalls studying his math research prompt closely, intent on trying to simulate a quantum computer on a regular computer. After attempting many ideas, a stroke of insight flashed into his...

“Supporting yourself in your endeavors and achievements is a big part of the feminist movement. Being the president [of FEM Club] is something Ive had to grapple with. People ask me questions about certain topics that I don’t know, and its okay if I don’t know. Whatever position you are [in], you’re always learning new things, and thats my favorite aspect of FEM club, Simone Merani (12) said.

Humans of Harker: On a stage of strength

by Olivia Xu, Reporter April 17, 2022

“Fight hard! Fight hard! Fight hard!” Cheers erupt from the crowd of protestors steadily walking forward, in a video of the Women’s March on Jan. 18, 2020. Drums beat, a slow rhythm transforming...

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