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

“Not everyone can relate to everyone even within the same community. I know that my experiences as an Indian American are different from my friends. There are definitely things that we have in common, but each persons perspective is different and important. With every book Ive read, I get a bigger and better visual of that, Sriya Batchu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Search, grow and identify

by Tina Xu, TALON Co-Sports Editor March 9, 2022

Immersing herself in the aisles of Barnes & Nobles, Sriya Batchu (12) searches around for her next read. Inheriting her mother's affinity toward books, Sriya perused the Magic Tree House and Geronimo...

“My mom tells me, ‘Always remember those who have served you. Whenever Im upset or frustrated with menial things throughout the day, I remember how good my life is. Its always good to put things into perspective and remember all the people who have done so much for you, Kailash Ranganathan (12) said.

Humans of Harker: The calm beneath the chaos

by Olivia Xu, Reporter March 8, 2022

“Hello from the outside…” Adele’s voice reverberates throughout the quad, where dozens of students and teachers gather, their eyes fixated on Kailash Ranganathan (12) as he catches a bright...

“Sports are very symbolic of real life: you have a team and people who need to work together in order to complete a goal. That translates into life in a lot of ways. You need to have trust with the people you’re working with and be able to take leadership. With soccer, that’s something that’s helped me, Sarah Leafstrand (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Adventures just for kicks

by Rachel Ning, TALON Organizations Editor March 7, 2022

As she walks toward the uphill slope, senior Sarah Leafstrand squints her eyes to look up at the sun just beginning to beat down on the muddy grass of the serene Saratoga Gap. Tucking her hair behind her...

“If I commit to something, I want to see it through. Once I become invested in something, I really want to see something wonderful come out of it. I feel like I owe it to not only myself, but the people around me. I want to leave a lasting impact,” Shounak Ghosh (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Ready, set, role

by Angelina Hu, Reporter March 5, 2022

Propping his bike on its rear wheel in a move called a manual, then balancing on the front wheel as he executes a nose manual, Shounak Ghosh (12) deftly handles his bike, performing tricks and jumps effortlessly...

“Im fine with not knowing whats going on next; Im fine with going with the flow, [and that’s my strength]. Focus on what you can control. You cant [change] anything about [the future] unless you have a time machine, so why worry about it?” Simren Kocchar (12) said.

Humans of Harker: 1,000,000,006 times better

by Claire Su, Reporter March 3, 2022

Concentric circles of ripples expand as Simren Kochhar (12) takes her first steps into the clear, cylindrical sanctuary, as shown in a video from her trip to Australia before sophomore year. Waist-deep...

“I live by smiles per gallon. If you think about life in terms of miles per gallon, you’re thinking about how you can maximize being efficient. You’ll be on cruise control the whole time. But by looking at the smiles per gallon, you’ll have so much fun on the road trip there. You’ll enjoy the journey to the fullest, Dhruv Saoji (12) said.

Humans of Harker: This moment

by Muthu Panchanatham, Opinions Editor March 2, 2022

With light filtering through the car windows, Dhruv Saoji (12) expertly maneuvers through traffic, not taking his eyes off the road as he continues his energetic conversation with a close friend. Brilliant...

“I can remember every show and every dance I’ve been in — maybe not remember the steps to it, but I can definitely remember all the feelings that go into them. [Whenever] I finished a dance, no matter how stressed out I was before or how much my body had hurt before I always came off the stage feeling very happy, Brooklyn Cicero (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Push to perform

by Jessica Tang, Co-Photo Editor March 1, 2022

Brooklyn Cicero (12) recounts her most memorable dance performance at the Santana Row Tree Lighting Ceremony in eighth grade with a smile. Gift bags in hand, festive Christmas shoppers wandered from store...

“[Life is] about finding your true passion, sharing it and following it in a way that makes you happy. You don’t have to be like everyone else. If you be who you want to be, you will be successful, and there will always be a community willing to embrace you, Harshil Garg (12) said.

Humans of Harker: For the record

by Arjun Barrett, Asst. STEM Editor February 28, 2022

Standing at the front of the class, Harshil Garg (12) gives a detailed crash course on the pre-Columbian Americas to a room of attentive juniors. Having researched the material in great depth, he answers...

“What I want to show people around me is what I learned from the upperclassmen above me: were all making mistakes, and we’re all learning from those mistakes. Especially at Harker, I want to show people that its okay to not be the best at anything. Do what you want. Give it your best shot, and learn from your mistakes, Teresa Cai (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Follow your heart

by Ella Yee, Assistant Multimedia Editor February 25, 2022

Whenever Teresa Cai (12) travels to a new location, she makes sure to buy a bird book. Then, she quickly learns about the diets and habitats of the birds that live in the area. At home, Teresa spends her...

“The experience of building bridges between people you’d never otherwise interact with, and that these bridges are ultimately made out of nothing but hope for the future, regardless of your upbringings, has been really meaningful for me. Taking a step into the more unsettling, uncomfortable world is something that means a lot to me, Caden Lin (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Beyond borders and boundaries

by Kinnera Mulam, Copy Editor February 24, 2022

Caden Lin (12) remembers walking through the Seechaitong street market in Thailand on his way to the International School of Bangkok located in the city Nonthaburi. He passed by familiar faces such as...

“I want to be remembered as someone who hopefully helped other people be better. I want to be a good influence on [people]. I want to be a friend who makes you a better person, Alexa Lowe (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Team player

by Isha Moorjani, News Editor February 23, 2022

Shoes squeaking on the gym floor, Alexa Lowe (12) charges forward as she swiftly dribbles the ball. Her eyes focused on the white net ahead, she stops smoothly, carefully calculating her throw. Power courses...

“When you’re trying to solve a coding problem or trying to accomplish a task, there are many different ways to go about it. You can use different programming tools, languages, or different algorithms. You have quite a bit of freedom, and being able to look at situations through different lenses is important to finding the most efficient solution, Anirudh Kotamraju (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Enterprising engineer

by Ananya Sriram, Assistant News Editor February 22, 2022

Anirudh Kotamraju (12) recalls his memories as a seventh grader, rising from a couch in fascination and abandoning the show on his television, instead fixated on a simple game of Pong running on his uncle’s...

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