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

“Learning how to do makeup really helped me gain confidence because I saw a different side of myself — I saw my own beauty. Your face is like a very interesting canvas. It’s something that you know better than anyone else, so it’s very fun to experiment with how you can make yourself look different, Shinjan Ghosh (12) said.

Humans of Harker: From palette to canvas

by Anika Mani, TALON Co-Editor-in-Chief March 25, 2022

Makeup brushes lay across a picnic blanket. Her chain necklace glistens in the light. With a smile as radiant as the sun’s reflection in the mirror, Shinjan Ghosh (12) delicately applies bright, pigmented...

“I always thought I would be a college recruit, but I realized that playing golf competitively was just not my thing. It was a really difficult decision to make, but in the end, I sacrificed golf for academics and committed to that choice without ever turning back or regretting it, Tina Xu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Striking a balance

by Katie Wang, TALON Co-Photo Editor March 25, 2022

Those who do not know Tina Xu (12) well can usually recognize the name from its frequent appearance in Eagle Update highlights. If not that, Tina’s unique effortless style, both in character and in fashion,...

“My favorite part [about table tennis] is that its not just about your technique and your strategy; it’s very much a mental game. Even though you have your club mates and your coaches there, they cant come play for you, so you cant have an off day, because theres no one to pick up the slack for you. Its helped me a lot with being more confident in myself and being able to withstand pressure from [my] academic life as well, Ritika Rajamani (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Taking her best shot

by Lavanya Subramanian, TALON Student Life Editor March 24, 2022

Ritika Rajamani (12) recalls the moments before her match at the 2017 US National Table Tennis Championship. Matching her steps to the beats of the upbeat music playing in her ears, she steadied her breathing,...

Toxic positivity is the idea that we have to force ourselves to be happy all the time. We think the best thing about life is being happy so we feel like we have to be happy all the time to live a satisfying life. But thats not the case, we can take life as it comes, both positive and negative, and it’ll be okay, Madeleine Hansen (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Behind the lens

by Smrithi Sambamurthy, TALON People Editor March 24, 2022

Reminiscing on past adventures, Madeleine “Maddie” Hansen (12) recalls where her passion for photography initially stemmed from. She had peered through the viewfinder, adjusting her focus and aperture,...

“Im interested in whatever Im interested in, and that’s what led me to all the different activities that I do. It’s led me to small hobbies like playing squash a lot, and it has also helped me connect with people and be more free and open when talking to others, Rohan Thakur (12) said.

Humans of Harker: The little things below the surface

by Edward Huang, Assistant Features Editor March 23, 2022

Rohan Thakur (12) recalls getting his first bid to qualify him for the Tournament of Champions debate competition in his senior year and experiencing the joy of achieving such a huge goal after years of...

“Music makes you work hard. Practicing forces you to keep yourself in charge because no ones ever going to be there telling you, ‘Oh, this thing is due.’ Its up to yourself to spend the time and that can be really hard. I think the process for everything is worth it no matter what comes out, Karolyn Cheng (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Peace in performance

by Anika Mantripragada, Reporter March 23, 2022

Lifting a silver flute to her lips, Karolyn Cheng (12) blows into the mouthpiece. Sweet music fills the practice room on the second floor of the Rothschild Performing Arts Center (RPAC). With a composed...

“I like how [the retirement community residents] are regulars. You dont get new people often. If Im able to find a grouchy person and be empathetic and extra nice to them, and have them like me after, It makes my heart very happy, Alyssa Tomberg (12) said.

Humans of Harker: “Our best moments together”

by Sarah Mohammed, Features Editor March 22, 2022

Alyssa Tomberg (12) adores her family car. Being in her family’s ownership since 2004, the small, royal blue Subaru is the same age as her. It finds comfort in the same home. Its engine revs up like...

“[Art is] a really good way to let out all your emotions. For someone like me, who is not very good at communicating their emotions very well, art is a really good place to dump all your feelings into if you dont like saying it by word of mouth. You can do anything with art. Theres honestly no right or wrong way to do art, so whatever you want to do, you can do, Ray Ka (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Details in design

by Margaret Cartee, Assistant Opinions Editor March 22, 2022

In a life dominated by social media, small details can blend into an endless chain of images. Ray Ka (12) relishes the nuances of her designs, which she posts on Instagram, reflecting on the process of...

“I like to see someone else fall in love with something that I care about too. [It’s] that feeling of giving back with what I know. And then, I grow as a violin player, I grow as a tennis player, I grow as a person, so Im getting a lot back in return, Kavita Murthy (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Music and mentorship

by Irene Yuan, Co-Managing Editor March 21, 2022

Kavita Murthy (12) recalls the first time she helped out with the lower school orchestra in 2015. Rehearsal had already started, so Kavita, wearing her middle school uniform, entered the room and sat in...

“School is kind of procedural — everything has a set schedule. But when you’re hiking, backpacking, you can do what you want to do, and use your own skills or knowledge to make that happen, Alex Zhang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Challenges for the mind, expeditions in the outdoors

by Julie Shi, Reporter March 21, 2022

Alex Zhang (12) smiles as he recalls the semester-long Study of Organic Chemistry course he had taken the previous semester, especially the rewarding experience of translating lecture notes into hands-on...

“Throughout the years Ive really found myself and found who I am. And Id like to say that I found myself with silent confidence. Im a pretty quiet person. But I think that I do have a very silent confidence and thats something that not many high schoolers have, Kalyn Su (12) said.

Humans of Harker: A silent confidence

by Heidi Lu and Olivia Xu March 20, 2022

Following the fall of Saigon in 1975, over 125,000 Vietnamese refugees poured through the doors of the United States, settling in the country. Over the next 25 years, the deluge of Vietnamese refugees...

“On one hand, I really enjoy everything I do, but thats not the only reason its worth it to me. In my Boy Scout troop and when teaching at Mathnasium, I really feel like its worth it because, thinking of all the people in my Boy Scout troop who helped me along that journey and helped me become who I am today, I really want to give back to them, Tristan Goodwin (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Giving back, “one step at a time”

by Anika Maji, Reporter March 19, 2022

Mount Baldy, New Mexico. Standing a daunting 12,441 feet tall, the mountain represented the pinnacle of the 70-mile long backpacking trip Tristan Goodwin (12) took in the summer of 2019 with the Boy Scouts....

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