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

“[It’s true that] the worst thing that someone can say is no, but youre going to get a ‘no’ by default if you never go out and try to make a change or try and do something. The worst possible outcome is already going to happen if you dont try, so you might as well try, Allen Boyce (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Bird’s-eye view

by Rachel Ning, TALON Organizations Editor February 8, 2022

As he looks up into the bright blue sky, Allen Boyce (12) squints his eyes to see past the vibrant sun reflecting on the ground. Fidgeting with the controller of his drone, he watches the machine cruise...

“[My multiracial perspective] comes into play for a lot of things — trying to look at an issue from multiple perspectives, to keep in mind the needs of multiple communities. Some health issues impact different communities in different ways, so [it’s important to look] at culturally aware approaches to healthcare, Natasha Matta (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Extensive perspective

by Margaret Cartee, Reporter and Assistant Opinions Editor February 7, 2022

Growing up with serious food allergies starting at a young age, Natasha Matta (12) learned to automatically check food labels and stay home during overnight trips or sleepovers. When she received the opportunity...

“Golf takes a lot of methodical thinking and calculations. Various factors, like the slope of a hill or the green or the wind or your current lie [angle], everything plays a factor in golf. You have to think about all those factors as you take that shot. That’s something that resonates with me; I like to think things through before I do [them], Raj Patel (12) said.

Humans of Harker: An amiable approach

by Ethan Liu and Olivia Xu February 4, 2022

Some people relax with their friends while sipping boba. Some play video games together. Raj Patel (12) winds down with his friends on the golf course while slinging shots through a clear blue sky. More...

“Even if youre playing singles, you have to remember that at the end of the day, youre a part of a team, and whether you win your match or not is part of the teams overall score and not just for yourself. I also learned a lot about resilience and staying positive [through tennis]. Its about your mental strength, Victoria Han (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Team, thinking and tenacity

by Arely Sun, Aquila Co-Managing Editor February 3, 2022

Victoria Han (12) recalls the 2020 DECA State Career Development Conference, from watching movies over Thai takeout in her hotel room with friends to practicing her presentation with her event partner...

“[Baseballs] a game of failure. Theres always going to be off-days or off-weeks or months. I try to enjoy what Im doing and how I get to wherever I end up. As long as the journey is enjoyable, even if some things dont go right, itll still be worth it, Bobby Wang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Flying through time

by Mark Hu, Winged Post Managing Editor February 2, 2022

Bobby Wang (12) flies through the air as a bright, white baseball speeds toward him. After a 30-yard-sprint from his position in center field to right-center, he lays out and stretches his gray, worn-out...

“At the end of the day, everything is interconnected, so it’s fine to have multiple interests. No matter how disparate they seem, there’s always going to be some intersection you can draw, and that’s another element of fun — the creativity of trying to figure out how to interact with them, even if they’re completely different, Saanvi Arora (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Avid advocate

by Katie Reed, Reporter February 1, 2022

Fingers tapping a quick, upbeat melody onto the keyboard of her laptop, Saanvi Arora (12) stares intently at the screen in front of her as she works on documents with the purpose of developing statewide...

“I’ve met some of my closest friends playing football throughout the past four years, and I feel that football is much more than just a hobby for me, in the sense that each person has each other’s back no matter what, both on and off the field. I can’t keep on playing football forever, so I need to cherish every moment I have together with my teammates, Maddux Carlisle (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Looking toward the end zone

by Edward Huang, Reporter January 31, 2022

Smiling as he recounts his past memories, Maddux Carlisle (12) recalls the surreal experience of playing football during senior night, his last game with the team he played with for the past four years....

“A lot of progress that you make with piano isnt very linear. Youll have spurts where youre practicing for a week or something and you feel youre making no progress. And then, a couple of weeks later, you have one day where all of a sudden, this stuff clicks. And then, you make a whole bunch of progress, Michael Tran (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Cadence and coaching

by Brandon Zau, Reporter January 29, 2022

As each piano key prompts a felt-covered hammer to strike a finely tuned string at a piano recital, a high school pianist completes a complex piece, inspiring a young Michael Tran (12) to master the same...

“I like to be accessible to everyone. It stems from being on a team. A team is only as strong as its weakest link. Everyone on the team works together, and you need to be able to trust and rely on others. That has translated into my social life. I like to be there for everyone around me,” Megha Salvi (12) said.

Humans of Harker: A kick into the future

by Ritika Rajamani, TALON Business Manager and PDA Editor January 27, 2022

You may know Megha Salvi (12) for her iconic red soccer jersey or the bright smile that adorns her face around campus, but once her feet hit the soccer field, a look of determination replaces the wide...

“Before performances or speaking in front of large groups of people, I get really nervous, but over time, that’s decreased more. I got used to the feeling and I also stopped caring as much about what other people think, Bodhi Saha (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Cultivating confidence

by Kinnera Mulam, Reporter January 26, 2022

Bodhi Saha (12) remembers idly sitting in his room during a DECA competition on Zoom. He half-heartedly listened to the announcer rattle off the winners’ names in ascending order of their placements....

“Something that inspired me is every time I lost in a debate tournament. While I do love when I do well, reflecting back on the past and seeing the hard work Ive put in has pushed me to realize how important it is to reflect on your past, Aaditya Gulati (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Eagle in flight

by Ariana Goetting, Reporter January 24, 2022

As Aaditya Gulati (12) reminisces about his first-ever football game in late August of his senior year, a smile spreads across his face, his eyes glistening and his head held high. Having scored both the...

Instead of trying to cling on to my routine during the pandemic, I was like, ‘I cant live like this for the rest of my life.’ Thats when I started to try and change things a little bit, [and] that made me proud of myself: being able to recognize that and [change] my mindset, Emma Cabral-Gurleroglu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: A change of pace

by Olivia Xu, Reporter January 21, 2022

Most freshmen and sophomores are sound asleep at 5 a.m., but when Emma Cabral-Gurleroglu (12) was a sophomore, she would be wide awake, arriving at City Team, a homeless shelter in San Jose, in the early...

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