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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

Nearly 900 upper school students and faculty attended a Challenge Day assembly over Zoom on Monday to learn about the importance of empathy and awareness in the community. Challenge Day is a nonprofit working to bridge differences and build compassion in communities.

Upper school community embraces vulnerability at virtual Challenge Day

by Lucy Ge and Anna Vazhaeparambil September 23, 2020

Nearly 900 upper school students and faculty attended a Challenge Day assembly over Zoom on Monday to learn about the importance of empathy and awareness in the community. Challenge Day is a nonprofit...

Justice RBG dies at 87: Ruth Bader Ginsberg leaves behind legacy of women's rights advocacy

Justice RBG dies at 87: Ruth Bader Ginsberg leaves behind legacy of women’s rights advocacy

by Varsha Rammohan and Anna Vazhaeparambil September 20, 2020

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an outspoken pioneer for gender equality and women's rights, died on Sept. 18 at the age of 87 from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer, according to...

A data-driven dive into the effects COVID-19 has had locally, nationally, and globally.

COVID-19: A data dive

by Aditya Singhvi, Aquila Co-Managing Editor September 17, 2020

259 days. That’s how long it’s been since the World Health Organization (WHO) determined that a novel coronavirus caused a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, China. And since then, the staggering numbers...

The front office at the upper school on March 12, the day students were sent home. The administration has also enacted several key safety changes to prepare for the possibility of in-person activities, including installing hospital-grade HVAC systems across all four campuses, creating outdoor hand-washing stations, having an increased janitorial presence and providing masks for those who forget them.

Harker considers gradual transition into in-person activities as county restrictions loosen

by Aditya Singhvi, Aquila Co-Managing Editor September 14, 2020

As Santa Clara County loosens coronavirus restrictions with declining case counts, the Harker administration is considering resuming certain activities by the end of September as part of a phased shift...

Harker Spirit Leadership Team president Lisa Barooah (12) introduces spirit kickoff at the junior class meeting. This year, students participated in activities over Zoom to earn spirit points.

Classes participate in virtual bonding activities during spirit kickoff

by Lucy Ge, Winged Post News Editor September 14, 2020

Students attended spirit kickoff in their class Zoom rooms and participated in activities prepared by the Harker Spirit Leadership Team (HSLT) and the Student Activities Board (SAB) on Monday.  After...

National security concerns prompted President Trump to issue two executive orders banning U.S. citizens or permanent residents from transaction with the owners of WeChat and TikTok. The orders go into effect on Sept. 15.

WeChat and TikTok to be banned from the United States

by Irene Yuan, Multimedia Editor September 11, 2020

On Aug. 6, President Trump issued two executive orders that prohibit U.S. citizens or permanent residents from transacting with the owners of WeChat or TikTok, citing national security concerns as the...

Director of Roleplays Anika Muddu (10) teaches how to prepare for and present a roleplay at DECA Launch. “The conference experience was mainly something that we might be missing out [on] because the preparation for DECA can be done over Zoom or you can Facetime, but the in-conference experience is something that I don’t think we’ll get to convey to the freshmen this year,” Harker DECA CEO Lisa Barooah said. Everyone who’s ever done DECA can tell you the conferences are the most fun part.”

Extracurricular activities and programs transition to remote learning

by Isha Moorjani, Winged Post Asst. News Editor September 10, 2020

With the 2020-21 school year beginning remotely, both students and faculty are experiencing the changes that come with having extracurricular activities online. Many of these extracurriculars relied on...

Upper school English teacher Beverley Manning's house was burned to the ground by the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, which has now burned over 86,000 acres. Manning evacuated from the wildfire with her rescued animals.

Fleeing fires: Evacuated community members face challenges with new reality

by Lucy Ge, Winged Post News Editor September 8, 2020

Since a heat wave struck California on Aug. 14, over 900 fires have rolled through 1.8 million acres, destroying at least 3,400 structures, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom during a press conference today.  Californians...

The Conservatory program held its virtual kick-off on Aug. 26, introducing an unusual year for the arts. “When we had one day to turn around and teach online, it was such an unknown,” said Susan Nace, vocal music teacher and director of Camerata and Cantilena. “Where we are now, it's not as scary, and we're seeing a lot of possibilities because we don't have that fear holding us back.”

“Art has prevailed”: Performing arts prepare versions of shows depending on COVID-19

by Sara Yen, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief September 8, 2020

The end of last year was a devastating time for much of the upper school performing arts department. Both the orchestra trip to Carnegie Hall and the spring musical “Damn, Yankees” were canceled due...

On Aug. 4, a deadly blast destroyed the port of the city of Beirut, killing over 170 people and wounding over 6,500 more. The explosion was prompted by a fire which ignited 2,750 pounds of incorrectly stored ammonium nitrate, a chemical compound used in fertilizer and the production of bombs.

Rescue efforts underway after deadly blast destroys Port of Beirut

by Arushi Saxena, Managing Editor September 6, 2020

On Aug. 4, a deadly blast destroyed the port of the city of Beirut, killing over 170 people and wounding over 6,500 more. The explosion was prompted by a fire which ignited 2,750 pounds of incorrectly...

SAT and ACT prep books lie on a shelf. A judge in Alameda County ruled that the University of California must immediately cease considering SAT and ACT scores in admissions and scholarship decisions.

UCs must go test-blind, Alameda judge rules

by Arushi Saxena and Aditya Singhvi September 4, 2020

An Alameda County Superior Court judge ruled in a preliminary injunction on Sept. 1 that the University of California system must immediately bar all use of SAT and ACT test scores for scholarship and...

The first semester of the 2020-2021 school will utilize a modified two-day rotation block schedule. This is in response to limitations from the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting Governor Gavin Newson to issue a directive to all schools to begin the year exclusively through remote learning.

Upper school implements bell schedule changes and Zoom guidelines for remote learning

by Nicholas Wei and Sally Zhu September 2, 2020

The upper school has adopted a modified bell schedule for the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year. All instruction will be taking place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting the administration...

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