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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

"“One of my biggest values is kindness. I hope everyone can enjoy the moment and be present. I want to be more humorous and playful, and I have no problem breaking the ice if a moment seems awkward. I have no problem just talking with people, but that was definitely something I didn’t always have," Sophie Grace said.

Humans of Harker: Conserving through chemistry 

by Grace Wu, Reporter May 20, 2025

Gentle waves caress the shore. Fresh breezes scatter the rich scents of seawater throughout the air. Senior Sophie Grace Degoricija’s long-lasting love for bettering the environment began with her...

“I want people to know that I'm multidimensional. I want people to know me as someone who's not shying away from trying new things. It's beautiful that I get to experience so many things and I get to meet so many other types of people. I approach life with an open mind and there doesn't need to be a set plan and I can take it as it goes," senior Yifan Li said.

Humans of Harker: Dipping your toes in everything

by Chayce Milheim, TALON Editor-in-Chief May 20, 2025

Need someone who can fold an intricate origami dragon and design a sleek robot in the same afternoon? Senior Yifan Li is perfect! Whether it’s turning a sheet of paper into art or figuring out how...

Humans of Harker: Bravery through connection

Humans of Harker: Bravery through connection

by Steven Jiang, TALON Conservatory Editor May 20, 2025

As night fell at the Duke campus, everything was quiet, except for the predictable and rhythmic chirping of the crickets. The iconic Duke chapel stood illuminated, casting a glow against the darkness....

(Disha Gupta)

Humans of Harker: Curls and creativity

by Disha Gupta, Humans of Harker Editor-in-Chief May 20, 2025

Senior Shaila Tandon craved a creative outlet — one that challenged her to think critically and build something impactful but didn’t fit into the conventional molds of art or humanities. She wanted...

“I like the familiarity with watercolor, but also I like that the colors can blend so easily, and it's not anything that's really sharp. Each color is not anything that's particularly eye-catching, but if you add them all together, it creates this thing that overall looks pretty. While each part is not, in itself, very eye-catching, it's still harmonious and pretty as a whole," senior Lianna Wan said.

Humans of Harker: Painting with introspection and creativity

by Minal Jalil, Reporter May 19, 2025

A stroke of color blooms outward on the page as veins of soft, blurred pigment stretch towards the edge of the scene. For senior Lianna Wan, watercolor is an art of storytelling, a window into a deeper...

"A motto that I live by is, ‘You only live once,’ and it's come up a lot of times throughout my high school experience like when I was going to join football. I was really hesitant about it because of how many people say that they get injured, but I realized that it was either I have this experience now or I'm never going to have this experience, and I was glad I made that decision," senior Vedant Yadav said.

Humans of Harker: Beyond the game

by Ashley Mo, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief May 19, 2025

On any given afternoon, you can catch senior Vedant Yadav balancing the thin edge between grit and grace. Whether it’s sprinting down the football field or scaling a rock climbing wall hundreds of...

Music Monday: Bask in summer with Aquila

Music Monday: Bask in summer with Aquila

by Leah Krupnik, Features Editor May 19, 2025

Music Monday features a different category of songs on a weekly basis. Each Monday, Harker Aquila will release seven songs, one song for each day of the week. Amidst the looming dread of finals, there...

“I try to really put myself into the shoes of whatever I’m photographing. I imagine sometimes, if I were that bird, what would it feel like to be in this moment and flying, or if I were the person that I’m taking a portrait of, what would it feel like to see through their eyes? Then, I try to express that through how I frame the photo," senior Claire Zhao said.

Humans of Harker: Capturing compassion

by Lily Shi, Aquila Editor-In-Chief May 19, 2025

Two deer walk along a cul-de-sac, half their bodies bathed in a shaft of sunlight as they pass in front of a yellow road sign. In another frame, dark shrubbery and a bending tree encircle a mountain...

Humans of Harker: Singing with spirit

Humans of Harker: Singing with spirit

by Aishani Singh, Aquila Managing Editor May 18, 2025

The music swells, the lights gleam on the stage and the crowd erupts as senior Ananya Das and her choir step forward, holding the American flag in front of thousands of people. The moment feels surreal...

Humans of Harker: Leading with enthusiasm

Humans of Harker: Leading with enthusiasm

by Emma Li, Winged Post Managing Editor May 18, 2025

Harker Dance captain. Mock trial head of attorneys. HSLT executive secretary. President of the National Honor Society. Youth advocate for the Brady Campaign, a project calling for gun control. This...

“I've always been really creative and continuing to have that outlet, whether it be dance or art, it keeps that core value strong. All the art forms I do have shaped the way I see the world. I see it through a very artistic lens and I'll find beauty in the tiny things that some people miss," senior Sonia Yu said.

Humans of Harker: Dancing through the details

by Eva Cheng, Aquila Editor-in-Chief May 18, 2025

Tech crew and dance teachers move quickly through the Patil Theater, making final adjustments just days before the Upper School Dance Production. Dancers rehearse intently, running through each movement...

“I want to do everything I can to make people's lives easier. Whether it's helping people with homework or just doing other little things, that's something that I really value highly within myself. I’ve tried to do my best to carry that out with beekeeping: checking out what in my hive needs tending to and then responding to that," senior Andrew Liang said.

Humans of Harker: Bee my guest

by Aubrie Su, Reporter May 18, 2025

A swarm of soft, steadily murmuring bees coats the tree branch like a puffed yellow sweater. Their bodies materialize and dematerialize as they slip past one another and throttle the spring air. For...

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