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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

“People aren't fortunate enough to have infinite opportunities. So helping anyone out, whether it's a small act or a big act, means the world to many people. Doing what I can to help them makes me feel better as a person,” Gabriel Yang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Motivated by generosity

by Selina Xu and Jonathan Zhang March 17, 2021

Taking one last look at his target, Gabriel Yang (12) plants his feet in a determined stance, eyes trained on the ball in front of him. He swings his club back and strikes the ball with a satisfying whoosh,...

“I learned that even if my beliefs don't change, it's really a powerful experience to be able to understand why someone might believe differently. In a lot of cases, our beliefs are driven by our fears and our hopes, things that may not be understood at first, but end up being more similar than expected,” Julia Biswas (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Beyond the data

by Katie Wang, TALON Photo Editor March 17, 2021

Julia Biswas (12) sets her Shake Shack drink down on a nearby table, grabs the shirt that caught her eye and holds it up to her friend. The smiling avocados printed on it mirror Julia’s own grin as she...

As Student Press Freedom Week is taking place during Feb. 21 to Feb. 27, I have been thinking about the work our journalism staff has been doing. We have been holding the theme for this year in our hands: “journalism against the odds.” We have pushed past the boundaries to do what we have always done: served the community, provided an avenue towards truth, giving voice to the voiceless.

Open hands and truth

by Sarah Mohammed, Winged Post Asst. Features Editor March 17, 2021

I joined the journalism staff as a freshman — new to high school and unfamiliar with what student journalism meant. I loved to write and choosing to take journalism felt simple: I was excited by the...

“It's really important, if you have an idea, to be able to express it well. Otherwise you're underselling your idea. If you're underselling your idea, you're not doing yourself justice, because that idea will not get the attention it deserves,” Andrew Sun (12) said.

Humans of Harker: The beauty of conversation

by Ethan Liu and Michelle Wei March 17, 2021

Andrew Sun (12) sits on the edge of his seat, intently jotting down notes while his opponent concludes an argument on foreign aid in Africa. As the presiding officer calls his name, he lays down his cards,...

“Ever since I was a little kid, I've always been drawn to anything art related. Whenever we had the choice of a creative project, I would always choose art; that's just how I felt like I could best express myself,” Jacqueline Au (12) said.

Humans of Harker: The art of creativity

by Michelle Liu, Winged Post Design Editor March 16, 2021

Sunlight dapples the serene, architectural design of Jacqueline Au (12)’s backyard. Sleek planes of grass, wood and stone intersect a low pale grey wall. A panel of water splashes softly as it falls...

“Cooking has been something I’ve explored during quarantine. I think that cooking has helped solidify a lot of chemical concepts whether it’s hydrogenation, protein structure, the maillard reaction, emulsions, and things like that. It just really makes what might otherwise be any other subject to be more tangible,” Russell Yang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Learning by doing

by Michael Eng, Multimedia Editor March 16, 2021

On Friday nights, most students spend their time relaxing or organizing their weekend plans.  But not Russell Yang (12). He’s in middle school mathematics department chair Vandana Kadam’s classroom...

“The field of neuroscience … I had always thought of it as something super technical. I didn't think I was able to get involved in it as a high schooler. The fact that I was able to get into what I thought would be a super technical field, and don't get me wrong, it definitely is, but I was able to get involved in it as a high schooler — I'm glad that I encountered it and that people exposed me to it,” Pramiti Sankar (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Freeing the mind

by Nicholas Wei, Humans of Harker Profiler March 16, 2021

Think about this: as you read these words on your screen, sensory cells in the back of your eyes are relaying millions of signals to regions of your brain, where they are interpreted into a cohesive image...

“Theater saved my life. I want to write for it, I want to tech it, I want to perform on its stage, I want to direct its actors; I want to do everything for it. It has done so much for me, and I cannot help but use all of my creative power to try and give back to the institution,” Alissa Gao (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Effort and expression

by Anika Mani, TALON Co-Student Life Editor March 15, 2021

Reaching for the door handle with a welcoming smile one warm morning, Alissa Gao (12) pulls open the door to their backyard, their two dogs trotting close behind. The sun shining brightly on the back patio,...

“I've definitely had problems with that, where you can psych yourself out so much before the race. You’re going to do bad if you have that mindset of I can't mess up, I can mess up. You’ve got to accept that things could go badly. You have to accept what comes with racing, which is unpredictable circumstances … You got to go into that race with a mindset of Plan A, but then there's also Plan B, since not everything's going to go your way,” Rhys Edwards (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Passion and perseverance

by Vishnu Kannan, Co-Sports Editor March 15, 2021

You would expect the average high school student to be fast asleep at 4:30 a.m., but Rhys Edwards (12) is no such student. By then, Rhys has forced himself out of bed, after overcoming the irresistible...

“Composition is a way of finding your artistic voice. For me, I would say, every day, when I'm walking around, I'm always hearing music in my head, I’m always hearing songs or melodies or something all the time," Dr. McCurdy said.

A musician’s message

by Sarah Mohammed and Alysa Suleiman March 15, 2021

At just five or six years old, a little boy would practice his harmonica, twirling around his mother’s tea party event to its lively tunes. In those moments, he knew he was destined to become someone...

“It's nice to almost not know what you're going to write about until your pen touches the paper. There's something about writing where, for me personally, I'm able to explore parts of what I'm thinking about that I wouldn't have been able to even know without writing. I'm able to find things that I didn't even know I was worrying about or that I was happy about until I write,” Sara Yen (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Writing for the right reasons

by Emily Tan, Winged Post Features Editor March 15, 2021

Sitting serenely on a wooden bench in her backyard next to a colorful selection of Moleskine notebooks and mechanical pencils, Sara Yen (12) journals quietly as her pen comes to life with dance and her...

Anushka Mehrotra (10) swings at a ball during the team’s CCS semifinals’ matchup against St. Francis last school year. Girls tennis resumed three weeks ago, and since then, the team has racked up three victories, against Monta Vista, Sacred Heart, and now, Menlo.

Girls tennis team defeats Menlo, snapping 24-year-long win streak in league play

by Vishnu Kannan and Muthu Panchanatham March 13, 2021

The varsity girls tennis team defeated Menlo 4-3 yesterday in the first game of their season, snapping Menlo’s record-setting 24-year, 266-match-long win streak in league play. The Eagles were represented...

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