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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

Humans of Harker: Staying stylish

Humans of Harker: Staying stylish

by Erica Cai and Esha Gohil May 30, 2020

This is the second installment of the Humans of Harker 2020 video series. Through this project, the Harker journalism program aims to tell the story of the senior class, one profile at a time.

“It’s really hard to find time for things that you genuinely like to do for yourself, not for anyone else, not for college, not for any reason, just because you simply like to do it and dance is one of the few things that make me genuinely happy, and I really don’t feel obligated to anyone,” Larissa Tyagi ('20) said.

Humans of Harker: Dancing with dedication

by Esha Gohil, Humans of Harker Managing Editor May 30, 2020

“Five couples on the floor with four events. The first dance is,” a heavy pause fills the air around the couples on the dance floor as they await the news of which dance they will be improving to....

Upper school computer science teacher Marina Peregrino and Eric Fang ('20) pose for a selfie at the drive-thru. As seniors drove through, they were able to return items and receive their gifts from masked faculty members stationed in tents.

Senior pick-up day celebrates new graduates with drive-thru ceremony

by Lucy Ge, Winged Post News Editor May 30, 2020

A rare sight was seen on Thursday at the upper school campus in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic: grinning faces of the graduating senior class and their families peering through car windows, greeted...

I could never personally relate to any of the struggles [Lana del Rey] pens down in her poetic lyrics, but enhancing the severity of her own battle scars by rubbing salt into the wounds of others was a petulant move, lacking both empathy and respect.

White privilege is still white privilege, intentional or not

by Alysa Suleiman, A&E Editor May 30, 2020

“He hit me and it felt like a kiss”: a controversial line from popular indie artist Lana Del Rey’s 2014 song “Ultraviolence.” Although Del Rey’s lyrics sprawl her raw emotions in poetic lyrics,...

“I like exploring connections between very unrelated aspects of life or the universe. In this way, I feel like my love of art, as strange as this sounds, is very connected to my love of chemistry. I just enjoy putting two things together that don’t go together, understanding how things work from both the hard, analytical, scientific side and also the creative side. I find it so fascinating,” Nellie Tonev (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Balancing acts

by Anna Vazhaeparambil, Editor-in-Chief May 29, 2020

At 7:57 a.m. every day, without fail, a blue Mazda cruises into the upper school campus, music softly resonating from its speakers as the driver expertly maneuvers through the parking lot and into spot...

“A lot of people know me as the doughnut guy, but my main thing [is] kindness. The doughnuts were just a part of that. Sometimes people don’t have other people to reach out to or to get the assistance they need or the distraction they need. I want to be able to off-set the negative people in the world. It's easier to complain and be negative than be happy all the time, so I’d rather be the happy person that people can go to," Griffin Crook (12) said.

Humans of Harker: You’ve got a friend in me

by Nina Gee, Erica Cai, and Irene Yuan May 29, 2020

A bright yellow dress shirt reminiscent of the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. A neon pink tracksuit with matching shoes. A long-sleeved shirt depicting an orange and black cat adorned in a blue cape, boldly...

“It's impossible to solve one problem with one dart on a target. [A problem is] so multifaceted that if you don't see the humans behind it first, then it’s impossible to solve. Whenever I see a problem that I want to fix, I want to ask myself, ‘Who are the real people behind this, and what do they need.' I think we all get this internal reward from helping somebody else, and when you connect your desire to do good with somebody that is actually affected, you can create a solution that benefits all,” Mahika Halepete (12) said.

Humans of Harker: A lending hand

by Esha Gohil and Erica Cai May 28, 2020

Clack, clack, clack comes the rhythmic clicking of Mahika Halepete’s (12) thrifted heels against the glitter covered floors of Moon Zoom, a small vintage store tucked between a used car dealership and...

“I wish people just cared more about themselves in the sense that they cared more about their own well being and mental health. I hope people realize the triviality of these different decisions or the assignments we complete or anything like that compared to the broader goals in life that you have,” Nakul Bajaj (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Life beyond the screen

by Pelin Unsal, TALON Reporter May 27, 2020

After spending days focused on formulating code, Nakul Bajaj (12) stands in front of his creation projected across his eyes, one of his many accomplishments on a screen being displayed as his joyful face...

“The cards are there to guide you and subconsciously influence what you think of a situation. They’re self-evaluative and focused on reflection. It's a great way of manifesting your intentions: [reading the cards] is a reminder to look out and make active choices to put yourself where you need to be,” Eva Chang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Unraveling the mystery

by Anoushka Buch, TALON Co-Editor-in-Chief May 27, 2020

Walk down Main Hall any Friday afternoon, and you’ll find one door at the end of the corridor wide open, exuberant chatter and bubbly laughter emanating from within. Inside English teacher Christopher...

“I want to be remembered for taking my skill set and doing something slightly out-of-the-box. I’m not just a STEM kid, I’m someone who sees the problems in her society and tries hard to develop solutions,” Emily Zhou (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Musical equations

by Amruta Dharmapurikar and Irene Yuan May 26, 2020

When asked to describe her younger self, Emily Zhou (12) chuckles as she remembers the various hysterical moments of her childhood. Looking at the roof as memories flood back, she recounts incidents from...

“People can have different views that I don’t agree with, but I don’t want to cast them away just because of that. You can be accepting of others even if you don’t share the same perspectives. By learning from others and just talking to more people, I’ve developed a more accepting mindset, rather than an extreme one,” Anvi Banga (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Introspection behind the surface

by Olivia Guo, Humans of Harker Profiler May 26, 2020

Among the chattering students in the athletic center, Anvi Banga (12) begins presenting the Green Team’s new campaign for Buy Better Boba at a school meeting. She confidently holds the microphone close...

A collection of flat lays taken to share the outfits student journalists would have worn these last three months if not in quarantine.

Stories from quarantine: “The outfit I never wore”

Over the last week, members of Harker Journalism dug through their closets to pull out outfits and accessories they haven't touched since quarantine started—a glimmer of normalcy in a time of uncertainty...

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