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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

Senior Raphael Sanche performs a line at a Sept. 17 rehearsal for the upcoming fall play, "Our Town". Early rehearsals, which began this month, have focused on character development, actor movements and line run-throughs.

Fall play cast begins rehearsals

by Anna Vazhaeparambil, Reporter September 21, 2018

Rehearsals have officially begun for the upcoming fall production of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” after months of behind-the-scenes planning and preparation. The play tells the story of the...

Nilisha Baid (10) and her horse Manny jump over a hurdle. After years of developing skills and enjoying horses, Nilisha joined the competitive program for horseback riding last year.

Alternate Sports: The unconventional aspect of non-traditional sports doesn’t make them any less valuable

by Saloni Shah, Columnist and Assistant Humans of Harker Editor September 20, 2018

Sweat dripping in a constant stream down their exhausted faces and feet pounding across the lush, green field in an attempt to catch the flying disc, a group of teenage boys and girls laugh while playing...

Theater candidate Nicky Kriplani (10) performs a monologue from Eugene O’Neill’s play “Long Day’s Journey into Night” for his jury performance. Sophomore Certificate candidates are required to perform a two minute piece for a panel of Conservatory teachers.

Certificate candidates perform at sophomore juries

by Kathy Fang, Managing Editor September 20, 2018

Certificate candidates performed at sophomore juries in the Patil Theater today at lunch and after school as a part of their Certificate requirements. Students were asked to prepare a short piece of under...

Ethan (right) faces off against another fencer at practice. A fencing bout in foil occurs in three rounds of three minutes each, with victory being awarded to the first person to reach 15 points.

Apex: Sophomore fencer plays chess with knives

by Aditya Singhvi, Sports Editor September 20, 2018

On a raised stage in St. Louis, surrounded by referees, cameras and supporters, two fencers, clad in silver and white armor, stand perfectly still, blades raised, in anticipation for the final point...

Congress has been in a partisan gridlock this year more than ever.

The Partisan Trap

by Srinath Somasundaram, Opinion Editor September 20, 2018

After the recent passing of John McCain, a war hero of the Vietnam War and five-term senator of Arizona, many memorialized him for his strong opinions and his willingness to reach across party lines to...

Avi Gulati (11) adjusts Junior Classical League's poster board at Club Fair.

Campus organizations invite students to join in annual Club Fair

by Eric Fang, Ryan Guan, and Arushi Saxena September 16, 2018
This year's Club Fair invited students to join a plethora of on-campus organizations or attract new members to existing clubs in the quad during lunch on Wednesday. Unlike the past two years, the event did not take place in the Nichols atrium. Instead, Club Coordinator and Assistant Activities Director Eric Kallbrier opted for Club Fair to be held in the quad, where tables were arranged around the edges and at the center.
A white, unpainted eagle is one of four standing outside Manzanita Hall this week. Before painting their eagles to correspond with their spirit themes for the homecoming rally, each class needed to remove the paint from previous years.

Weekend recap 9/15/18

by Ryan Guan, Executive News Editor September 14, 2018

In a senior tradition, the class of 2019 gathered on Davis Field on Aug. 27, the first day of classes, to watch the sunrise. The Upper School observed Labor Day with no classes on Sept. 2. Green...

Christina Bettink (11) studies in the library. If you prefer quiet locations, the library is a great place to study during free periods, lunch or office hours.

Your how-to guide to high school

by Gloria Zhang and Sara Yen September 14, 2018

Freshmen: Whether you’re a lifer or new to Harker, you are still experiencing a fresh start at a new campus and transitioning into high school. Although the cafeteria lines seem endless and the classes...

Student director Ellie Lang-Ree (12) announces her play at school meeting on Sept. 14. The four 2018 SDS directors are seniors Neha Premkumar, Emmy Huchley, Dilara Ezer and Ellie.

School meeting recap 9/14/18

by Ryan Guan, Executive News Editor September 14, 2018

Jennifer Walrod, director of global education, introduced a visiting teacher from the Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy in China. Mr. David will be observing classes at the Upper School. Johnny...

College counselors visit the class of 2019 during a class meeting.

Seniors named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists

by Ryan Guan, Executive News Editor September 13, 2018

Forty-three members of the class of 2019 were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists last week. Semifinalists were notified at college counseling class Sept. 4. They can submit SAT scores and...

Students gather on Davis Field for an emergency evacuation drill today. The drill was announced at school meeting Monday.

Fire drill held between first and second periods

by Nicole Chen and Kathy Fang September 13, 2018

The upper school's fire alarm rang at around 9:15 a.m. today, alerting students and faculty to report to Davis Field for an emergency drill. Students remained on the field until after 9:35 a.m. and...

The Shah patio at the upper school. Upper school psychology teacher Dr. Jonathan Sammartino was arrested Sept. 11 on three charges of sexual misconduct at a previous teaching position in San Diego.

Upper school teacher arrested on charges of sexual misconduct at previous teaching position

by Nicole Chen, Kathy Fang, and Ryan Guan September 12, 2018

Warning: The following story contains information about sexual assault charges and may be upsetting to some readers. Updated: 10:04 p.m. Sept. 19, 2018. An upper school psychology teacher was arrested...

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