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

Raymond Xu (12) and Emaad Raghib (12) pose with their award. Competing in a field of 95 teams, Raymond and Emaad placed second, losing to a team from Mission San Jose High School.

Harker debaters compete at the Golden Desert Tournament in Las Vegas

by Rashmi Iyer, Reporter February 7, 2017

The upper school debate team competed at the Golden Desert Tournament at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas from Feb. 4 to 6, with students participating in three events: Public Forum, Lincoln Douglas...

Students complete the 2014 AMC 10 and 12 exams. The tests are administered annually on campus in February; while the 2014 exams were taken in the gymnasium, this years exams were taken in Nichols Atrium.

Students participate in annual AMC 10 and 12 exams

by Michael Sikand and Tiffany Wong February 7, 2017

More than 110 upper school students competed in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 10 or 12, sitting the 75-minute exam this morning at 8 a.m. in Nichols Atrium. Every year, more than 350,000...

“Star Trek has this one episode with a doomsday device. They hypothesize its from an undiscovered galaxy or part of the universe, and considering how destructive it is, its also likely that those who created it no longer exist. Theres the obvious commentary on potential nuclear holocausts, but it kind of also makes you think about consequences of your actions. Also, theres something that people just think is haunting and beautiful about an advanced civilization being lost like that, Lauren Liu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Lauren Liu enjoys reading web comics

by Ruhi Sayana, Winged Post Copy Editor February 7, 2017

For Lauren Liu (12), XKCD and SMVC webcomics create a perfect storm of romance, sarcasm, math and language. Lauren explores the world of XKCD and SMBC web comics on the Internet when she’s not playing...

Cafe Vitale: Home-style Italian

Cafe Vitale: Home-style Italian

by Melissa Kwan, TALON Seniors Editor February 7, 2017

At first glance, Cafe Vitale has all the hallmarks of a classic Italian restaurant: white tablecloths, olive oil, balsamic vinegar bottles and vibrant street photos hanging on warm-toned walls. But...

 “I’m an empathetic person. I use that word because I think theater has helped me with that. I mean, you play different characters and you enter people’s lives for a bit, and it helps you see different perspectives. Sympathy is different than empathy. I think I’m an open-minded person,” Marina Newman (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Marina Newman exhibits personalities of the characters she plays

by Jin Tuan, Reporter February 6, 2017

 Both feet planted firmly on the pine needles and head held high, Marina Newman (12) stands for a silent second before becoming her character on the impromptu stage. As soon as she opens her mouth to...

Memoir Monday: From Snap Decision to Enduring Memories

Memoir Monday: From Snap Decision to Enduring Memories

by Jin Tuan, Reporter February 6, 2017

A herd of clouds traverse across the sky, illuminated from behind by the setting sun. Their scattered silhouettes carve shadows of figures from ancient cave paintings into the multicolored heavens. A band...

“Coaching has taught me a lot of leadership skills because its pretty hard to organize kids who really dont know you. Ive also had to interact with parents, and that can also be challenging. Sometimes you have to take that criticism and use that to adapt, and other times you just have to tell them that youre the coach so you have to stand up to them, Rahul Shukla (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Rahul Shukla coaches youth basketball

by Eleanor Xiao, TALON Student Life Editor February 5, 2017

Senior Rahul Shukla has been coaching elementary school kids at his local YMCA since the start of high school. In order to juggle the workload of high school alongside his love of basketball and service,...

“I like that [debate] allows for lot of creativity. The topics are pretty broad and you can focus on one thing and talk about that. There [are] many different styles that are acceptable [and] there [are] different types of arguments, so you can choose whatever you want to do or whatever you are good at. I like the debate community in general; I have made lot of friends from all over the U.S. That is also very cool,” Emmie Malyugina (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Emmie Malyugina finds a passion for debate

by Nisha Shankar, Reporter February 4, 2017

Through Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate, Emmie Malyugina (12) deliberates over moral dilemmas in topics from economics to social justice. “I did not get into [debate] until this year because I used to...

 Dr. Tonja Krautter, a clinical psychologist, spoke at the upper school in two assemblies, one for underclassmen and the other for upperclassmen, about setting personal boundaries in relationships.

Speaker discusses personal boundaries at school assembly

by Rashmi Iyer and Adrian Chu February 3, 2017

On Friday, Dr. Tonja Krautter, a clinical psychologist, spoke at the upper school in two assemblies, one for underclassmen and the other for upperclassmen, about setting personal boundaries in relationships. During...

“I’m really competitive and I always try my best. I’ll do whatever it takes to get what I need done. I’m really self driven, and I just really want to do well for myself. It’s just doing what makes you happy and doing what you think is right,” Jordan Thompson (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Jordan Thompson incorporates basketball into her everyday life

by Nicole Chen, Features Editor February 2, 2017

As a middle schooler, Jordan Thompson (12) didn’t make the decision to join the basketball team: her father was the one who signed her up. After five years, her life revolves around the sport. “I...

Seniors Kailee Gifford, Lyndsey Mitchell, Joelle Anderson all sign to their respective colleges to play soccer during National Signing Day. Kailee will attend UC Berkeley, Lyndsey will play at Nebraska Wesleyan, and Joelle at Pepperdine University.

Three seniors sign to play college soccer during National Signing Day

by Anjay Saklecha, Sports Editor February 2, 2017

Seniors Kailee Gifford, Joelle Anderson and Lyndsey Mitchell each signed official contracts to play for college soccer programs today. Kailee signed to University of California Berkeley and will play...

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