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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

Alex Kumar (9) meets with his advisor Dr. Mark Brada for his one-on-one advisee review session today. Students signed up with their advisors for 10-minute time slots on Monday during advisory.

Students, advisors meet for one-on-one advisee review sessions

by Aditya Singhvi, Reporter November 15, 2017

Students and their advisors met for individual, 10-minute advisee review sessions in their respective advisors rooms today. Students met during the time usually allocated to school meetings, advisory...

“Even though the kicker doesn’t get much respect, every team needs a kicker,” Dominic Cea (12) said. “You can be a hero or a villain. I thrive on the pressure—I like to be in the crunch time situations. It gives me a rush of adrenaline, and I like to try to be the hero. Everyone has their role to play, whether it's on the football field or in the workplace. I think wherever you go, there are always going to be roles that are bigger and everyone cares about, but there's always going to be people in the shadows doing a lot of work that people don't see.”

Humans of Harker: Dominic Cea puts in work behind the scenes

by Eric Fang, Global Editor November 15, 2017

Dominic Cea (12) wakes up at 6:00 a.m. every morning with a singular goal: college football. At 6:15 a.m., he runs half a mile around his nearby Silver Leaf Park. Just prior to going to bed, he performs...

Media Matters: Hollywood’s culture shift on sexual misconduct should focus on prevention

Media Matters: Hollywood’s culture shift on sexual misconduct should focus on prevention

by Adrian Chu, Columnist November 14, 2017

2016 was the year where many beloved movie celebrities died. 2017 is beginning to look like the year where celebrities are dead to me. First came the Harvey Weinstein allegations in early October, news...

“I think it's really easy to become fixated on what's going on in your life and forget about what is going on around you,” Ananya Krishnan (12) said. “I wish that schools would emphasize current events more in order to teach us about the world we are living in and going to be living in. I bet if you go up to any Harker kid, they'll be much more knowledgeable about World War II or the Great Depression than the events that are taking place all around them in real time.”

Humans of Harker: Ananya Krishnan keeps a global perspective

by Arya Maheshwari, Reporter November 14, 2017

Incoming freshmen have a choice of courses to fill their Extra Period Option. Some choose dance; others choose Bel Canto; others choose a free period. Ananya Krishnan (12) chose Principles of Business...

"Crystal Heist 2," the sequel to Ethan's "The Crystal Heist," follows FBI agents Tran and Choi as they seek to defeat criminals Boss G and the Sphinx Robber. “The whole point of making ‘Crystal Heist 2’ was to thank everyone who somehow survived the first movie and to give them something they just really deserved. I also did it for my grandmother—after fifth grade in Vietnam she had to quit school and work to sell seafood in order to help her family. She has this immense talent for cooking and opened and ran an amazing restaurant, but she broke her back. She’s been through two strokes. I thought about how she got through all that and I decided to push through. She’s coming to the premiere of ‘Crystal Heist 2,’ which I’m really excited about," Ethan said.

Did you know: Ethan Choi’s journey through filmmaking

by Tiffany Wong, Aquila News Editor November 14, 2017

Ethan Choi (9) first began entertaining his classmates by acting in a short comedy sketch with his friends for Harker’s third grade talent show. Now putting up posters and spreading the word in preparation...

Varsity Girls Dance, compiled of students from all different grades, split into two groups and practiced for their Tree Lighting performance. They’ve been practicing for almost a month.

Behind the scenes: Harker’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony

by Zoe Sanders, Reporter November 13, 2017

Eleven faces display wide smiles before the first beat of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” even hits. As soon as the song begins, the dancers fall into their splits and start pirouetting. Upper school...

"What do I want to be remembered for?" Adriano Hernandez (12) said. "I don't know. I wouldn't want to be remembered as obviously a bad person. I don't think there's anything really different about my moral code than anybody else's. With the current state of affairs, it would be nice to be remembered comically, as a meme or something."

Humans of Harker: Adriano Hernandez tinkers with electronics

by Sara Yen, Reporter November 13, 2017

A pattering of clicks from typing away at his keyboard fills the atmosphere. Line after line of code, each for its own function, materializes on his laptop screen. Adriano Hernandez (12) loves to build...

Research partners Swapnil Garg (12) and Katherine Tian (11) received notice on Nov. 6 that the Siemens Foundation named them regional finalists. They developed an automatic cancer-severity classifier at the Heng Lab in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of the Harvard Medical School.

Senior Swapnil Garg and junior Katherine Tian named Siemens national finalists

by Sara Yen, Reporter November 13, 2017

The Siemens Foundation named senior Swapnil Garg and junior Katherine Tian as national finalists in this year’s Siemens competition on Monday at 9 a.m. In each of six regions, up to ten projects were...

“My brother was a juvenile delinquent,” Anthony Contreras (12) said. “To see him struggle and everyone else struggle with him, it made me sad at home. I really didn't want to be sad outside of home. That's when it sort of came to me to 'fake it 'til you make it.’ Fake being happy, and eventually you'll become happy, rather than staying sad about everything. I tried to not let things like that affect me. I tried to stay calm… I could have been exactly like my brother, but I chose the path to see my mom as a complete idol. She is exactly like me—or I am exactly like her—in terms of being calm and stress-free and relaxed. I am trying to be more like my mom, rather than letting my biological dad or my brother influence me.”

Humans of Harker: Anthony Contreras channels his mother’s strength

by Gloria Zhang, Aquila Asst. Features Editor November 10, 2017

“He’s my son. He’s a funny boy. He likes to compete. When he is committed to something, he tries his best. Sometimes he’s quiet. Sometimes he’s not.” Anthony Contreras’ (12) mother, Aida...

Elliot Kampmeier (9), Serena Lu (12), Gwyneth Chen (12) and Amla Rashingkar (10) review student work during one of HELM's workshops this week. HELM members also sold boba tea outside Manzanita on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday for $5 each.

HELM holds club week

by Jessie Wang, Reporter November 10, 2017

Harker Eclectic Literature Magazine (HELM) sold boba tea and hosted art and writing workshops this week for their club week. Club members sold boba tea at lunch on Tuesday, Wednesday and after school...

Piano candidate Ihita Mandal (11) plays Edvard Grieg’s Etude in F Minor, Op 73, No. 5 during this year’s Autumn Song. Ihita was the only piano candidate to perform today.

Junior Certificate candidates voice their passion for music in annual solo recital

by Kathy Fang, Photo Editor November 10, 2017

Autumn Song, the annual solo recital for junior Certificate candidates majoring in vocal music, musical theater and piano, invited students, faculty and family to enjoy a diverse performance of vocal and...

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