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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: Takeoffs with travel

Humans of Harker: Takeoffs with travel

by Charlie Folk, TALON Organizations Editor June 10, 2025

Clank. Clank. Clank. The metallic sound gets louder and louder as the train approaches the station, eventually slowing down as it screeches to a halt. Senior Rei Binkley, clipper card ready and...

Humans of Harker: Rhythm and resonance

Humans of Harker: Rhythm and resonance

by Vivek Moorjani, Humans of Harker Managing Editor June 10, 2025

The stage lights darken as the silence fills the entirety of the Rothschild Performing Arts Center. The curtains suddenly open to the loud and clear voice of senior Grant Yang projecting throughout...

After teaching at Harker for 23 years, vocal music teacher Susan Nace retires this year. “It's not about what I teach or even how I teach, it's about who the student I teach is," Nace said. "I don't teach music — I teach about life.”

Leading students, lifting voices

by Victoria Li, Humans of Harker Managing Editor June 10, 2025

The opening notes to “How Can I Keep From Singing?” drifted through Patil Theater at the spring choral concert as auditioned music group Capriccio sang in harmony. Midway through the piece, over 20...

Humans of Harker: Jumping through hoops

Humans of Harker: Jumping through hoops

by Shaina Cohen and Mendy Mao June 9, 2025

A crowd of teachers, parents and students wearing pink t-shirts gather on the gym bleachers. They cheer on the varsity boys basketball team during senior Bowen Xia’s first ever senior night as a...

“Embracing perspectives is so important because none of us have all the answers. By listening and collaborating, we can find common ground and create something greater than ourselves. That’s what motivates me in everything I do," senior Jason Shim said.

Humans of Harker: Finding clarity through perspectives

by Risa Chokhawala, Opinions Editor June 9, 2025

Standing center stage in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center, senior Jason Shim commands the room with confident gestures and expressive facial cues, fully engaged in every note of Harker’s Downbeat...

Humans of Harker: In perfect harmony

Humans of Harker: In perfect harmony

by Sidak Sanghari, Humans of Harker Editor-in-Chief June 9, 2025

A piano fills the room with swelling crescendos. Notes cascade one after another in perfect harmony. But these delicate keys are touched not by one pair of hands, but rather two. This is the intricate...

“Bullet journaling for me is a way to have that creative outlet and express myself. It's a fun way to look back in the past and reminisce, like when I go and open my sixth grade stuff. I'm going to be able to look back on my journals in years and recall the experiences I had at the time that I had it, or when I was actively filling in a particular journal — it means a lot to me," Melody Yin ('25) said.

Humans of Harker: Crafts and communication

by Jessica Wang, Winged Post Managing Editor June 9, 2025

Lace, fixed to the ceiling, float above the bed like a canopy; a pair of freshly painted jeans hangs, drying, off a rack of clothes; and an assortment of posters, photos and artwork hang fixed to the...

“Tennis is such a mental game, where if you start to get down on yourself, then you end up playing worse. I feel a responsibility to always keep a positive attitude because I know that energy transfers to your partner as well. Whenever a younger teammate makes a mistake, I always reassure them by telling them that it's OK and reminding them that they're a very capable tennis player," senior Charlize Wang said.

Humans of Harker: Grace behind the baseline

by Young Min, Winged Post Managing Editor June 8, 2025

Senior Charlize Wang stands at the baseline of the tennis court, her grip tightening around the racket as the world narrows to a single match. The rally begins, each shot crisp and precise, the ball...

Humans of Harker: Batting with discipline

Humans of Harker: Batting with discipline

by Aiden Young and Victoria Li June 8, 2025

The stadium pulsed with tension as senior Sohum Arora walked onto the pitch for the final round of the national cricket tournament. His team had already clinched the first two games, but everything...

"When I first started volunteering, it was really nerve-wracking for me, but the more I did it, I started realizing there's nothing to be afraid of because I knew that I had the knowledge that they wanted from me. The more I did it, the less fear I had in going up to people because there's really nothing that can go wrong. It's ok if I don't know something. All of my shyness and social anxiety goes away when I know that someone needs help. Whatever it takes, I will help them if I can," senior Aryana Bharali said.

Humans of Harker: Answering every call

by Sidak Sanghari, Humans of Harker Editor-in-Chief June 8, 2025

Tucked into the corner of a hallway at Good Samaritan Hospital sits a small desk scattered with pens, highlighters and spreadsheets. Phone calls ring in by the minute, each one an important request...

The Harker community bids farewell to nine beloved teachers whose dedication, passion and care have shaped generations of students. Pictured (clockwise from top left): Kevin Oliver, Clifford Hull, Susan Nace, Caren Furtado, Karen Haley, Casey Brown, Dipti Shingnapurkar, Carmela Tejada and Zane Moore.

Honoring their legacy

by Emma Li and Wenjie Zou June 7, 2025

Teachers Casey Brown, Caren Furtado, Karen Haley, Clifford Hull, Zane Moore, Susan Nace, Kevin Oliver, Dipti Shingnapurkar and Carmela Tejada have chosen to step away from their positions for the 2025-26...

“Even when I’m doing a character exercise, I’m creating. Sometimes I’m explicitly writing out what I see in my head. I used to be really stuck on writing. In the past, the only writing I could do other than analytical essays would be something like a personal narrative. But now that I’ve learned to embrace this other side of me, I think about it, I close my eyes, type out every plot point and then build off of that," Abbie Samuel ('25) said.

Humans of Harker: Worlds of wonder

by Charlie Folk, TALON Organizations Editor June 6, 2025

The pages of her little red notebook flick back and forth as Abbie Samuel ('25) writes out a new story idea that popped into her head. Inspiration can strike at any time, so she always keeps a notebook...

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