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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

The upper school celebrates its 25th anniversary this year after its founding in 1998. It began with 90 students who comprised the first graduating class of 2002 and a small-sized faculty of 12 to 15 members.

Happy birthday, Eagles: Commemorating 25 years of upper school history

by Ananya Sriram, Co-Features Editor October 30, 2022

Baggy sweatshirts and pants with large pockets. Frosh playing at a pool table. A volleyball team posing with cones of ice cream. A class of 90 students posing for a photo with bright smiles on their faces....

Seniors Claire Kampmeier and Rachel Ning pose with their friends after the game ends. The team lost in five sets to Crystal Springs.

Varsity girls volleyball team falls to Crystal Springs at Senior Night game in close five-set battle

by Emma Milner and Kevin Zhang October 27, 2022

The varsity girls volleyball team lost to Crystal Springs during their Senior Night on Thursday with set scores of 24-26, 17-25, 25-22, 25-21 and 8-15.  The volleyball team held a ceremony before their...

Seniors Pranav Mullappalli, Rigo Gonzales, Zain Vakath, BB Ajlouny and Nikhil Devireddy pose for a picture at the photo booth in the Nichols Rotunda. The upper school hosted its annual Homecoming Dance in Nichols Hall on Oct. 14 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Shimmering and shimmying: Homecoming dance lights up the night

by Kevin Zhang and Isha Moorjani October 27, 2022

The upper school hosted its annual Homecoming Dance in Nichols Hall on Oct. 14 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., featuring music, dancing, food and a variety of recreational activities. All students attending...

STEM Scene is Harker Aquila's STEM repeater focusing on current developments within the STEM world. This installation features five briefs.

STEM Scene: Oct. 29

by Claire Zhao and Young Min October 26, 2022

Senior Sydney Adler holds a bouquet of flowers in the ceremony honoring the seniors on the girls water polo team. The two water polo teams held their senior night on Oct. 18, winning both their games.

Victorious water polo teams honor ten seniors on senior night

by Hima Thota and Kevin Zhang October 26, 2022

The boys and girls varsity water polo teams hosted their senior nights, which honored the graduating members of their teams, alongside their victorious games against Palo Alto High School, with boys ending...

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit 12 miles east of the San Jose upper school campus yesterday at 11:42 a.m. The campus suffered no damage to the property and continued the school day as scheduled after the incident.

5.1 magnitude earthquake shakes San Jose

by Felix Chen and Kinnera Mulam October 26, 2022

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck 12 miles east of the San Jose upper school campus yesterday at 11:42 a.m. Three aftershocks followed yesterday at magnitudes 2.9 at 11:47 a.m., 3.5 at 3:08 p.m. and...

Harker Spirit Leadership Team (HSLT) members speak to upper school students at the school meeting on Oct. 21. They announced the pumpkin carving competition on Oct. 28 during long lunch and invited all students to dress up for Halloween.

School meeting recap 10/21/22: Fall play, GSA panel and lockdown drill

by Felix Chen, Reporter October 26, 2022

Associated Student Body (ASB) President Kris Estrada (12) opened the school meeting on Friday after students entered Zhang Gymnasium to songs from Taylor Swift’s new “Midnights” album and the Harker...

“I never thought that I would be involved in so many things. I just thought it would not be possible. I thought that even if I did, I would be completely miserable. But right now, I'm extremely happy: I've just been enjoying my life, while also being involved in activities that make me truly happy," Krish Maniar (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Taking kicks and taking risks

by Gemma Chan, Reporter October 23, 2022

The game clock ticks down to its last seconds. The championship game and 2015 Morgan Hill District Cup title now rely on Krish Maniar (12). He secures the soccer ball between his feet and kicks it straight...

Instances of extreme weather are rising, along with their impacts, placing increased populations at risk from climate hazards. The number of weather-related disasters has increased by a factor of five over the past 50 years, with human activity at the vanguard of causes.

Cloudy or clear: Our climate future rests in our hands

by Kinnera Mulam and Lindsey Tuckey October 20, 2022

Scorching temperatures and raging wildfires in California. Severe droughts in the U.S. and Europe. Catastrophic flooding in Pakistan and Italy. Devastating hurricanes across the world.  Instances of...

“The amount of work that went into crafting fantasy worlds makes reading about them an enjoyable experience. Even though it's fictional, there is still reason for it and a sense of understanding. There has been a lot of meticulous world-building and in-depth characters," Ethan Joseph (12) said.

Humans of Harker: In between pages

by Saahil Herrero, Reporter October 20, 2022

Some people think of reading as a pastime. Others consider it a requirement for certain classes. Before his sophomore year, Ethan Joseph (12) was part of the latter group. However, during the pandemic,...

The facade of the perfect life on social media has never been more common or easier to create. Although we’re all aware of these unrealistic standards, seeing other peoples’ ‘perfect’ lives on our feeds still takes a toll on our mental health. Apps such as TikTok and Instagram only worsen the problem with filters and growing concerns over likes and followers.

Editorial: Collectively escaping the social media trap

by Editorial Board October 19, 2022

An app that calls itself authentic, original and unique. An app that captures the happenings of everyday life. An app that has no likes or filters. This is BeReal, a social media platform which has skyrocketed...

“With programming, after working for a while, I could see my entire project come to life. Everything happened at once. Once I could see it all happening, it was just a big sense of accomplishment that I couldn't really find anywhere else," Saahil Thoppay (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Archives and algorithms

by Ella Yee, Co-News Editor October 19, 2022

A symphony of clattering keyboards echoes through the room, punctuated by occasional friendly banter. A group of students sit in a row facing their laptops, each with their eyes glued to the screen in...

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