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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

An appreciation of art does not necessarily mean support for an artist. Great art deserves to be recognized as great art, but recognition does not equal support.

Separate artists from their artwork

by Isabella Lo, Aquila Managing Editor March 28, 2025

Kanye is without a doubt one of the greatest and most influential artists of our time. His work is universal; there is not one person on the street who won’t recognize “Runaway” or “Graduation.”...

Friday Five: 2D Shapes

Friday Five: 2D Shapes

by Emma Lee, TALON Reporter March 28, 2025

I sit in front of my canvas, racking my brain for what to paint. To break out of my creative block, my mind wanders to a world where I imagine shapes as people. What if shapes had personalities? How would...

Editorial: Sickness attendance policy traps students

Editorial: Sickness attendance policy traps students

by Editorial Board March 27, 2025

“I’m sick.” How often have you heard this from a mask-clad classmate and wondered why they were at school? To many students, this isn’t a rare occurrence: in a recent poll with 176 student responses,...

Although America’s copyright laws are necessary, they go beyond the point of simply protecting intellectual property and actively work to limit creative expression by making it prohibitively difficult for creators to reimagine or take inspiration from past works.

Copyright laws crush creativity

by Mihir Kotbagi, Opinions Editor March 26, 2025

2072. That’s when the first Star Wars movie, “A New Hope,” will enter the public domain, allowing Americans to finally create their own projects with the original iterations of legendary characters...

People treat crime cases like they’re episodes of a drama series, desensitizing themselves from the very real violence that lies within them.

True crime breeds toxicity

by Aryana Bharali, Humans of Harker Managing Editor March 25, 2025

1.4 million likes. The screen flickers, replaying a slow-motion edit of Gypsy Rose Blanchard shortly after her release. A Nicki Minaj song pulses in the background, the beat synchronized to the rate of...

Artificial Intelligence startups overpromise and underperform

Artificial Intelligence startups overpromise and underperform

by Charlie Wang, Multimedia Editor March 13, 2025

Since the incredibly influential development of generative artificial intelligence with OpenAI’s GPT engine, Silicon Valley has been swarmed by startups that promise to help the consumer using this new...

Large animals such as tigers and elephants are meant to roam vast territories, yet zoo enclosures provide only a fraction of the space they require.

Animals should not be kept in captivity

by Risa Chokhawala, Assistant Opinions Editor March 10, 2025

As a child, I viewed zoos and marine parks as places of wonder—spaces where I could see animals up close and learn about wildlife. I believed these institutions provided animals with a safe, well-maintained...

Like ant culture, volleyball revolves around teamwork and perseverance, whether on the court or the bench. As a setter, my job is to place the ball precisely for my hitters to strike, but my success depends on my teammates.

This I Believe: Bringing ant culture to the court

by Emma Lee, TALON Reporter March 9, 2025

Humans and ants are more similar than one may think— we work best in groups. Ants work together in colonies, support one another and gather food for the entire group. The way ants move as one makes me...

“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which we read in junior year, tops the list. I found myself enthralled in the narrative’s depictions of luxurious 1920s high society and its darker undertones of decadence and immorality.

Friday Five: English books

by Emma Li, Opinions Editor March 8, 2025

Books assigned in the English curriculum can often be a hit or miss, but regardless of our opinions, we all have to read, analyze and write about them. Throughout ninth, tenth and eleventh grade, we experience...

This I Believe: Reimagining enthusiasm

This I Believe: Reimagining enthusiasm

by Ashley Mo, STEM Editor March 8, 2025

Freshman year, I found my role model—not in a historical figure or celebrity, but in a senior, the president of a club I had joined. She was the exact kind of person I strived to be: confident, effortlessly...

Friday Five: Youtuber Teachers

Friday Five: Youtuber Teachers

by Elizabeth Zhang, Assistant Features Editor February 7, 2025

Who wants to spend hours slaving over notes when you can just watch a ten-minute video? Whether you’re cramming for APs or curious about the world, YouTube teachers make studying more effective, helping...

Harker’s consistent success in the college admissions process bolsters its reputation as a “college prep” school –– even one meriting a $64,800 a year and growing price tag. But are we getting our money’s worth?

Editorial: College counseling and students need to reconnect

by Editorial Board February 6, 2025

“The Harker School: K-12 College Prep.”  Harker’s consistent success in the college admissions process bolsters its reputation as a “college prep” school –– even one meriting a $64,800...

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