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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

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the upper school is integral to promoting racial equity within our community. Especially at the upper school level, learning about Dr. King’s legacy in a thorough and informed manner allows students to better understand America’s history of racism and examine the nuances of bridging the racial divide of today.

Learning from legacy

by Erica Cai, Humans of Harker Managing Editor January 19, 2021

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” With these words, Dr. King persevered in his pursuit of racial justice...

“I love you,” my dad said, radiating warmth and alacrity before his cheery smile, with the scruffy beginnings of a beard, disappeared from the screen. In those short minutes, he never once mentioned the demoralizing experience of complete isolation for two weeks, pacing back and forth each day in less than 300 square feet of space with just a small window overlooking a measly freeway.  

Pandemic journal: Heart to heart, mind to mind 

by Alysa Suleiman, A&E Editor January 15, 2021

“Qi Qi!” My dad’s beaming face fills up my small phone screen, a tiny beacon in the post-sunset gloom of an early November evening.  “Hello?” I said, happy to see him, but nonetheless surprised....

"After a year upended by a relentless pandemic, the violent Capitol attack delivered a gut-wrenching blow to America’s battered morale. It was based in the false imagination of a stolen election, a story strengthened by those in public office who promoted the narrative and backed Trump in his disturbing rhetoric."

Editorial: Striking down the gavel on the First Amendment

by Editorial Board January 11, 2021

In a survey sent out to members of the Harker Journalism news staff, 100% of the 27 respondees indicated that they agreed with the stance of this editorial. “Account suspended. Twitter suspends accounts...

At 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday during the Senate confirmation of election results, a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump broke into the Capitol. Members of Congress who met to count electoral votes in the 2020 presidential elections evacuated and sheltered in place, and the U.S. Capitol Police failed to prevent rioters, some of whom were armed, from storming the building.

“Enough is enough is enough”

by Nicole Tian, Opinions Editor January 9, 2021

“Enough is enough is enough.”  With these words, President-elect Joe Biden, in a speech from Delaware on Wednesday, declared democracy under “unprecedented assault.”  At 12:15 p.m. on Wednesday...

But regardless, there's one thing I now know for sure: every time I walk out into the crisp autumn air, the wind playfully lifts and blows the knot-free strands around my face, and I'm reminded that I have no regrets, only a happier state of mind. And when I step back inside and face my reflection, the girl in the mirror smiles widely back.

Smiling back at the girl in the mirror 

by Alysa Suleiman, A&E Editor January 3, 2021

Rough, dry, prickly. My eyes travel down a straight line of hair, pulled taut from root to tip.  As I roll the semi-bleached strands between the pads of my fingers, more uneven bristles twist outwards,...

Opinions editor Nicole Tian (11) holds a frame in front of her face, a self-portrait for her column in the newest "I Believe" repeater.

Holding onto the sweetness of rice balls

by Nicole Tian, Opinions Editor December 16, 2020

On a taxi back from the military hospital in Beijing, I asked my grandmother to speak Japanese. “Konnichiwa, arigato,” she said, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she smiled down at her eight-year-old...

"President-elect Biden is not a panacea for all our ailments, but he is a step in the right direction. Biden has promised to 'be a president for all Americans,' regardless of political affiliation, and he brings with him a history of bipartisanship in his nearly 50 years serving the American people."

Editorial: Defend our democracy

by Editorial Board November 12, 2020

In a survey sent out to members of the Harker Journalism news staff, 25 of the 26 respondees indicated that they agreed with the stance of this editorial. Nearly two years ago, Harker Aquila drove up...

Speak with the goal of making your voice heard, not with the goal of changing someone’s opinions. Speak with the facts at the forefront, not emotions. Speak with a clear message and listen with an open mind.

Politics over dinner

by Erica Cai, Humans of Harker Managing Editor November 2, 2020

In the midst of a pandemic, a racial justice movement and a historical presidential election, young people across the nation are experiencing a political awakening. Those eligible for voting cast their...

We are running out of time, year by year, month by month. The world we inherit is shaped
by the decisions and problems of previous elections. For a generation watching as the climate rapidly fluctuates and the ocean creeps into cities, we
don’t have the luxury to wait.

Editorial: Proposition 18, our generation’s next step

by Editorial Board October 31, 2020

For the first month of school, we woke up to dim orange skies and the smell of smoke in the air. Some of us packed bags for evacuation, others faced permanent loss and the unforgiving raze of wildfires....

Editorial: Ousting Trump is the only choice

Editorial: Ousting Trump is the only choice

by Editorial Board October 30, 2020

Over 221,000 Americans dead from coronavirus. The killing of unarmed Black men and women prompting protests across the nation. Unemployment shooting up to 14.7% in April. Leaders are defined by their...

Heart of Harker: Support Prop 15

Heart of Harker: Support Prop 15

by Cady Chen, Guest Writer October 26, 2020

Over the past few decades, we have watched California’s education system crumble; our basic services, counselors, and teachers have experienced significant cuts and our music, art, and STEM classes...

Who can run all day, every day? I can’t. Especially in times like this, where our tolerance for exertion is already at reduced capacity, continually pushing our limits seems less appealing as a valuable burden to force upon ourselves.

Why I walk

by Arya Maheshwari, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief October 21, 2020

The incline begins 50 feet out from my driveway. This hill I know well: it greets me every time I go out for a run with a gift of lactic acid and wobbly knees. The strain starts right away, with my first...

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