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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

While I originally wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I learned of the school’s 30 hour community service requirement, using my own interests to my advantage has given me opportunities to gain experiences I never would have imagined. The people I’ve met have taught me a lot.

Service is more than just 30 hours

by Neil Bai, Copy Editor January 26, 2018

“Hurry! Only five more minutes!” I yelled, as my two best friends and I scrambled to finish preparing a dinner that would feed 40. It’s the spring of my freshman year. We’ve already been working...

To many, it may seem as though I am so often on the sidelines of school events that I hardly ever participate in them, much less live them—and I understand that. But in return, I am given the chance to watch from the sidelines, to observe each moment and examine it as an artifact of time, and these opportunities have taught me, almost ironically, the importance of “living in the moment.”

“Living in the moment”—only from the sidelines

by Kathy Fang, Photo Editor January 22, 2018

It is not unusual to find multiple photographers scattered amongst the sidelines of any event. In fact, you may even expect to hear the muted clicks of a camera underscoring the ambience of every major...

Gloria poses in a photo as a child. To her, home is where her family and friends embrace her.

What does home mean?

by Gloria Zhang, Aquila Asst. Features Editor January 19, 2018

“Kia Ora,” he said, as he flipped to the photo page of my black passport, the silver ferns lining the edges reflecting the ceiling light. “Excuse me?” my mind was focused on the accumulating...

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri walks the line between traditional film genres against the backdrop of social issues relevant in today's society. The implications of the portrayal of social issues in film should be considered in the context of a movie's themes and narrative.

Media Matters: Comedic tragedies should avoid the token inclusion of social issues

by Adrian Chu, Columnist January 15, 2018

Martin McDonagh’s black comedy, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” is about revenge, but in its 1 hour and 55 minutes runtime, the movie also covers no less than rape, racism in the criminal...

Silicon Valley has become a symbol both of the fruitful employ of science and the fruitless pursuit of pseudoscience. The symbolism of silicon itself exemplifies this duality: the semiconductors that lent the Valley its name, and the quartz crystals that some impute mystical powers to.

Silicon Valley’s pseudoscientific guilty pleasures

by Derek Yen, Winged Post Opinion Editor January 12, 2018

A piece recently published by the New York Times describes a new trend of “raw water,” or water that has not been filtered, sterilized, or at all treated since being sourced from springs. Proponents...

A vegetarian lunch does not contain any meat. I find my vegetarian lifestyle to be an adventure against animal abuse.

Being Vegetarian is My Adventure

by Anjay Saklecha, Winged Post Copy Editor January 8, 2018

Everyone always asks me the same thing when they first find out I’m a vegetarian, “What do you eat, vegetables?” Being a vegetarian doesn’t mean you only eat vegetables. It means following a lifestyle...

Magical myths: innocuous or inimical?

Magical myths: innocuous or inimical?

by Aditya Singhvi, Reporter December 14, 2017

As the holiday season draws near, so do all of the festivities associated with it. The smell of brownies baking permeates the air, holiday music firmly lodges itself in ears everywhere and grotesque sweaters...

Dialectic: Gun Control

Dialectic: Gun Control

by Jin Tuan and Aditya Singhvi November 19, 2017

The topic of gun control has reentered the public arena with increased freshness int he wake of mass shootings at Las Vegas and in Texas. What steps should be taken to prevent deaths and injury from gun-related...

(Occasionally) “taking the L”: A cost-benefit analysis of senior fall

(Occasionally) “taking the L”: A cost-benefit analysis of senior fall

by Sahana Srinivasan, Winged Post Editor-in-chief November 19, 2017

Cost-benefit analysis: It’s one of the most fundamental concepts of economics, something 100 of our upperclassmen learn every September and then again three days before May exams. For those of you not...

In this repeating guest column, we encourage all student writers from around the community to share their memorable experiences while at the Upper School.
Please email all column ideas to wingedpost2017@gmail.com.

Heart of Harker: The other side of the interview

by Melissa Kwan, Guest Writer November 19, 2017

Every spring, the journalism program undergoes a “leadership transition.” The underclassmen applying for positions curate their best work, interview with Ms. Austin and wait for the fateful decision...

Blindly donating to relief organizations may not benefit target populations

Blindly donating to relief organizations may not benefit target populations

by Nicole Chen, Features Editor November 19, 2017

In light of recent global natural disasters like the northern California wildfires and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, awareness of how resources are being utilized and organization-to-public transparency...

Students themselves must take the initiative and contribute in the process of deciding topics if assemblies are to address students concerns with specificity and with relevance to the student body. Alissa Gao's (9) presentation is an example of an engaging talk.

Meetings should incorporate more student input

by Editorial November 19, 2017

There recently were two notable schoolwide assemblies: one on gender, in which marriage and family counselor Maureen Johnston gave an introduction to topics in gender, and another, the honor council town...

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