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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

Leaving students out of the circle of communication means leaving them entirely in the dark during a potential life or death situation.

Editorial: Lack of transparency creates danger

by Editorial Board October 13, 2023

Students crouched on the floor as they waited in silence during the lockdown on Sept. 13 without knowing the events taking place beyond the classroom walls. At 3:25 p.m., the public address (PA) system...

Students, parents, staff and alumni celebrate third annual Harker Day at upper school campus

by Lily Shi and Ashley Mo October 13, 2023

Over 3,000 members of the Harker community gathered for the third Harker Day at the upper school on Saturday, with food, performances, sporting events and activities for all ages. The day commenced...

Audience members settle in as "Considering Matthew Shepard" begins. The oratorio was written by Craig Johnson.

To consider Matthew Shepard

by Alison Yang, Co-Arts & Entertainment Editor October 12, 2023

Trigger warning: This article includes discussion about assault and death. We advise readers who may be sensitive about these topics to reconsider reading this piece. 25 years ago, Matthew Shepard...

The Harker football team runs through the banner onto Davis Field for the 2023 Homecoming Football Game. The game took place on Saturday at the end of Harker Day.

Live coverage: Harker faces Crystal Springs Uplands for Homecoming game

All content in this coverage was reported within the duration of the Homecoming game on Davis Field on Oct. 7, 2023. Final Score — Eagles 30, Gryphons 52  9:51 p.m. The Gryphons’ quarterback...

While it would be unrealistic to ask students to deprioritize academics, maintaining a high academic standard does not require forgoing activities like sports games.

Editorial: Low sports attendance harms Harker community

by Editorial Board October 4, 2023

Shoulder pads collide as a Harker football player drives against their opponent to break a tackle in a close game. To an observer, it looks as if the sideline has been frozen in time. Teammates hold their...

Sophomores Syna Sharma, Disha Gupta, Ruhi Banerjee and Judi Abdelrazik cheer for their class in tug-of-war on Davis Field today. Upper school students compete in tug-of-war preliminaries during Homecoming week and finals on Homecoming night each year.

Homecoming Week Day 2: Classes gather for spirit day parade and tug-of-war

by Vivek Moorjani, Charlize Wang, and Brandon Zau October 3, 2023

Upper school students marched in Homecoming Week’s annual spirit parade and competed in tug-of-war preliminaries at 9:35 a.m on Tuesday. Upper school chemistry teacher Andrew Irvine led the procession...

Attendance Coordinator Ritu Raj smiles as she reads an email at the front desk in Main Hall. In addition to tracking the attendance of over 800 students at the upper school, Raj promotes wellbeing and supports those around her through resilience coaching.

Meet your staff: Compassion in coordination

by Mendy Mao and Ella Yee October 1, 2023

Arriving late because of traffic? Need to leave school early for a doctor’s appointment? Upper School Attendance Coordinator Ritu Raj can help you. Seated at the Main hall front desk, she is the first...

Tara Nemati (10) works to complete the sophomore class eagle during Spirit Night on Friday. The sophomore eagle donned a lab coat and sports jersey to highlight the “High School Musical” theme.

HSLT hosts spirit night, students complete eagle paintings

by Felix Chen, Co-News Editor October 1, 2023

Upper school students celebrated Spirit Night on Thursday outside of Manzanita Hall from 3 to 5:30 p.m. to build class camaraderie and finalize homecoming preparations. Harker Student Leadership Team...

Otter 841 clings onto a vibrant surfboard in the waters off Santa Cruz's Cowell Beach in June. Many surfers have reported encounters with this otter outlaw, and authorities are still searching for her.

Otter 841: The audacious, surfboard-snatching menace

by Victor Gong, Co-STEM Editor September 26, 2023

As surfers ride the waves in the cool blue waters of Santa Cruz, one omnipresent threat looms over them all — an overly-social, delinquent sea otter. The aquatic outlaw, which local officials call Otter...

Students gather in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center (RPAC) back room during the lockdown at around 3:30 pm. Around 50 students waited in the room, dismissed thirty minutes later.

Upper school campus enters lockdown, campus all-clear

by Felix Chen, Desiree Luo, Kinnera Mulam, Gabe Sachse, and Alison Yang September 13, 2023

The upper school campus entered lockdown from 3:25 to 3:59 p.m. today after classes dismissed.   Upper school administration said authorities are investigating the cause of the lockdown. Assistant...

“Affirmative action” has transformed into a buzzword, ironically leaving behind the nuances of the policy and transforming into a reason to blame others.

Editorial: Narratives distort affirmative action

by Editorial Board September 12, 2023

In an environment as dedicated to excelling in the college admissions process as Harker, every policy and factor matters. Affirmative action always stood out, bringing the topic to center stage this June....

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