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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

Ishani Sood (11) lunges forward with foil in hand, ready to advance. As a nationally ranked fencer, she trained for eight years and recently joined Team USA Fencing.

Apex: Fencer advances through life one lunge at a time

by Gemma Chan, Chayce Milheim, Emma Milner, and Hima Thota November 11, 2022

Sweat drips off Ishani Sood (11)'s brow as she readies herself before a final bout. With just 30 seconds left on the clock, she needs 5 points to win, while her opponent only needs 1. Setting slim...

An illustration of the debate between subtitles and dubs for foreign language film, represented by Japanese anime characters Tanjiro Kamado and Zenitsu Agatsuma from "Demon Slayer." Often, fans of foreign shows take a strong stance on one or the other for their optimal viewing experience.

Subtitles vs. dubbing: Lost in translation?

by Ella Yee, Co-News Editor November 9, 2022

Harker Aquila · Aquila Audible of "Subtitles vs. dubbing: Lost in translation?" When Netflix released “Squid Game” last September, viewers immediately raved about the Korean television show’s...

Harker Aquila's guide to the 2022 Midterm Elections. This year's midterms were held on Nov. 8.

Harker Aquila’s Guide to the 2022 Midterms

The 2022 midterm election results will begin rolling in this evening and in the coming days, with elections for Congressional seats, local and state official positions and propositions. Polls closed today...

“I enjoy the little things like memorizing the conjugations of a word or following a cell through its way of life. I feel like a lot of people might find it challenging or boring, but I have fun," Michelle Dorfman (12) said.

Humans of Harker: It’s all in the details

by Margaret Cartee, Opinions Editor November 8, 2022

Though biology and language courses are seemingly disparate disciplines, one based on STEM and the other on humanities, they actually share more similarities than what meets the eye. Both subjects require...

An illustration representing an online chess match. Online chess site Chess.com released a 72-page report on Oct. 4 accusing Chess Grandmaster Hans Niemann of unfair play in over 100 online chess games in his career.

Shattering the integrity of a centuries-old sport

by Edward Huang and Felix Chen November 7, 2022

In a sport where players take their focus and concentration to their limits, where games between professionals often last for hours on end, even a single misstep could make the difference between victory...

An illustration of the K-pop group NewJeans. Fans have expressed concern at the age of the members, which range from 14 to 18 years old, especially after dissecting the lyrics of their hit song “Cookie.”

Don’t bite the cookie: Concerning sexualization of minors in K-pop

by Alena Suleiman and Shareen Chahal November 3, 2022

“Looking at my cookie, do you ever smell it different? What’s with a bite, isn’t enough?” These lyrics, recently prompting backlash in the Korean popular music or K-pop industry, is one of the...

This illustration represents the podcast "Research Revelations," which spotlights student researchers with staff members. In this episode, reporters Selina Xu and Lindsey Tuckey converse with Nidhya Shivakumar (12) about her project.

Research Revelations Episode 2: Assessing damage from climate change with Nidhya Shivakumar

by Selina Xu and Lindsey Tuckey November 1, 2022

This is the second installment of Research Revelations: Conversations with Our Student Researchers, a podcast where Aquila staff members talk to student researchers about their projects and research goals....

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....

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 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...

An illustration of history textbooks. When we deliberate contrasting viewpoints as well as the hard facts of the situation, we develop better understandings of each other and a more complete view of the world.

Forbidden history impacts our lives. We should talk about it.

by Isabella Lo, Reporter October 16, 2022

Trigger warning: This article includes discussion about human deaths, racial injustice, the Tuskegee syphilis experiment and the Tulsa race massacre. We advise readers who may be sensitive about these...

An illustration of NASA's three big questions: "How did we get here," "How does the universe work" and "Are we alone?" In the past 30 years alone, scientists have made major progress towards discovering the origins of our universe.

Understanding our universe

by Edward Huang and Jonathan Xue October 14, 2022

From here on Earth, the inner workings of faraway galaxies might seem all too distant from our lives. Why are we looking into space when we have so many problems to solve here? Why then does the National...

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