The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
Humans of Harker: Bravery through connection
Humans of Harker: Bravery through connection
(Disha Gupta)
Humans of Harker: Curls and creativity
“I like the familiarity with watercolor, but also I like that the colors can blend so easily, and it's not anything that's really sharp. Each color is not anything that's particularly eye-catching, but if you add them all together, it creates this thing that overall looks pretty. While each part is not, in itself, very eye-catching, it's still harmonious and pretty as a whole," senior Lianna Wan said.
Humans of Harker: Painting with introspection and creativity
"A motto that I live by is, ‘You only live once,’ and it's come up a lot of times throughout my high school experience like when I was going to join football. I was really hesitant about it because of how many people say that they get injured, but I realized that it was either I have this experience now or I'm never going to have this experience, and I was glad I made that decision," senior Vedant Yadav said.
Humans of Harker: Beyond the game
“I try to really put myself into the shoes of whatever I’m photographing. I imagine sometimes, if I were that bird, what would it feel like to be in this moment and flying, or if I were the person that I’m taking a portrait of, what would it feel like to see through their eyes? Then, I try to express that through how I frame the photo," senior Claire Zhao said.
Humans of Harker: Capturing compassion
Humans of Harker: Cooking with creativity
Humans of Harker: Cooking with creativity
“There's a lot of value in every moment and everyone around you. I appreciate people who just appreciate the little things. For me, I feel like everyone you meet can teach you a little bit, and that's something that I've really internalized over the years. I think that's part of why I like being around people and different communities so much. Because in each of these communities, you can learn so many different things from everyone," Olivia Xu ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Purpose towards progress
“I get to choose how much effort and detail I put in, and that’s what you’re going to see in the end. I love that you can see the truth on paper. A lot of my work is in black and white, so I can’t rely on color to cover it up or make it more interesting — I can only rely on my skill and willingness to go into the studio and add to my piece," Katelyn Zhao ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Envisioning the everyday
"I used to think that I have to keep doing dance just because it's what I’m known for. But now I’ve realized there’s beauty behind all the madness that happens. And it’s now a part of me, so not doing dance or not having Legos is like I’m losing a part of my identity," Luke Mehta ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Building with style
“Why not? So many things are very foreign or unknown to us, but there’s not much to lose by just trying things. I initially wasn’t very comfortable with DECA, especially with impromptu, but the community really helped me grow out of that. And DECA is now one of my top high school memories. Just giving things a try is really worth it, and if it fails, the worst thing that can happen is you just try something else," Claire Luo ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: It’s all in the details
"Being a lifer, I really want to put my knowledge to use. Being a TEDx speaker is a really big honor in and of itself, but to be able to actually address the Harker community was really important to me because I wanted to have an impact on the place that I've been at for 13 years," Arissa Huda ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Prescribing change
"I’ve learned discipline: practicing a lot and then knowing what your strengths are, knowing where to improve. That discipline is definitely going to stay with me. If I’m trying to get a big piece of work done in general when I'm interested in it, I'll stop at nothing to reach my goals," Linette Hoffman ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Artistry in motion
"I have this philosophy with theater. I wholeheartedly believe that my life was made for the stage, and all my make or break moments have happened there. While some people learn best through lectures or visuals, I learn best from having a spotlight on me," Zubin Khera ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Scripts to success
"One of the most important things for me about performing is its transformative power. There was one concert where we were singing this commission about gun violence, followed by a piece about climate change, a piece about the Holocaust. Watching the audience's expressions and how they reacted to the music we were singing was the first time that I was like, ‘Whoa, music has the power to change lives and engender positive change,’” Sawyer Lai ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Symphony of spirit
"It’s been fun getting to know the chefs at La Mar, their team and how different cultural influences blend together. For example, they make ceviche, which is a traditional Peruvian dish, but they infuse it with many different cultures. They have a version of their ceviche which is inspired by African tastes and spices, and they also have a Japanese form of that same ceviche dish. I think it’s interesting to watch how these fusion dishes form," Alex Lan ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Flavors of knowledge
Prakrit Jain ('22) searches for new animal species to help the environment and wildlife.
Humans of Harker: Scorpion spotter
Arnav Gupta ('22) moves a DNA construction.
Humans of Harker: Coding for a cause
“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.
Humans of Harker: Blast of creativity
"Every single person I've interviewed for Humans of Harker has said one killer quote that has stuck with me even through four years of high school, and I think I really do internalize those messages. There are nuances in every single person's experience that makes it unique to them and also makes it a good lesson for everyone else. It's just amazing to see how much wisdom every single person at Harker has, and it's fascinating to learn about those stories," Erica Cai ('22) said.
Humans of Harker: Harmony in humanity
“Something I took away from baseball is that there's always the opportunity to bounce back when things don't go particularly right. Even the best hitters only go one for three, so being able to push through that is one of the most important parts of the game. Being able to identify what goes wrong and learning from that is important to being able to find success in the future," Mark Hu ('22) said.
Humans of Harker: The perfect pitch
Humans of Harker: Perseverance on par
Humans of Harker: Perseverance on par
It's been obviously rough, turning on the news and seeing another death, seeing another acquittal every single time … but, ‘How much can I do?’ is the question I'm asking myself. ‘How much can I help, and what impact can I have?’” Brian Pinkston ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: For the future and the present
“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: Leading with DECA-cation
Class of 2021: Humans of Harker compilation, part three
Class of 2021: Humans of Harker compilation, part three
“I feel really good about myself when I'm relaxed and enjoying the world. There’s so much to learn about the world and so many ways to do so," Daniel Wang ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: Mapping the unknown
"I'm the person that always has a plan for everything. And then I have backups for the plan, and I have backups for the backups," Nicole Chen ('19) said.
Humans of Harker: Calendars for a cause
"I don’t ever intend on letting the internal love of life that I have leave me. As I grow up and I maintain my love for the random things I do, I know I’ll be happy– and hopefully people around me will be, as well," Mathew Mammen ('19) said.
Humans of Harker: Jack of all trades, master of fun
Humans of Harker: To dance, to feel
Humans of Harker: To dance, to feel
"The more serious side, people will never see. You'll never see who's behind one of these websites that people may be using," Neil Ramaswamy (12) said. "Several freshmen have approached me like, 'hey, you're the really funny guy at school meeting' and I'm like 'hey, yeah, nice to meet you' and at the same time they might be using an application that I've written not knowing that it's me. I kind of get that personal satisfaction knowing that there is a serious side to me, you just don't know about it."
Humans of Harker: Dueling with duality
Humans of Harker: Humanity in art
Humans of Harker: Humanity in art
“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Neymika Jain finds balance in life
“A lot of the time, when I’m out at nail salons, nailers ask me if I‘m Vietnamese. I say yes, but they say that I don’t speak the language and have never been back to Vietnamese, so am I really? I always felt disconnected, like I would be Vietnamese-American but never Vietnamese. When I went to Vietnam for the first time, it brought me closer to my culture. I realized I shouldn’t view myself as a different. I have to see Vietnamese-American and Vietnamese as one and the same," Haley Tran (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Haley Tran values her cultural identity
“One time, I was hiking up this giant off-trail path, and this is going to make me sound like a complete hippy, but what I was thinking at the moment was that every single tree out there must have had some sort of backstory. Even when I was walking to Shah, there was this tree right next to the building, and I was like, ‘Maybe this tree had a lot of other tree friends, but then this building came up and they had to get cut down.’ That made me pretty sad. So, when I was coming up with backstories for trees, it reminded me of my childlike innocence of playing pretend or playing with my stuffed animals because I thought my imagination would never run as wild as it once did. But, this experience made me feel happy because it’s something that I’ve lost, and I feel like I gained some of it back," Aashish Jain (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Aashish Jain finds inspiration in painting through watching Bob Ross videos
“For me, robotics has always been a great way to learn about how to build things and how things work. Honestly, that is the reason why I love robotics. When you see everything working, you look at it and say 'I helped make this happen,' which is really really gratifying," Andrew Tierno (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Andrew Tierno reflects on his passion for robotics
“A lot of being a choreographer is about digging deep, understanding, and finding out which event leads to the next, which is basically what science is. You would take a circuit and break it apart to understand each of the components, and you would do that to a song,” Sneha Bhetanabhotla (‘17) said.
Humans of Harker: Sneha Bhetanabhotla learns to connect robotics and dance
“I can be serious, and I care a lot about a lot of things, but I also just like having fun and people feeling comfortable being their true selves,” Isabella Spradlin (12) said. “You don't have to be one-sided — you can have different sides of your personality, and different moods.”
Humans of Harker: Isabella Spradlin gleans insight from sisterhood
“This is like a melting pot of Cupertino, Lynbrook, Saratoga, some people from De Anza, so you meet all kinds of people,” Rahul Mehta (12) said. “Half the time I’m not even playing with my friends, so I’m playing with random people. You start off in the beginning a bit wary of each other, and then by end you’re playing like they’re your friends. It’s kind of gradual. Like after a really cool play, you’ll high five each other, and that’s how it all begins.”
Humans of Harker: Rahul Mehta befriends others through banter
"People are always debating, you know, ‘should I go up to a higher weight or not?’ And I’ll just yell, ‘do it, you won’t,’" Tiffany Shou (12) said. "And then, you know, it’s like that challenge, and so it always pushes them pick that higher weight, and then they can accomplish it, so it’s even more gratifying."
Humans of Harker Video: Tiffany Shou pushes her limits in the weight room
“First, I start at my house,” Sparsh Chauhan (12) said. “Then, I turn on Saratoga, and it’s always crowded with traffic and stuff. That’s when I’m setting the music, checking the tire pressure, the gas. After downtown, the road gets smooth, which is when I put the windows down. I go all the way down until there’s a dip and then I go back. Even when I have stuff to do, I drive that same route every day. I don’t have to take directions. I know all the traffic times; I know exactly where I’m going.”
Humans of Harker: Sparsh Chauhan takes pride in his work
“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”
Humans of Harker: Angel Cervantes chases his goals
“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.
Humans of Harker: Learning to fall
“You just have to go for it. You think, 'In the future, if I think back and regret it, is that how I want to end up — or would I rather just try something and see what happens?' Usually, it turns out well,” Montek Kalsi (’20) said. 
Humans of Harker: All fun and games
“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.
Humans of Harker: Leadership and love
Humans of Harker: Grit and grind
Humans of Harker: Grit and grind
Humans of Harker: Artistic nonconformity
Humans of Harker: Artistic nonconformity
The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
Editorials
It is easy to assume that federal policy decisions have little bearing on the lives of high school students. But our privilege does not shield us from national decisions that erode the foundation of research itself.
Editorial: Research funding cuts threaten students’ futures
by Editorial Board
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Editorial: Sickness attendance policy traps students
Editorial: Sickness attendance policy traps students
by Editorial Board
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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
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Guest Opinions
I want to live in a community where even those who disagree with me listen to what I have to say, and I must offer the same courtesy to others. We must offer the same courtesy to others.
Heart of Harker: Inviting the incompatible
by Fern Biswas, Guest Writer

In June 2022, the country was struck with news directly impacting more than half the population—and responses ranged anywhere from fury to...

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Perspectives
Perspectives: Gift-giving
Perspectives: Gift-giving
by Mendy Mao and Jonathan Xue • January 13, 2025

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Perspectives: Artificial Intelligence in education
Perspectives: Artificial Intelligence in education
by Elizabeth Zhang and Claire Tian
Perspectives: Movies at home vs. in theaters
Perspectives: Movies at home vs. in theaters
by Emma Lee and Sarah Wang
Perspectives: Sisters
Perspectives: Sisters
by Shareen Chahal and Janam Chahal
Perspectives: Studying locations
Perspectives: Studying locations
by Charlize Wang and Jessica Wang
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Staff Beliefs
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...

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This I Believe: Reimagining enthusiasm
This I Believe: Reimagining enthusiasm
by Ashley Mo, STEM Editor
This I Believe: Furbies, family and forging connections
This I Believe: Furbies, family and forging connections
by Lindsay Li, Reporter
Success equals how many people remember you after you die multiplied by how long they remember you for. But only if you’re doing what you love.
This I Believe: Appendix to equation of life
by Kairui Sun, Photo Editor
This I Believe: Measured in moments
This I Believe: Measured in moments
by Katerina Matta, Winged Post Co-Editor-in-Chief
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Friday Five: 2D ShapesEditorial: Sickness attendance policy traps studentsAlthough 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. People treat crime cases like they’re episodes of a drama series, desensitizing themselves from the very real violence that lies within them.Artificial Intelligence startups overpromise and underperform
Friday Five: 2D Shapes

by Emma Lee, TALON Reporter

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Copyright laws crush creativity

by Mihir Kotbagi, Opinions Editor

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True crime breeds toxicity

by Aryana Bharali, Humans of Harker Managing Editor

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We ultimately live with other people, not news segments or trending threads. Whether at a club meeting, work or community event, find comfort in commonalities you share with others: beliefs, hobbies and anxieties alike.
Character.AI simulates connection by offering affirmations and remembering details from past conversations. Users start relying on chatbots instead of real people, and that level of dependency can be very risky.
Trick-or-treating offers high schoolers a chance to interact in their neighborhoods. Those small conversations about the type of candy we liked or the costumes we wore, I felt a stronger sense of connection with the surrounding community, 
Prop 47's weak punishment of crime reduces the effectiveness of the rehabilitation policies it makes available and exacerbates the plight of homelessness.
Gen Z’s reliance on social media for news reflects a growing trend of their subpar media literacy. With information constantly being fed to us with infinite scrolling, many of us do not feel the need to actively go out and search for valid news sources.
What can be burdened by what has been
Eliminating the death penalty means that America’s judiciary would never kill an innocent person again — not that criminals would walk free. While wrongful prison sentences are tragic, they can be revisited and resolved unlike capital punishment.
Swift, despite espousing praise for the more progressive candidate in this year’s upcoming election, emits 1,800 times more carbon than the average American. By contrast, Harris, the candidate Swift supports, has put forward emission-reducing, pro-environment policy.
Harker could expand the art facility to include a gallery space that serves as a permanent exhibition area where student works can be displayed. Connected to the art building, this space can foster the Visual Arts program’s main events, like Artstravaganza.
Regardless of what type of election or level of politics they engage with, students have a civic duty to advocate for their local communities.
Physical slips serve little purpose once they leave the front desk. More often than not, they end up straight in the recycling bin.
The bottom line is this: students need to like the books they read to nurture their love of reading and procure the best results learning-wise. Administrators who decide each class’ reading list should focus on choosing books that will be popular with students.
Fifty-nine percent of student respondents spent upwards of $150 on textbooks for the upcoming year and 29% of students spent over $300. The lack of value that students find in some textbooks, however, invalidates their price. 
Volunteering impact also does not need to be confined to a set amount of time or awards. If we encourage students to approach their nonprofit work with longevity in mind, they are more likely to carry on their work, furthering acts of volunteerism in their community.
Friday Five: Childhood cartoons
With fun celebrations like National Houseplant Appreciation Day and Lipid Day, these days can offer a unique break from everyday life, turning any normal day into a special one. In this list, I present my five favorite national days.
In 2023 alone, over 10,000 research papers were withdrawn, setting a new global record. Journals subject papers to stringent review processes facilitated by expert peer reviewers, but many procedural and factual errors still manage to slip past inattentive editors, threatening to damage the reputation of legitimate scientific research.
Last-minute merges at the entrance before school or improper turns onto the highway and Saratoga Avenue as students and parents leave school constitute a danger to the community. With only one entrance and exit to campus, drivers often make unsafe decisions to save time.
Capturing the attention of viewers across the world, dating shows have risen in popularity due to the endless petty drama, emotional conversations and of course, countless swoon-worthy moments. The seemingly perfect relationships appear too good to be true and in most cases, they are.
When I am tired, done with all my other random iPhone games and having absolutely nothing to do, I go for The New York Times but not for the news. Instead, for the plethora of games that catch my attention, from Connections to Wordle to the Mini Crossword.
With my experience in selling these special cookies, these five are my favorite Girl Scout cookies of all time.
Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell have served in the highest political offices. They are all over the age of 75.
Perspectives: Grocery stores
The exorbitant prices that Apple charges for basic upgrades to memory and storage mean that Windows devices often offer superior performance at a more affordable price.
Outside Dobbins or in the Main hallway, friends huddle together in groups, exchanging information on an imminent exam. Most students would not consider this cheating, despite clearly violating the honor code.
Social media and online trends’ growing popularity isolates Generation Alpha from the childhoods of generations before and instills a desire to appear older than one’s true age.
While it is essential to recognize and respect these collective identities and histories, it's equally crucial to ensure that they do not become restrictive boxes that prevent us from seeing the rich tapestry of individual experiences within them.
The generational gap between Gen Z and millennials and now Gen Z and Gen Alpha is merely the product of cultural and societal changes throughout the years, further widened today by the internet’s ever-shortening trends. (Emma Li and Jessica Wang)
Sweaters aren't just about keeping warm; they're the epitome of winter fashion. Whether it's a chunky cable-knit or a sleek cashmere, sweaters are versatile.
In honor of Miyazaki’s final film, “The Boy and the Heron,” which released Friday, here’s a list of my favorite Ghibli films to introduce viewers to the magical adventures that await in the Ghibli world.
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