The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
“Working on Roobi has taught me how to bounce back from failures, and that problems need to be addressed one bit at a time because you can't just tackle huge goals. I learned to not be afraid of failure because every failure is a step towards success. I try not to look back and wish I could change something because I can't. It's the past. Instead, I look forward," senior Daniel Dorfman said.
Humans of Harker: Steeped for success
“With volleyball and Medical Club, I love working with people. I get to work with people who aren't necessarily in my classes or aren't my friends specifically, but we get to work hard and work together towards a common goal. That collaboration aspect is really important to me," senior Navya Samuel said.
Humans of Harker: Cooperation through competition
“Human connection is very important to staying grounded and stable. The people around me are one of the reasons that I'm not fully burnt out, so I really prioritize keeping a good schedule for myself. Being able to prioritize the things in life that give me internal satisfaction is important to me because that's what allows me to have the drive to do good with the rest of my time. Talking to people is a way for me to replenish," senior Kashish Priyam said.
Humans of Harker: Pep in every step
“It's very important to make sure the people in your life know they're important to you. Whether that's doing small acts of kindness or just being there whenever they need you, having a really strong support system is what gets you through life, and it's a really valuable life skill to have," Sofie Marino (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Pillar of support
“My karate teachers emphasize that as black belts, we should be living up to the standard of our rank and acting as an example for the students who are lower-ranked.' When I’m helping out and someone messes up, I don't necessarily say, ‘You did this wrong, try to do this.’ I take a more relaxed approach and act out what they did a little comically. It's finding the balance between being strict and being more playful with the students," senior Claire Perng said.
Humans of Harker: Playing with purpose
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
Emma Li

Emma Li, Opinions Editor

Emma Li (11) is an Opinions editor for Harker Aquila and the Winged Post, and this is her third year on staff. This year, she looks forward to writing strong pieces and improving my photography skills. Outside of journalism, she likes to listen to music, go on walks and watch YouTube.

All content by Emma Li
Screenshot 2024-11-26 at 11.17.05 AM

Perspectives: Artificial Intelligence in education

by Elizabeth Zhang and Claire Tian
November 26, 2024
Researchers are discouraged to publish negative results because these findings are often considered less impactful and undervalued by journals. Over 85% of published papers arrive at hypothesis-affirming conclusions.

Highlighting the positives in negative results

November 23, 2024
Routine caffeine intake can cause long-term effects on physical health. Sleep deprivation caused by caffeine can create a cycle of dependency on coffee to compensate for the lack of rest.

Caffeine consumption fuels fatigue, compromises student health

by Ashley Mo, STEM Editor
November 22, 2024
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.

Editorial: Community action carves path past election

by Editorial Board
November 22, 2024
Nov. 5 marks Election Day, and Harker Aquila is following along with national news with their own live coverage, including polls and community responses. Check this page for more information about the presidential, Senate and House of Representatives races, as well as California's propositions.

Live Coverage: 2024 Presidential Election

by Emma Milner, Alison Yang, Lily Shi, Eva Cheng, Disha Gupta, Suhani Gupta, Mendy Mao, Ashley Mo, Jonathan Szeto, Tiffany Zhu, Leah Krupnik, Lindsay Li, Vivek Moorjani, Lily Peng, Samuel Tong, Chelsea Xie, Cynthia Xie, Nathan Yee, and Elizabeth Zhang
November 5, 2024
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, 

Too old for Halloween? Think again.

by Aishani Singh, Aquila Managing Editor
October 31, 2024
ASB Treasurer Ananya Pradhan (11) explains the school's fundraising policies. She noted that the school does not provide direct reimbursements to students hosting fundraisers.

School Meeting 10/24: HELM, Afghan Refugee Fundraiser and lockdown protocol

by Emma Li and Claire Tian
October 26, 2024
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.

Celebrity endorsements undercut political culture

by Gabe Sachse, Aquila Managing Editor
October 13, 2024
David Yeager highlights the importance of patience among adults during the adolescent period. He backed up his points with personal parenting stories.

Common Ground hosts speaker event on adolescent attitudes

by Emma Li and Lily Peng
September 27, 2024
Junior varsity girls volleyball dominates Pinewood in two sets

Junior varsity girls volleyball dominates Pinewood in two sets

by Ella Guo and Emma Li
September 26, 2024
The new full video scoreboard displays information about the football game and play during the varsity football team's season opener on Sept. 5. The scoreboard replaced the fixed-digit LED scoreboard from previous years with customizable and dynamic features.

Campus Compass: Custom video scoreboard inspires engagement beyond athletics

by Claire Zhao and Emma Li
September 15, 2024
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.

School kills love of reading

by Mendy Mao, Co-Features Editor
August 29, 2024
As the debate over transgender participation in sports persists, athletes like Khelif and Lin Yuting navigate significant challenges posed by ongoing controversies. The evolving discussions about transgender athletes highlight the ongoing search for balance between fair competition and inclusivity.

Boxing away biases

by Charlize Wang, Aquila Co-Managing Editor
August 20, 2024

End of Year Slideshow 23-24

by Kairui Sun, Aishani Singh, Alison Yang, Ananya Sriram, Ariana Goetting, Brandon Zau, Chayce Milheim, Ella Guo, Ella Yee, Emma Milner, Emma Li, Eva Cheng, Isabella Lo, Jonathan Xue, Kevin Zhang, Lindsey Tuckey, Margaret Cartee, Mirabelle Feng, Selina Xu, Tiffany Zhu, Yifan Li, and Vivian Chen
June 3, 2024
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.

Editorial: Resume-building diminishes commitment to community service

by Editorial Board
May 16, 2024
Green Team co-president Kinnera Mulam draws raffle winners. Prizes included vegan baked goods from Bradley Stoll, vegan chapsticks and succulents.

Global Reset: A peek at Earth Week

by Victor Gong, Emma Li, Alison Yang, and Claire Zhao
May 3, 2024
Juniors Aishani Singh, Jia Jia Jiang and Ananya Das wave their phone flashlights during Earthchella. The event combines the talent show aspects of Quadchella with environmental themes.

Chemistry teacher Andrew Irvine bites into a beetle to close Quadchella. Irvine also brought tried bugs for students to try.

Regardless of how much time individuals spend volunteering, each act of service can make a difference in the lives of others. But 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. 

Varsity swimmer Ipsita Mandal (12) walks through the tunnel made up of her teammates during the senior night ceremony. Each senior passed through the tunnel before receiving a bouquet of flowers from head coach Sachi Ujifusa.

Varsity swimming team secures top finishes in senior night meet

by Tiffany Zhu, Jessica Hu, and Emma Li
April 26, 2024
Humans of Harker: Connecting community, one line at a time

Humans of Harker: Connecting community, one line at a time

by Emma Li, Co-Opinions Editor
April 26, 2024
Varsity boys volleyball sweeps Homestead in three sets

Varsity boys volleyball sweeps Homestead in three sets

by Emma Li and Jessica Hu
April 19, 2024
Figure 01 stands at the forefront of innovation, showcasing a level of sophistication unseen in previous humanoids. Leveraging stored information, Figure 01 makes inferences rapidly, similar to OpenAI’s GPT-3 and GPT-4, and can also express its thoughts through a text-to-speech model.

Figure 01 revolutionizes humanoid technology through robotics and AI

by Ashley Mo, Co-STEM Editor
April 17, 2024
Throughout comedy’s history, humor has been used as a way to reinforce power dynamics, with women usually being the target of sexist jokes. Despite strides in gender equality in the entertainment industry, the belief that “men are funnier than women” persists, solidifying comedy as a male-dominated field where women struggle to gain visibility.

More than just a punchline

by Ashley Mo
March 28, 2024
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Perspectives: Studying locations

by Charlize Wang and Jessica Wang
March 20, 2024
Ishan Mysore (10) sings a solo as a part of Festival Chorus's performance. The choir performed the songs Tshotsholoza and I Dream a World at the end of the MLK Evening Celebration.

Inaugural MLK Evening explores diversity and equity

by Emma Li and Angelina Burrows
February 17, 2024
Characters in "Pressure" crowd around Hannah Streeper's Sam after she fainted. All four SDS plays centered around the high school experience and adolescence's stresses.

Annual SDS showcase spotlights student directors

by Young Min, Emma Li, and Alison Yang
February 15, 2024
"Botticelli Drawings" welcomes visitors with a projected slideshow of the exhibit. The Legion of Honor's exhibition is the first to focus on the preparatory drawings over the finished pieces.

Out of the nest: Trace the line

by Alison Yang and Emma Li
February 11, 2024
Social media anonymity creates toxic comment sections through deindividuation, which explains how individuals perceive themselves as one among the masses and tend to exhibit behaviors they might never engage in otherwise. The internet amplifies this effect.

A digital abyss

by Vika Gautham and Emma Li
February 8, 2024
Humans of Harker: Rekindling a ball of flame

Humans of Harker: Rekindling a ball of flame

by Emma Li, Co-Assistant A&E Editor
January 30, 2024
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.

10-year-olds at Sephora reveal dangers of social media

by Charlize Wang, Assistant Opinions Editor
February 3, 2024
Music Monday is a new installation featuring a different category of songs on a weekly basis.

Music Monday: Kick back with shoegaze

by Emma Li, Assistant A&E/Lifestyle Editor
January 22, 2024
"Priscilla" presents the famous relationship between Elvis Presley and Priscilla Beaulieu from her perspective. Directed by Sofia Coppola, the film delves into her coming-of-age both within and outside the gates of her marriage.

“Priscilla” can’t help scrutinizing loneliness, liberation and love

by Eva Cheng, Assistant Sports Editor
January 20, 2024
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)

Who’s cringe?: Internet’s generational divide

by Emma Li, Assistant A&E/Lifestyle Editor
January 15, 2024
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.

Lunging over boundaries of identity

by Anwen Hao, Co-Multimedia Editor
January 24, 2024
As the 2023 holiday season concludes and families remove the festive twinkling lights from the roof and the delicate ornaments from the tree, now is a better time than ever to consider future environmental footprints.

Global Reset: Preserve holiday magic

by Eva Cheng, Asst. Sports Editor
January 17, 2024
The problem of sleep deprivation has become an epidemic among adolescents. Caught in the destructive cycle of staying up late to finish school work, high school students suffer from many negative consequences such as an inability to focus or regulate their emotions.

Waking up from the sleep deprivation cycle

by Eva Cheng, Reporter
November 13, 2023
ASB Student Events Committee members Ella Lan (12), Ameera Ramzan (9), Sam Parupudi (11), Amishi Gupta (10) and Shareen Chahal (12) remind students about Chellaween on Tuesday during the school meeting. Chellaween featured singing and dancing acts from students and teachers in the quad during long lunch on Tuesday.

School meeting 10/31/23: Chellaween, DECA kickoff, game night

by Emma Li, Reporter
November 5, 2023
Emily Bryan (10) races on a path around Baylands park in the Girls varsity race, the last event of the second WBAL meet. Racers looped around the park twice before diverging from the path.

Cross-country team earns season-best results at Baylands meet

by Emma Gao and Emma Li
November 3, 2023
Nicholas Knauer (9) breezes through a flat section of the course. Runners gained speed here, ready to take on the upcoming hill.

Cross-country team traverses elevated course at Ram Invitational meet

by Jessica Hu and Emma Li
October 18, 2023
“A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. Life is really about going out and opening your mind and ears to new things and the rest of the world,” Ryan Chang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Fishing for peace

by Emma Li, Reporter
March 17, 2023
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