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

Helen Zhu, TALON Managing Editor

All content by Helen Zhu
“One thing I'm always on the lookout for is new creative outlets and I think cooking is a really great way to express myself. I like exploring new recipes or exploring in general. It's a really calming activity and a really good way to balance out how hectic school life is. I've been reading a bunch, and I've tried Paint-By-Numbers because I can't paint. I've also picked up guitar, tried longboarding, inline skating and learning Korean,” Stephanie Shen (12) said.

Humans of Harker: An aura of sunshine

by Jessica Tang, Reporter
May 4, 2021
“I have something that's been constant in my life, something that has been with me for my whole life. I don't want to ever give it up. I genuinely enjoy the experience of playing [the violin] with other people and also playing as a soloist,” Sophia Horng (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Reading between the lines

by Helen Zhu, TALON Managing Editor
May 3, 2021
“Being able to convey my emotions to an audience and being vulnerable to a group of people are aspects that I've grown in regarding dance. Learning how to take risks is a skill that has followed me outside of dance. There have been a lot of struggles throughout my years of dancing, but it has really taught me how to be persistent and resilient even when things get tough,” Karina Chen (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Dual discoveries

by Helen Zhu, TALON Managing Editor
April 15, 2021
"I love seeing things that people create in unison. What the cause is, it doesn't really matter in my eyes. Bringing joy to other people, inspiring them in the process to also [do so], and [seeing] the joy on their faces when they bring joy to other people ... makes me feel really happy,” Elaine Xiao (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Unity and grace

by Claire Luo and Katie Reed
April 9, 2021
“Being friendly and approachable … are things that I value a lot. As a person, I'd like to be remembered as someone who would be there for you if you needed it and lend a helping hand,” Katie Li (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Resilience and resolve

by Sania Gupta and Maggie Yan
April 7, 2021
“Ever since I was a little kid, I've always been drawn to anything art related. Whenever we had the choice of a creative project, I would always choose art; that's just how I felt like I could best express myself,” Jacqueline Au (12) said.

Humans of Harker: The art of creativity

by Michelle Liu, Winged Post Design Editor
March 16, 2021
“The idea of wanting to build a sense of community for everything that I was a part of is something that I strive for in everything that I do. It's not just about becoming a better player or getting towards goals. It's about making something out of each experience and learning something new, even if it's something really small. It's about taking something from each experience and applying it elsewhere,” Hannah Sobczyn (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Creating connections

by Helen Zhu, TALON Managing Editor
February 17, 2021
Inside the Dash: Growing gratitude

Inside the Dash: Growing gratitude

by Helen Zhu, TALON Managing Editor
June 4, 2020
“I want my purpose in life to be to create lasting change. If, in the future, I'm able to take a piece of me and some research that I do and put it into a business — even if it doesn't become some ridiculously famous thing — if I can change one person's life with that ... and have it be like a domino effect and create something else in the world, then I feel like everything that I've done, all the sweat, blood and tears that go into this kind of work, is all going to be worth it. Because at the end of the day, the point is to make life better for somebody. I feel like my point would be to make a change for the better in the world,” Aditi Ghalsasi (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Connecting confidence and compassion

by Gloria Zhang, Winged Post Co-Editor-in-Chief
May 3, 2020
“The day before senior year started, we were driving on Highway 1, which is the really scenic route along the coast. I'm sitting there in the car with the three people that I love the most in the world [— my mom, my dad and my sister]. Being able to try new things, like buying avocados on the side of the road and trying honeycomb for the first time, to go on hikes and then appreciate the beautiful scenery, while listening to music that we all love — it's a luxury. As I'm leaving for college, it's probably something that will happen less and less, so it means a lot because it's a memory we’ll all share and treasure,” Allison Jia (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Balancing perspectives

by Helen Zhu, TALON Academics and Co-Conservatory Editor
May 2, 2020
My pandemic survival kit includes my candle and lotion in my favorite scent: Aromatherapy Eucalyptus and Spearmint; my fake succulent (since I can’t keep a real one alive); AirPods; Glossier lip balm; my blue light prescription glasses (I have not put in contacts in a month); and my journal. These essentials keep me grounded during this shelter-in-place.

Stories from quarantine: Our pandemic essentials

by Anna Vazhaeparambil, Varsha Rammohan, and Irina Malyugina
April 20, 2020
“How would I identify a good person? Most probably someone who cares. I could throw out all the synonyms, all the vocab words, the ones like kind, benevolent, nice-hearted, but ultimately I think the essence of what I think a good person is just someone who cares,” Jessie Wang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Exploring boundaries

by Helen Zhu, TALON Academics and Co-Conservatory Editor
April 1, 2020
A custodial worker cleans the classrooms in Main after school yesterday. Harker is taking extra precautionary actions to ensure the appropriate sanitation of its campuses.

Upper school takes precautionary measures against COVID-19 as California governor Gavin Newsom declares state of emergency

by Mark Hu, Winged Post STEM Editor
March 7, 2020
Junior Zoe Kister jumps into a crowd of dancers. Zoe is one of eight student choreographers.

“Remixed and Reimagined”: Students and faculty prepare for the annual dance production

by Esha Gohil and Sabrina Zhu
January 31, 2020
Upper school math teacher and Navy veteran Anthony “Tony” Silk instructs his class. Other veterans include history teacher Karen Haley (Army), math teacher Bradley Stoll (Navy), and attendance coordinator Scott Engelhardt (Army).

News briefs: Choir concert, Harker Car Show, and Evening of Medicine

by Brian Chen, Amruta Dharmapurikar, Varsha Rammohan, Arushi Saxena, Emily Tan, Anna Vazhaeparambil, and Jessie Wang
November 13, 2019
“I'm not one who's going to do a super fancy speech or touch people with my words because I don't have the confidence yet to do that, and I hope to one day. The way I think or the way I talk to people just in the smallest way, if I can change somebody's attitude or the way they thought about something, that's how I want to make an impact,” Aditi Khanna (12) said.

Humans of Harker: From note to note

by Helen Zhu, TALON Academics Editor
December 17, 2019
Downbeat singers Vaishnavi Murari (11) and Shray Alag (11) dance together in a rendition of "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus," which was the final number of Downbeat's home performance last night. The home performance was the final stop on their six-stop tour, which lasted throughout the day and took the choral group around the Bay Area.

Downbeat travels around the Bay Area during their annual Winter Tour

by Sriya Batchu, Reporter
December 11, 2019
DSC_3947 e

Moments in Washington

by Erica Cai, Kathy Fang, Catherine Feng, Lauren Liu, Arely Sun, Nicole Tian, and Gloria Zhang
November 23, 2019
Washington Monument. In front of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the Washington Monument is the tallest structure in the area, built to commemorate George Washington.

Awake at night: D.C. monuments honor nation’s history

by Tiffany Chang, Lakshmi Mulgund, Smrithi Sambamurthy, Pelin Unsal, Anna Vazhaeparambil, and Helen Zhu
November 23, 2019
Winged Post Editor-in-Chief Gloria Zhang (12) and Aquila Managing Editor Varsha Rammohan (11) take a selfie in front of a display of newspapers on Nov. 20 outside of the Newseum. The Newseum, the only national museum dedicated solely to journalism, will be shut down as of Dec. 31, 2019.

Hustle and bustle: Capturing the street life in Washington, D.C.

by Helen Zhu, Emma Gurleroglu, and Anna Vazhaeparambil
November 23, 2019
Humans of Harker (HOH) editor-in-chief Saloni Shah (11), TALON editor-in-chief Anthony Xu (12) and HOH profiler Esha Gohil (10) speak to attendees about the HOH project. More than 240 student journalists and advisers attended the presentation.

Journalism students travel to Washington, D.C. to attend national journalism convention

by Varsha Rammohan, Managing Editor
November 23, 2019
U.S. Ambassador Gordon Sondland exits the Longworth Office Building on Capitol Hill after his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee today. Sondland

Ambassador Gordon Sondland confirms “quid pro quo” in impeachment hearings

by Kathy Fang, Arya Maheshwari, Varsha Rammohan, and Anna Vazhaeparambil
November 20, 2019
Co-Curator Ronit Gagneja (12) arranges a display of programs at the check-in station.

“Under the Microscope:” Harker hosts annual TEDx event

by Varsha Rammohan and Alysa Suleiman
October 24, 2019
“It’s all about mindsets for me. I try to live on my own terms by doing things that make me happy, surrounding myself with people that encourage my growth and trying to find the positives out of situations. Reflecting on where I am now and how I can be the best current version of myself is something I prioritize instead of the past or the future. It’s more important to live in the moment, focusing on what to do now and how to help make an impact now because otherwise, you’re never going to get anything done in life,” Radhika Jain (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Breathe in, breathe out

by Helen Zhu, TALON Academics Editor
October 24, 2019
Inside the Dash: Galloping Forward

Inside the Dash: Galloping Forward

by Helen Zhu, TALON Academics Editor
September 30, 2019
Inside the Dash: Spelling New Risks

Inside the Dash: Spelling New Risks

by Helen Zhu, TALON Academics Editor
September 24, 2019
IMG_4554 (1) cropped

Inside the Dash: Age of Aquarium

by Helen Zhu, TALON Academics Editor
May 31, 2019
Kelsey Wu (12) sings with accompaniment from the upper school's Jazz Band. Kelsey was among the seniors honored at the end of her performance.

Blues and bass lines: Harker’s annual Evening of Jazz features student jazz groups from middle and upper school

by Arushi Saxena, Global Editor
April 25, 2019
“That's the good thing about basketball; it's very much like life. You make a shot, and you feel good; and you miss a shot, and you feel bad. It's a really sporadic but also you can depend on it happening. You know the oscillation between a climax and a low point is going to happen and it's always like that. Whenever you feel proud, you always know you will feel down in the future, and you just have to ride that wave," Richard Wang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Between the lines

by Helen Zhu, TALON Reporter
March 13, 2019
“Dance represents my growth; it allowed me to grow as a person. [Piano and dance are] both art forms, but they're also so different at the same time. I wouldn’t be the pianist I was today if I didn't dance, and I wouldn't be the dancer I am today if I didn’t do piano, so they've definitely helped each other,” Tiffany Zhao (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Balance in performance

by Alysa Suleiman, Reporter
March 11, 2019
“A lot of people come into the high school with huge friend groups that're very set and think that's not going to change. But friends are going to switch out; not everyone grows the same way throughout high school. Be open to everything and try new things. Don't be set on how your high school life specifically will go. I feel like coming in from eighth grade, I very much had a set plan of how I was going to progress throughout high school, and that plan changed, and it's okay for those ideas to change,” Claire Newman (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Big heart, bright smile

by Helen Zhu, TALON Reporter
December 11, 2018
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