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

Modern haikus bend traditional rules; they blend old and new again.

Haikus for National Haiku Day

by Jessica Wang and Claire Su May 24, 2023

Learn about the history of haikus in a series of 5-7-5 poems we wrote to honor National Haiku Day on April 17! Sparse syllables flow Haikus born in Japan's past Bashō's artistry  Seventeen sound...

Phoebe Castle (11) takes in a work from the Color Trip: Yoshida Hodaka’s Modern Prints exhibit at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco during a field trip on Mar. 27. I was immediately drawn to the different themes of color in each one of the [prints], she said.

AP Art History students tour San Francisco Asian Art Museum

by Felix Chen and Katerina Matta April 3, 2023

Advanced Placement (AP) Art History students visited the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco during a field trip on Mar. 27.   After attending their fifth period classes, students left school from the...

An illustration of the choreography in “Naatu Naatu, which inspired a variety of dance trends on Instagram and TikTok. This song won at this years Academy Awards for Best Original Song, making it the first Indian film song to be both nominated for and win an Oscar.

The significance of ‘Naatu Naatu’’s Oscar win for India

by Ananya Sriram, Co-Features Editor March 23, 2023

“Not salsa, not flamenco, my brother … Do you know Naatu?”  And with the pulsating beat of drums, the tune of a mandolin and bright vocals, the concept of “Naatu” comes to life. As I sat...

Downbeat performers pose for a photo at the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) on March 10. Downbeat placed fourth in the quarter finals against seven other a cappella groups from California.

Downbeat places fourth at ICHSA quarter finals

by Young Min and Alison Yang March 20, 2023

Harker’s show choir, Downbeat, placed fourth in the quarter finals of the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) on March 10 at John Burroughs High School, competing against seven...

Anna Yang is a twelfth grader at Notre Dame High School in San Jose and is the 2022-2023 Santa Clara Youth Poet Laureate. Anna’s writing has been published in The New York Times and KQED. Anna spoke with Harker Aquila about her experiences in poetry, and how it relates to her identity and past.

The Poet’s Project: ‘Depths of my mind’

by Felix Chen and Aishani Singh March 16, 2023

Anna Yang is a twelfth grader at Notre Dame High School in San Jose and is the 2022-2023 Santa Clara Youth Poet Laureate. Anna’s writing has been published in The New York Times and KQED. Anna spoke...

Harshini Chaturvedula (11) plays the viola with Orchestra during the Winter Instrumental Concert. Held on Jan. 13, the concert invited audiences to watch multiple upper school instrumental groups and soloists perform various musical styles, ranging from upbeat Latin jazz to slow ballads.

Annual Winter Instrumental Concert showcases diverse musical styles and performances

by Ariana Goetting and Young Min February 2, 2023

Warm orange lights illuminate the stage as Lab Band settles into their chairs, carefully preparing their instruments. With the flick of the conductor’s wrist, music flows and reverberates throughout...

Ellen Bass is the author of four poetry collections, including most recently, “Indigo,” published in 2020. Bass spoke with Harker Aquila about her experiences reading, writing, and teaching poetry, making a home and a life out of this art.

The Poet’s Project: ‘The magic and mystery of it’

by Felix Chen and Sarah Mohammed January 24, 2023

Ellen Bass is the author of four poetry collections, including most recently, “Indigo” (Copper Canyon Press 2020). Her poems have been published in the New Yorker and the American Poetry Review and...

Performers unveil work in the arts during Student Directed Showcase productions

by Sidak Sanghari, Hima Thota, Alison Yang, and Sally Zhu January 18, 2023

A misshapen blob of students, dressed in costumes ranging from floral shirts to ski boots to construction vests, gather onstage. Wrapping their arms around each other, they squat down, heads bowed in anticipation....

Instrumental music teacher and artistic director of the Harker Concert Series Jaco Wong speaks at Fridays performance. Jaco introduced his own piece the “Whampoa Overture, which was then performed by the orchestra.

San Jose Chamber Orchestra performs for Harker community

by Felix Chen, Reporter October 5, 2022

The musicians of the San Jose Chamber Orchestra took the stage in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. on Friday to perform in front of an audience consisting of students, parents and administration...

An illustration of the album cover of Taylor Swifts Midnights album, set to release on Oct. 21. Swift announced this new album during her acceptance speech for Video of the Year at the Video Music Awards in August.

Taylor Swift announces new “Midnights” album, set to release in October

by Chayce Milheim and Lavanya Subramanian September 18, 2022

Popular artist Taylor Swift announced her tenth studio album “Midnights,” set to release on Oct. 21, at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) on Aug. 28.  Swift won the VMAs’ prestigious award, Video...

This is the third installment of “Working Title,” a podcast where staff member Rachel Ning shares her thoughts on select films and the film industry. In this episode, Rachel discusses the hidden gem The Double, a 2013 film, and its connection with the duality of man. 

Working Title: ‘Elvis’ and why it falls flat

by Rachel Ning, TALON Business & PDA Manager September 2, 2022

This is the fifth installment of “Working Title,” a podcast where staff member Rachel Ning shares her thoughts on select films and the film industry. In this episode, Rachel discusses the recent film...

Anwen Hao (9) poses in a dance routine to Albrecht’s Variation from “Giselle at this years Hoscars. The show, themed Oscars this year, took place on March 30 in the Rothschild Performing Arts Center and featured acts in singing, dancing, instrumental and more,

Back with a blast: the Hoscars return triumphantly to center stage

by Emma Gao, Co-Copy Editor April 17, 2022

“Before we start, let me assure you there will be no slaps and no punches thrown today. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show. Let the Hoscars begin!”  Associated Student Body (ASB) treasurer Aaditya...

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