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

“When you’re playing, you just focus on the game itself. You can kind of hear the other people on the court yelling for the ball or even the coach yelling about something, but everything else you can just tune out. Even practice — it helps me tune out anything else that’s happening in my life. I forget all the stressful stuff I have to do later. It just kind of takes your mind off of everything else, Donna Boucher (12) said.

Humans of Harker: On the court and behind the keyboard

by Nilisha Baid, TALON Asst. Business and Social Media Editor December 3, 2018

The sound of Donna Boucher (12) bouncing a volleyball three times echoes through the gym before her serve. Focusing on the ball, she tunes out everything else: the crowd, her other responsibilities. When...

“People dont really notice that I have a hearing disability until I tell them, and the first thing they will usually say is ‘I’m sorry... Pity gets old very quickly, and I couldnt imagine what it would have been like for people who have more severe disabilities than I do. And I’d say it’s just an empowering reminder of what people go through every day — what deaf people go through everyday, and how, because I have this perspective, I have a duty to help other people,” Brian Park (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Persevering with pride

by Jessie Wang, Reporter December 1, 2018

As Brian Park (12) enters the door of the classroom, he’s swarmed by a mass of children, clamoring with delight at his arrival. The group soon disperses to return to either studying or enjoying some...

“There’s been lots of things to deal with [this year], and I feel like at the same time these changes and these things to deal with are a transformative experience. It makes you really think about who you really are and what you want to do,” Ben Yuan (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Food, jokes and dinosaurs

by Mark Hu, Reporter November 28, 2018

Hands fiddling with a videogame remote and eyes focusing on the colorful arena dotted with minifigures on his laptop screen in front, Ben Yuan (12) calmly competes against his friends outside of Nichols...

“Now with people breaking out of their own molds, I want to gear makeup towards basically everyone. I want to have something that starts with men and women, anyone. There’s seven billion people in the world. How can you have fifteen shades for all of them?” Olivia Esparza (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Shades of culture

by Anoushka Buch, TALON Co-People and Seniors Editor November 27, 2018

As the lights dim, multi-colored stage lights silhouette a group of dancers. The lighting shifts and the music begins, and several faces are now visible, each carefully made-up eyelid and cheek illuminated....

“I’m just a piece in life, but I think people who want to create connections is something that should be valued. Drawing on my own experiences, coming here, being new, doing all this stuff with basketball that I care about, bridging gaps between people with different values, different interests, different backgrounds—I think thats how just in general we all get better at some aspect of life, better at understanding, better at valuing people. I think on a surface level, yeah, I can play basketball; yeah, I can do nonprofit work; yeah, I can do this, I can do that, but were all going towards the same goal: understanding each other, living for each others passions and supporting people,” Akhila Ramgiri (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Bridging gaps

by Sara Yen, Asst. Features Editor November 26, 2018

In the new gym, mostly empty in contrast to the commotion of lunch outside, a rust-colored leather ball rests on Akhila Ramgiri’s (12) palm briefly before her wrist flicks, and the ball sails through...

It’s not because I dont care as much, but I always feel like stress is something that your body does as a response to an imminent threat. If a lion is about to eat you, your body will get flooded with those stress hormones that are meant to alert yourself, save your life. An English test isnt a lion - its not going to kill you, Arjun Kilaru (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Solutions in serenity

by Arya Maheshwari, STEM Editor November 15, 2018

Amidst the buzz of feet that fills the hallways and buildings of the upper school, there is always at least one idiosyncratic pair moving with a conspicuously leisurely yet dignified gait. As he walks...

“My teacher, Dr. Nelson, said, If you study astronomy, youre going to be doing your own research, and eventually youre going to a point when you will know something that nobody else has ever known in the history of humanity. I was like, Thats freaking awesome. I want to do that with my life. So thats what decided it for me. It doesnt need to be a big thing, just something, Ishani Cheshire (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Poems and pulsars

by Anthony Xu, TALON Co-Academics Editor November 15, 2018

Standing in the middle of Nichols Atrium on a Friday afternoon, Ishani Cheshire’s (12) eyes light up as she begins to explain neutrinos, black holes and red giants, vividly gesturing with her hands as...

“I thought that I could give [art] up and I never thought that I would be able to do it in college, and then over the summer I did an internship and between CS and animation, I realized that I really can’t give it up. I can’t imagine not doing art in any variation,” said Christie Chen (12).

Humans of Harker: Mixing medias

by Irene Yuan, Reporter November 12, 2018

Sitting cross-legged by herself in front of the senior eagle, Christie Chen (12) is utterly focused on the task at hand. Each stroke is precise, using the perfect blend of whites, blues, and greens to...

“These are the moments that make up who I am... for example, those three minutes on stage, or that moment when I bring a dish to the table, or that rush of adrenaline when I help my dad finally beat a boss in a game. I think being able to refocus through enjoying time with my family or time onstage or time at the studio, having all these things that show me just how valuable being alive is. I think thats really taught me to stop worrying about some inconsequential grade in my report card, and to start considering the bigger picture, and to start considering, well, yes, Im studying, but Im studying to learn so that I can give back later in my life, Timothy Wang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Living large for life’s smallest moments

by Nina Gee, Staff Illustrator November 6, 2018

What do cooking, dance, and math all have in common? Supposedly nothing, unless you consider Timothy Wang (12). Timothy’s a wild card: a STEM student who’s known for dancing, a choreographer who...

I always try to spend a little bit of my day just interacting with someone who I’ve never met before whether that be online or in real life. Its really interesting to see other people’s perspectives on topics and maybe controversial issues. You get to see so many different viewpoints on so many different topics, and that really allows you to emphasize with other people better as a result. You don’t get to tunnel vision and focus on just what you see, but you get to dive into what other people think, Andrew Chang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Making Happiness at the Satis-factory

by Laura Wu, TALON Co-People and Seniors Editor October 24, 2018

Around campus, you can always see Andrew Chang (12) smiling and joking around with his friends. Sometimes, his jokes are more light-hearted, but ultimately, he cracks different jokes depending on the situation....

“I hope that [people] have some positive memory associated with me, or that I always helped brighten up their days because I dont like putting out negative energy. I really feel that what matters more than anything else is [treating] others with kindness and respect, and I just want to be remembered as a positive force, Tamar Sasson (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Appreciating the underappreciated

by Anna Vazhaeparambil, Reporter October 22, 2018

As she walks down the hallway of the Rothschild Performing Arts Center and begins to climb the staircase, Tamar Sasson (12) pauses in her tracks and turns around, catching sight of an empty Starbucks cup...

“I think it’s all about having your hard work acknowledged, whether that’s through competitive success or just going to a tournament and feeling that the experience was rewarding. Even if you don’t have tons of success at the tournament, it’s the great support system you build while there, and that is what makes it all worth it, Anusha Kuppahally (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Stand up and smile

by Anika Rajamani, Reporter October 19, 2018

Time runs out as the two teams quickly finalize their main arguments. The judges gesture to the first group to present their initial statement. Without giving another thought to the nervous energy overtaking...

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