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

“With my journey, I never had this end goal of doing environmental research — it all happened through the spontaneous, different things I was focused on in the present. But they led to something much bigger, this intertwined, weird, unique environmental journey,” Aditya Tadimeti (21) said.

Humans of Harker: From a spark to a blaze

by Anna Vazhaeparambil and Erica Cai June 29, 2021

In the viral video clip depicting the detrimental effects of single-use plastic straws on marine wildlife, a marine biologist pulls out a twisted plastic straw from the nostril of a sea turtle. For Aditya...

“[Basketball] has given me confidence in my abilities and taught me to not hesitate, like shooting your shot in a game when youre open. That also translates to academics. [The sport] is a large part of who I am because a lot of my own traits, like being a little more confident or being more calm during stressful situations, I’ve learned from basketball,” Srivishnu Pyda (12) said.

Humans of Harker: A gym for the mind

by Saurav Tewari, Sports Reporter June 28, 2021

As Srivishnu Pyda (12) recalls his basketball career at Harker, he emphasizes how impactful basketball has been. As a new freshman, Srivishnu joined the basketball team and found a group of teammates and...

Upper school prepares for distribution day and upcoming school year

by Alysa Suleiman and Irene Yuan June 2, 2021

After Santa Clara County entered the yellow tier on May 18, the upper school also moved forward with loosening campus protocols during the last few weeks of the spring semester and outlined plans for...

“Having diversity in perspective is so important. The person who I’ve become from blending STEM and the humanities is someone with a broad perspective on life. When you combine the two, you can approach STEM problems with a creativity that you get from writing or from talking to people from various backgrounds. These challenges have been here for centuries, but maybe a new perspective is all you need,” Saloni Shah (12) said.

Humans of Harker: One story at a time

by Erica Cai, Humans of Harker Co-Managing Editor June 2, 2021

190 people. 190 stories. 190 unique life experiences. 190 rollercoasters through the exuberant, tumultuous, irreplaceable journey of high school enshrined in a plethora of smiling faces and passionate...

Class of 2021 finishes high school career with baccalaureate and graduation

by Nicole Tian, Co-Editor-In-Chief June 2, 2021

The class of 2021 walked across the stage at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga to receive their diplomas in front of a socially distanced audience on Saturday, May 22. The first event at the site in 14 months,...

“For each 30 seconds of a documentary, I need to put in an hour of work … if Im trying to get a message out, I could just say it. But I think putting so much effort into such a short piece of work, its a reflection. People are more likely to look at it because they know youve put thought into it. And youre also able to be more thoughtful because it forces you to think about every single visual effect in every single word,” Jason Lin (12) said.

Humans of Harker: A picture is worth a thousand words

by Saloni Shah, Humans of Harker Editor-in-Chief May 31, 2021

You may know him through his resounding proclamations in Latin. Possibly through his videography—ranging from Zuca backpack explosions to interviewing presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Or maybe his...

“One thing I really have in front of me is being a better athlete, being a better person, being a better student. Whether its inside school, outside of school, whatever extracurricular Im doing, I strive to become better. And if I want to put my effort into it, I will,” Rosh Roy (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Breaking a sweat

by Ethan Liu and Catherine Wong May 31, 2021

Rosh Roy (12) recalls one track and field meet on a spring afternoon. The sun beat down on the dirt track, casting shadows on the runners’ faces. Teams from different schools, each brimming with energy,...

“Emotions bring power to your words … In order to convince someone else of what you were saying, you have to fully believe in it and fully feel the emotions in your words to affect other people [and] convince them that what youre saying is true and has value,” Helen Li (12) said.

Humans of Harker: The power of conversation

by Saloni Shah, Humans of Harker Editor-in-Chief May 27, 2021

Its head swivels from the scrumptious brown nut resting in its palms, black and beady eyes focusing upon her. With the words “absolutely not,” barreling out of her gaping mouth, she takes one step...

“I’ve learned that I have to be able to stay positive, because that’s what got me through the cancer treatments … I said, ‘This is what I have to do. I’m going to do it. That’s how it’s going to be.’ When new challenges arise, it gets hard sometimes, but you have to stay positive and keep pushing through it … You can’t worry about the future always, because then you will miss out on the present,” Keshav Bhanot (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Tackling challenges with grit

by Muthu Panchanatham, Co-Sports Editor May 27, 2021

Arm outstretched to halt an imaginary defender in his tracks and eyes hidden by the shadows cast by his face mask, Keshav Bhanot (12) gazes into the camera intensely and reflects on one of his first games...

“I’ve always thought of myself as a leader. But [my experiences in high school] and the sense of responsibility have transformed me from someone who just had big ideas to someone who could actually see those ideas be implemented,” Lisa Barooah (12) said.

Humans of Harker: A vibrant presence

by Sarah Mohammed, Winged Post Asst. Features Editor May 27, 2021

Describing her favorite quirk of close friend Lisa Barooah (12), senior Hannah Sobczyn instantly cites her spontaneity and individuality, as she recalls Lisa’s ability to spice up any conversation. “She...

“Theres a lot of poverty in Mexico, especially the part where we went, and it really made me see that there is so much handed to me. I felt bad about having this much when [other people] couldnt, and I felt a really strong moral conflict within me when I was comprehending all this. I was still trying to figure out who I was, and … that experience really shaped my perspective on the world in a lot of ways,” Chance Hewitt (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Kicks and skates

by Claire Bauschlicher and Erica Cai May 26, 2021

Chance Hewitt (12) recalls the first birthday present he ever received as a child: a soccer ball. Although he was too young to play at the time, one of his earliest memories with soccer was standing on...

“I want to be remembered as someone that people can talk to. I want people to know who I am and know that they could talk to me. Im not a random person. If they know me, I know them. I want to be remembered for someone who had a welcoming attitude,” Meona Khetrapal (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Bollywood, benevolence, and bon voyage

by Sally Zhu, Humans of Harker Profiler May 26, 2021

At the Harker school, most students can be found occupied in some extracurricular or academic activity on the weekends from February to May. For Meona Khetrapal (12), it’s competing and training for...

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