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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

“I always try to put others in front of me and make sure that I can be there for as many people in my life as possible. Even if I'm going through something I make sure to give people my undivided attention if they need it. When I volunteered at the Marine Center in Santa Cruz, I encountered so many people with so many different opinions. Just meeting new people with unique personalities taught me to have an open mind in any situation,” Medini Halepete (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Fostering connection

by Disha Gupta, Co-Assistant Opinions Editor January 21, 2024

Towering redwood trees and biting winds characterize the road to Santa Cruz: now Medini Halepete’s (12) weekly commute. Whether she is visiting biochemistry labs on the UC Santa Cruz campus or volunteering...

“Even though a car as a whole can seem super complex, when you break one down into its individual parts, it becomes a lot simpler. Taking stuff apart and seeing how it all works together really helps me learn how things work, not just cars. I need to see something in action and work with it before I completely understand how to solve a problem,” Ashwin Kuppahally (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Racing to rescue

by Jonathan Szeto, Co-Assistant News Editor January 15, 2024

With the intense sun shining down and his hands stained with oil and grease, Ashwin Kuppahally (12) looks down at the intricate maze of pipes, bolts, gears and tubes that lay before him. For the past day,...

“Everyone has something to offer, something interesting about their lived experiences. That in itself sparks a connection that you have with different people. I've received so many messages about how people feel like their voice is represented with their work when it’s spotlighted, and how they’ve been engaging with the work we're putting out. That's my proudest moment,” Sydney Ling (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Spice of life

by Claire Zhao, Co-STEM Editor January 12, 2024

One pandemic can change a lot for an Asian-American teenage girl yearning for change. Nearly four years ago, Sydney Ling (12) sat at her desk, pondering the issues within her community as her eyes darted...

“You have to recognize that this isn’t always going to be fun. You’re going to have to train really hard to do well. If you can do that, that’s how you get good at competitive programming,” Thomas Liu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Optimism and optimization

by Jessica Hu, Co-Assistant Copy Editor January 12, 2024

An unruly, knotty behemoth of a coding problem stands before Thomas Liu (12). He’s taking the United States of America Computing Olympiad, and time is ticking away. Wondering how to wrangle the gargantuan...

“Pick something that you want to do better the next day. It could be as simple as drinking an extra cup of water or as hard as going to bed on time. Just pick something that you want to focus on. You're going to get this thing done, and you're going to improve by just that much," Aeliya Grover (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Engine of entrepreneurship

by Emma Gao, Co-Managing Editor December 6, 2023

When people hear the term “robotics,” they might imagine students crowded around computer screens filled with lines of code, or maneuvering eclectic, whirring machines through a series of tasks. But...

Humans of Harker: Shining on stage

Humans of Harker: Shining on stage

by Jessica Wang, Co-Opinions Editor November 28, 2023

What makes a stage? Wood paneling, stage lights, and red curtains that collide. But a stage does not have to be restricted to its physicality: Metrica Shi (12) would argue that a stage can be the backdrop...

“I want to be remembered as the person who was really easy for everyone to talk to. That's something I pride myself on. I like to make a lot of friends, and I want to be seen as someone who is super approachable, no matter what class or activities you're in. I want to be a potential friend for everyone," Sriram Bhimaraju (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Aiming for amiability

by Charlize Wang, Reporter November 23, 2023

Jimmy Fallon’s voice fills the crowded theater as he announces the next segment of “Fallonventions” on a 2019 episode of “The Tonight Show.” From behind the red curtains of the stage, eighth-grade...

“You learn so much in the process, whether it's a skill like 3D printing, or machining, or how to use AI. You also meet a lot of people who are doing similar things, or who are interested in what you're doing. That all is much more meaningful than anything that you've built yourself because no project is ever really finished. You can't reach a perfect outcome,” Omkar Govil-Nair (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Innovating for impact

by Eva Cheng, Reporter November 22, 2023

A smattering of applause echoes through the dark theater as a lone eleven year old strides confidently across the stage with a proud smile on his face. The enormous projector screen hanging behind...

Humans of Harker: Flash through the past

Humans of Harker: Flash through the past

by Claire Yu, Reporter November 17, 2023

A black and white film flickers, illuminating the room as the sounds of the TV echo softly. Christina Rex (12) lounges on a couch in the living room with her parents, watching the scenes flash across...

“I love losing. I love messing things up. I love failing. As cliche as it sounds, that is the fastest way for me to learn things, to get better at things. If you’re doing things wrong, and no one ever tells you, or you never lose, you think you’re doing everything right but you might not be," Adrian Liu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Setting up success

by Katerina Matta, Co-Sports Editor November 15, 2023

It’s Adrian Liu’s (12) first high school volleyball practice of the year, and he’s one of two freshmen on varsity. Apart from the nerves of playing with upperclassmen this marks one of his first...

Humans of Harker: Confidence in creativity

Humans of Harker: Confidence in creativity

by Mia Tang, Reporter November 15, 2023

A self-portrait featuring a face covered in butterflies, reflective of self-consciousness regarding one’s beauty and appearance. A novel, versatile robot that originally seemed daunting to build...

“For every time we break one end mill drill bit, we add a tally on the machine. We have a list each year of how many times we've broken that, and it's huge. Stuff breaks. We get back up and keep working,” Vivek Nayyar (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Drills and thrills

by Kairui Sun, Reporter November 13, 2023

The dazzling white floodlights of the George R. Brown Convention center dim to a soft, pulsing purple on cue with the music. Vivek Nayyar (12) gazes at the crowd of familiar, smiling faces, illuminated...

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