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

President Donald Trump addresses the crowd at Target Center in Minneapolis, MN, for his 2020 presidential campaign rally on October 10, 2019.

President Trump and first lady test positive for coronavirus

by Alysa Suleiman, Nicole Tian, and Erica Cai October 2, 2020

President Donald J. Trump and first lady Melania Trump announced that they have both contracted COVID-19 and begun quarantining in a tweet at 9:54 p.m. PST. The announcement follows senior adviser Hope...

What do we look like through our own eyes? We have been endlessly defined by a time range, compared with analyses of older generations and their defining moments: wars, disasters, crises. But what about by ourselves?

Editorial: Gen Z defines itself through adversity

by Editorial Board September 29, 2020

Completely reliant on technology. The “snowflake” generation. A lack of focus. A short attention span. Such common stereotypes may pervade characterizations of Generation Z, but the reality extends...

In the United States, three companies — Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca — have been conducting Phase 3 trials for a coronavirus vaccine. Phase 3 trials are the last step before a vaccine can be approved, with 30,000 volunteers participating in a study testing the efficacy of each vaccine.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines continue Phase 3 trials, testing

by Aditya Singhvi, Aquila Co-Managing Editor September 28, 2020

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to expand, scientists around the globe are racing to develop and test an effective vaccine that can be approved for widespread use. In the United States, three...

The primetime Emmys, held to recognize outstanding work in American primetime entertainment programming, was the first major awards ceremony to occur during this new normal.

The 2020 Emmys projected levity without masking reality

by Varsha Rammohan, Editor-in-chief September 25, 2020

Interns in hazmat suits, cardboard cut-outs of celebrities and an empty Staples Center. Last week’s Emmy Awards were anything but a vivid depiction of how the coronavirus pandemic has infiltrated every...

Girls Programming League (GPL) team officers and participants meet in a Zoom room for the awards ceremony. This year, the GPL event was held virtually due to concerns about COVID-19.

Girls Programming League held virtually for the first time

by Mark Hu and Sabrina Zhu September 25, 2020

Zoom breakout room “Byte the Dust” is filled with three middle school girls. They excitedly discuss the potential algorithms that can solve one of the problems, before one of them begins sharing her...

A data-driven dive into the effects COVID-19 has had locally, nationally, and globally.

COVID-19: A data dive

by Aditya Singhvi, Aquila Co-Managing Editor September 17, 2020

259 days. That’s how long it’s been since the World Health Organization (WHO) determined that a novel coronavirus caused a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, China. And since then, the staggering numbers...

The front office at the upper school on March 12, the day students were sent home. The administration has also enacted several key safety changes to prepare for the possibility of in-person activities, including installing hospital-grade HVAC systems across all four campuses, creating outdoor hand-washing stations, having an increased janitorial presence and providing masks for those who forget them.

Harker considers gradual transition into in-person activities as county restrictions loosen

by Aditya Singhvi, Aquila Co-Managing Editor September 14, 2020

As Santa Clara County loosens coronavirus restrictions with declining case counts, the Harker administration is considering resuming certain activities by the end of September as part of a phased shift...

Whether or not these doctors are motivated by altruism or reckless self-interest, one thing is clear: scientists who promote experimental vaccines as valid drugs blur the boundary between medicine and quackery, subjecting unaware citizens to unanticipated harm.

Promoting experimental vaccines isn’t science – it’s medical fraud

by Nicholas Wei, Humans of Harker Staff Writer September 9, 2020

As the notoriously slow process of Covid-19 vaccine approval drags on, groups of scientists have begun developing their own experimental SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, citing its supposed benefits on themselves,...

The Conservatory program held its virtual kick-off on Aug. 26, introducing an unusual year for the arts. “When we had one day to turn around and teach online, it was such an unknown,” said Susan Nace, vocal music teacher and director of Camerata and Cantilena. “Where we are now, its not as scary, and were seeing a lot of possibilities because we dont have that fear holding us back.”

“Art has prevailed”: Performing arts prepare versions of shows depending on COVID-19

by Sara Yen, Winged Post Editor-in-Chief September 8, 2020

The end of last year was a devastating time for much of the upper school performing arts department. Both the orchestra trip to Carnegie Hall and the spring musical “Damn, Yankees” were canceled due...

My Asian American identity is composed of traditions from both my heritage and nationality. Whether it be watching fireworks on the Fourth of July, eating dumplings on Lunar New Year or spending summers in my grandparents complex in Xian, I carry both cultures with me.

This land was made for you and me?

by Nicole Tian, Opinion Editor September 6, 2020

Whenever I travel to a foreign country, my American passport tells my identity. Gold eagle stamped on navy blue. Carrying it to visit relatives in China for weeks at a time, I spoke English with my sister...

The first semester of the 2020-2021 school will utilize a modified two-day rotation block schedule. This is in response to limitations from the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting Governor Gavin Newson to issue a directive to all schools to begin the year exclusively through remote learning.

Upper school implements bell schedule changes and Zoom guidelines for remote learning

by Nicholas Wei and Sally Zhu September 2, 2020

The upper school has adopted a modified bell schedule for the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year. All instruction will be taking place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting the administration...

University of California, Santa Cruz, was one of the few universities that modified their Summer Internship Program, a summer research program for high schoolers, to an online format. As most opportunities moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students found new research opportunities, either through virtual labs or on their own at home.

Students’ summer research continues despite new difficulties, Harker research classes adapt to online environment

by Sabrina Zhu, Assistant STEM Editor September 1, 2020

Upper school students conducted science research during the summer despite new challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though several popular research programs like the California State Summer School...

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