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

Nestled in the far corner of Cupertino Main Street Plaza, SomiSomi sells taiyaki, a Japanese fish shaped waffle with a red bean filling. However, SomiSomi blends American and Japanese desserts, offering a wider range of taiyaki fillings, including Nutella, custard or red bean, along with soft serve ice cream. 

Sweet treats to eat: the influence of Asian desserts

by Arely Sun and Emily Tan August 28, 2019

The Bay Area is a hub of immigrants, leading to a fusion of cultures in every aspect of life. One noticeable example of this “melting-pot” is the popularity of Asian desserts among people of all backgrounds....

Vijay Vyas and Deven Parikh (10) sing during their performance of “Un Poco Loco” at Spanish Cultural Night.

Language clubs honor international cultures

by Alysa Suleiman, Jessie Wang, and Irene Yuan April 26, 2019

Ni hao. Konnichiwa. Salve. Bonjour. Hola. You’ve heard of them before: Junior Classical League and the four Language National Honor Societies. Each of these organizations are extremely populated...

5 mothers sit at the table, sporting cultural garb and sitting behind plates symbolizing their native cultures. From left to right, the cultures represented are Chinese, Indian, Persian, Peruvian, and African American.

Embracing our mother culture

by Lucy Ge, Sriya Batchu, and Esha Gohil February 22, 2019

Peking duck wrapped in pancake. Shirin polo. Gulab jamun. Whether it’s crispy, sweet, fried, or cheesy, food can be found in family traditions and history of cultures all around the world. For April...

7th and 8th graders from Harkers middle school pose for a photo with their foreign exchange buddies from Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy while sightseeing in San Francisco.

Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy exchange students visit Harker

by Arushi Saxena, Global Editor January 25, 2019

A group of 18 students from one of Harker's sister schools, the Shanghai World Foreign Language Academy, arrived in the United States on Saturday morning. After arriving, students and their three chaperones...

Indian Wedding: A Fusion of Families

Indian Wedding: A Fusion of Families

by Saloni Shah, Lifestyle Columnist and Assistant Humans of Harker Editor January 23, 2019

From “Crazy Rich Asians” to Instagram posts about the extravagant wedding of the Indian industrialist Ambani and the lavish weddings of Bollywood celebrities like Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra,...

Gesturing with her hands, computer science teacher Anu Datar shows an Indian dance move. “I feel that dance actually makes me a better teacher because when I go to my dance teacher, and she teaches me something really complicated, I realize that it takes a while to master something,” Datar said. “So I think I developed empathy toward students who were struggling with things in class because I myself experience that when I go dance.”

Meet Your Teacher: Computer science teacher embraces the culture of Indian dance

by Anna Vazhaeparambil and Catherine Feng October 17, 2018

Cheers erupt from the crowd at the NrityaGuru Annual Show as the curtains slowly open, revealing 11 dancers clad in brightly colored salwar kameezes, which are traditional Indian garments that consist...

“I like being able to communicate. I like having it when people understand me better in their native language. I dont know how to explain that, Hazal Gurcan (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Hazal Gurcan learns languages to communicate with others

by Zachary Hoffman, Multimedia Editor December 19, 2016

Onstage, underneath lights and in costume, Hazal Gurcan uses dance and the movement of her body to impart emotion to her audience. Offstage, she utilizes languages to connect with others. “I really...

Japanese [culture] has more levels of formality, there’s more intricacy to it… There’s a difference between your boss and your teacher, or a teacher you know well. Here [in America], you can just have a conversation with anyone you find at the bus stop. No one’s going to think you’re weird for it; you’re having a conversation. It would be significantly weirder in Japan, Annabella Armstrong (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Annabella Armstrong draws cultural awareness from her passion for languages

by Mahika Halepete, Reporter December 11, 2016

There's bilingual, trilingual, quadrilingual—and then there's Annabella Armstrong (12). She started learning Japanese in middle school and since then, she has added French, Latin, Italian and American...

The benefits of being bilingual

The benefits of being bilingual

by Nina Gee, Reporter December 3, 2016

Speaking more than one language has its social benefits, including broader communication and better understanding of a country’s culture. Often times, people who speak a foreign language find it...

A common occurrence, here cables are being used to steal electricity by those who cannot afford it. Many people in these regions are deprived of infrastructure and basic necessities, all amidst pockets of affluence.

The Middle East: A Muslim perspective

by Shay Lari-Hosain, Winged Post Design Editor September 4, 2014

During my travels, I discovered firsthand how media reports can widely circulate inaccuracies, sometimes with unfavorable consequences. In July of 2011, shortly after bin Laden was assassinated, I happened...

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