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

“Programming always has an impact — you can do things that you never thought were possible. You dont have to spend your time programming just to look more appealing to some job or college. You can do it because it actually makes the world a better place,” Arjun Barrett (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Solutions through software

by Edward Huang, Co-STEM Editor February 22, 2023

From Spanish conjugation tools to mobile scanner apps to data compression libraries, Arjun Barrett’s (12) coding abilities know no bounds. While the term “code” usually invokes images of hours-long...

“People think philosophy will get you nowhere, but we need to have people who think about the world philosophically. All the people who make change, like politicians and activists, are philosophers too. Whenever people espouse certain ideas about how the world should be, its philosophy. We all intuitively understand it,” Vincent Zhang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Confronting conundrums

by Claire Zhao, Asst. Copy Editor February 22, 2023

When asked about their hobbies, some people think of sports, art or anything in between. But for Vincent Zhang (12), the answer doesn’t stop at swimming and research; in his free time, he also thumbs...

“Staying in the moment, whether that be at practice or in game, and not worrying about what other people think — it helps. Thats one facet of my life that’s going to stay,” Abhi Namala (12) said.

Humans of Harker: The power of presence

by Kairui Sun, Reporter February 21, 2023

Three seconds. Abhi Namala (12) takes a couple of dribbles. Two seconds. He shoots. One second. The ball rattles off the rim as Abhi falls, but the referee’s whistle sounds for a foul. Without...

“My favorite conversations Ive had with people involve us talking about something really vague thats bothering them or thats bothering me, or an argument that’s always vague. I find that the biggest utility I have in that conversation would be making this vague thing on their mind something tangible and understandable for them by articulating it well. I find myself writing about topics that Ive talked about with other people, after listening to what they have to say and the problems that they have, Dyllan Han (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Progress over perfection

by Sidak Sanghari, HoH Profiler February 21, 2023

The hedgehog’s dilemma. Kanye West. YouTube video essays. Karl Marx. To the normal eye, they have nothing in common, but to Dyllan Han (12), they are all connected. He takes each one, fascinating and...

“Singing alone can be isolating, but in a group like Cantilena, sharing experiences with one another is such a comforting feeling. With Cantilena, if you make a mistake, its not a big deal because everyone knows what its like. Having a bunch of like-minded people in one place is such a great experience because you meet a lot of people who are just as passionate about singing as you are,” Anika Pandey (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Pitches and particles

by Gemma Chan, TALON Reporter February 20, 2023

Anika Pandey (12) recalls an end-of-year performance from third grade, standing on stage, as hundreds of parents gazed up at her, eager for her performance to begin. With sweaty hands, clenched fists and...

“Sometimes you just have to sit down with a challenge and face it head on. There are some things that you want to try to avoid, but it will always come back at some point. Sometimes it does feel like youre at your mental limit: youre so tired, its so confusing and you dont understand it. But if you spend the time and sit with it, your mindset will change. Then, something that was completely muddy to you will become clear, and youll figure it out,” Brian Chen (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Adventure and authenticity

by Kevin Zhang, Asst. Sports Editor February 20, 2023

Knees slightly bent and head turned back, Brian Chen (12) waits in anticipation with his fellow runners. He focuses his attention on the growing silhouette of teammate Armaan Thakker (12), which emerges...

“When you strike someone out with the pitch youve been working on for so long, it’s so satisfying. All of your practice pays off, and it’s the best feeling ever,” Katelyn Abellera (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Pitching in to the community

by Grant Yang, TALON Reporter February 20, 2023

It’s Katelyn Abellera’s (12) junior year, and she eagerly prepares to take on her role as team captain of the varsity girls softball team — only to find out their season has been canceled. With just...

“I want to somehow get people to truly care about real world topics outside of the limited hour, two hours that they spend watching something. It’s a lot of work. It takes a lot to just improve. But it’s also wonderful if I can somehow give that out to the world through my art. That would be everything I would ever hope to accomplish,” Alisa Grebin (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Creating for a cause

by Mirabelle Feng, TALON Reporter February 19, 2023

Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved the world of fiction, where creativity and imagination ran amok like wild beasts and birds. One day, the girl discovered a fantasy world built from creativity...

“Scuba diving is a lot of excitement, like being in a giant aquarium, and your senses are also different. Here on Earth, on land, we have a lot of different ways to perceive space and sound, but it’s all very different underwater because the sound gets mixed up. Above water, its a lot easier to distinguish between noises. You can’t tell that apart easily underwater,” Nika Lebedev (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Diving into the depths

by Victor Gong, Asst. STEM Editor February 17, 2023

Corals of pink, green and brown shades dot the sandy seabed, swinging back and forth as fish of all shapes and colors dash in and out of hidden crevices. Hundreds of miniscule air bubbles emerge from the...

“A big challenge that I had to overcome for percussion was becoming less afraid of mistakes. When youre the loudest in the room, every mistake you make is going to be amplified a hundredfold. But in order to play your part, youre going to have to just go for it. That spirit has really developed because of percussion, but has carried over to other areas of my life,” Jacob Huang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Orchestrating community

by Felix Chen, Asst. News Editor February 17, 2023

Staring intently at a small triangle, Jacob Huang (12) strikes it with a metal rod, sending a rich, resonant ring throughout the orchestra room. He wears a look of concentration as a mellifluous rhythm...

“Guitar tells you that you have to gauge your progress against not what youre doing now, but what you tried to do in the past. If you feel like you havent improved at something, or if you feel like youre not getting better at something, you have to gauge yourself against how you used to be and keep an open perspective. That also carries over to life in the sense that you can always check how much youve improved. Chances are, you have improved even if youre not aware of it,” Vikram Mani (12) said.

Humans of Harker: In tune with the mind

by Kevin Zhang, Asst. Sports Editor February 16, 2023

Vikram Mani (12) recalls how the melody of a Frank Sinatra song “My Way” resonated in the atmosphere as he played his guitar, performing for his grandfather’s 80th birthday in front of nearly two...

“I stuck with computer science because it has so many real world applications that other disciplines don’t. You can make so many different inferences about a real world situation like basketball given just a bit of data,” Rishi Cherukuri (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Programming positivity

by Edward Huang, Co-STEM Editor February 16, 2023

For Rishi Cherukuri (12), computer science extends far beyond the tedious grind of coding competitions and idle entertainment. Instead, the subject represents a gateway to meaningful insights, an opportunity...

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