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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

"My favorite thing is being able to immerse yourself in [dance]. It's one thing where you can really see improvement if you put in the practice, and if you don't put in the practice you won't improve. The ability to sync into repetition and go into the same counts over and over again to see some improvement is really captivating, and always draws me back to it," Zeel Thakkar ('22) said.

Humans of Harker: Connecting with culture

by Vivian Chen and Michelle Wei July 15, 2022

Six months of practice. Eight hours per day. Four hours of performance. Fourteen routines. All of this commitment culminated in Zeel Thakkar’s (‘22) debut performance as a professional dancer. Completing...

“It’s the mind bending things that I’m really passionate about, the things where you're like, ‘I have no idea why this happens, but I want to figure that out.’ It’s a genuine, ‘I don’t get it, but I want to.’ Or perhaps it’s [that] I don’t want to never understand it. I don’t want to have a topic that I don't understand and never understand it," Spencer Cha ('22) said.

Humans of Harker: Mind bender, music maker

by Erica Cai, HoH Editor-in-Chief July 14, 2022

Hit any key on a piano, and a single note will sound, plain and simple. But listen a little harder, and one may hear that same pitch an octave higher. Listen just a little bit closer, and the pitch a fifth...

“I’ve found that economics stretches into every corner of how society works: the institutional level, behavioral level, the rational human being. Like game theory, it’s a really interesting way to analyze the decisions being made on multiple levels, and it also helps me not make impulsive decisions that I would be making otherwise," Catherine He ('22) said.

Humans of Harker: Finding equilibrium

by Emily Tan, Winged Post Co-Editor-in-Chief July 13, 2022

Flipping through this past year’s issue of Equilibrium, the upper school’s economics magazine, Catherine He (‘22) reminisces on the production as the co-Editor-in-Chief, reflecting on the design,...

“As I learned painting more and more, I realized that everything is infinite. The more you look, the more you see, and then you can see life as more beautiful. A favorite quote of mine by Henri Matisse is, ‘There will always be flowers for those who want to see them,’ and that's one important thing painting has taught me, even though it's technically you sitting out this canvas with a brush in your hand," Michelle Liu ('22) said.

Humans of Harker: The art of living

by Emily Tan, Winged Post Co-Editor-in-Chief July 12, 2022

Agnes Martin, Henri Matisse, Carl Jung and Victor Askew. Besides all being prominent figures, whether in the world of art or the field of analytical psychology, they are all connected by something else:...

“I put a purpose to my reading because before it was for pleasure, and right now it still is for pleasure, but intentionally seeking out books that are by minority authors and seeing what they have to say is so special, and you get to see so many different perspectives," Irene Yuan said.

Humans of Harker: Savant of stories

by Arely Sun, Aquila Co-Managing Editor July 12, 2022

When friends describe Irene Yuan ('22), some of the most common adjectives are “organized” and “dependable.” From her color-coded Google Calendar to the scissors, tape and assorted stationery in...

“For me, when it comes to robotics for example, whether it’s about mechanical software, or outside of it, the work I do, and even with app development, I am able to learn so much about problem solving in general. You’re able to apply abstract problem solving techniques anywhere," Arjun Dixit ('22) said.

Humans of Harker: Curiosity cracks the code

by Claire Bauschlicher and Michelle Wei June 28, 2022

Arjun Dixit (‘22) recalls tinkering away at his computer, breathing life into a robot with a tapping of keys. Arjun has fostered a lifelong fascination with electronics and begun to earnestly delve...

“Persistence and flexibility and resilience [are important in robotics]. Being able to take a failure in your prototype, for example, and solve the problems that arise when you encounter them, you need to be able to iterate on that quickly. And it definitely takes a good amount of dedication, because it's so much time and effort," Alex Liou ('22) said.

Humans of Harker: Revolutionizing and reinventing

by Selina Xu, Reporter June 27, 2022

Machinery and mechanical tools cram against walls and pile up on work benches, gleaming under the dim lighting of the robotics lab. In the corner of the room, bright orange, yellow and blue wires form...

“What drives me mostly is the pursuit of doing it well. I don’t like things being done badly, if I can help it. Some of it is just enjoyment, like game development or reading about Rome. I enjoy every moment I spend on it. For other stuff, it’s more of a sense of accomplishment. In baseball and coding, I strive to do the best I can do, because I can," Aaron Lo ('22) said.

Humans of Harker: Innings and innovation

by Selina Xu, Reporter June 27, 2022

Wham! Aaron Lo ('22) recalls one of his most memorable moments playing baseball, during a game he played in middle school: the ball soaring through the air, the players watching in anticipation, his...

“Coming to terms with my multicultural identity has been a journey, and it's definitely shaped me into the person I am today because I want to pay attention to not only my family stories but the stories of those around me. It's important to create this open environment where people not only feel vulnerable enough to share their stories but they're encouraged enough to want to learn about the story of those around them," Andrea Thia ('22) said.

Humans of Harker: Finding family

by Arely Sun, Aquila Co-Managing Editor June 27, 2022

Rows of yellow envelopes and multicolored plastic containers line the surface of a table in a warehouse. Andrea Thia (‘22) inspects the lids and bends down to gently place a purple sticker on each one,...

“There's a fine line in the duality of thought between not thinking too much and constantly thinking. It's always good to have confidence in your own abilities, but being open to everything that people are saying and approaching things with an open mind is great toward not only understanding other people's perspectives but also honing in on my own knowledge," Charles Ding ('22) said.

Humans of Harker: Chicken or egg

by Mark Hu, Winged Post Managing Editor June 25, 2022

A blur of numbers flash by on a lit-up screen. Charles Ding (‘22) rapidly peels a hard-boiled egg, as its shell falls into a trash can below. Huddled around him, a group of friends watches on as one...

“I would worry about what other people thought about me, what my teammates were thinking. I got way too focused on that, so after a while, soccer wasn’t fun for me anymore. [But,] the school team is an environment where you can experiment and be creative with the ball, if you’re willing to take those chances, and I was able to do that," Muthu Panchanatham ('22) said.

Humans of Harker: Scoring and scouting

by Vishnu Kannan, Aquila Co-Managing Editor June 22, 2022

A flash of green darts through the midfield, almost camouflaging with the light green turf on Davis Field. With quick, calculated strides, Muthu Panchanatham (‘22) weaves his way through a swarm of enclosing...

“I've experienced a lot of disappointing moments, but the ratio of good to bad moments is so stark that [it] makes the good moments so good, because they stand out more. Piano has taught me how to go through struggle, how to persevere and that it's okay to not be a perfectionist," Yejin Song ('22) said.

Humans of Harker: Keys to connection

by Olivia Xu and Emma Gao June 16, 2022

Powerful. Passionate. Romantic. Singing melodies that make you feel like you’re soaring, flying with the notes the way a pianist’s fingers fly across a piano’s keys. Tunes that evoke your deepest...

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