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

Middle school dance team High Voltage performs to a remix of Wham!s Last Christmas. A total of seven groups from Harker performed at Spirit of the Row.

Harker performing arts groups shine bright at ‘Spirit of the Row’ celebration

by Ariana Goetting, Alison Yang, and Gabe Sachse December 31, 2023

Lights strewn across the Santana Row Christmas tree bathe spectators’ faces. Murmuring in anticipation, the crowd surrounds the stage as two students clad in sparkling gold dresses and black scarves...

Conservatory representatives Luke Mehta (12), Jason Shim (11), Sam Parupudi (11), Shareen Chahal (12) and Iris Cai (11) present upcoming holiday shows. The shows include Big Assembly Day (BAD), Santana Row tree lighting and Downbeats home show.

School meeting 11/27/23: Transgender Day of Remembrance, Holiday Performances, Robotics Competition

by Janam Chahal, Reporter November 30, 2023

Associated Student Body President Daniel Lin (12) welcomed students to the first school meeting after Thanksgiving break on Monday. Daniel requested that students disconnect from their phones and remain...

Downbeat performers pose for a photo at the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) on March 10. Downbeat placed fourth in the quarter finals against seven other a cappella groups from California.

Downbeat places fourth at ICHSA quarter finals

by Young Min and Alison Yang March 20, 2023

Harker’s show choir, Downbeat, placed fourth in the quarter finals of the International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) on March 10 at John Burroughs High School, competing against seven...

Performers unveil work in the arts during Student Directed Showcase productions

by Sidak Sanghari, Hima Thota, Alison Yang, and Sally Zhu January 18, 2023

A misshapen blob of students, dressed in costumes ranging from floral shirts to ski boots to construction vests, gather onstage. Wrapping their arms around each other, they squat down, heads bowed in anticipation....

Performers gather on stage to close out the Big Assembly Day show. Upper school students watched Harker’s annual holiday concert Big Assembly Day (BAD) on Dec. 9, where ensembles from the lower, middle and upper schools performed various acts across all campuses.

Annual Big Assembly Day performing arts concert kindles festive spirit at all campuses

by Alison Yang, Vika Gautham, and Alena Suleiman December 23, 2022

As the audience settles into the plush velvet of the Patil Theater seats, the orchestra crowded on stage awaits eagerly. A sea of middle and high school students — some in glittering gold dresses, others...

Downbeat members Alan Jiang (12) and Shareen Chahal (11) pose as they perform “Deck the Halls.  Upper school groups Harker Dance Company, Kinetic Krew and Downbeat as well as several middle school groups performed at Santana Rows Spirit of the Row on Dec. 6.

Harker performing arts groups light up night at ‘Spirit of The Row’

by Alison Yang and Alena Suleiman December 14, 2022

Though the chill of the night intensifies, the crowd packed tightly around the small stage only continues to grow. Small ornaments and string lights strewn across the set highlight the massive tree in...

Cantilenans Ananya Das (10), Miki Mitarai (11) and Lucy Feng (12) sing National Weather Report in winter clothing. Cantilena closed the concert with this song to remind the audience about the warm winters in California.

Choir groups bring audiences around the world in ‘Music from the Eastern Hemisphere’

by Shiv Deokar and Yifan Li December 3, 2022

Harker’s Bel Canto, Camerata and Cantilena along with debuting groups, Dolce Voce and Rhapsody performed in the show ‘Music from the Eastern Hemisphere’ on Nov. 10 in the Patil Theater. The concert...

Harker Journalism strategic introduce themselves at Tuesdays school meeting. This years first school meeting included presentations by Model UN, Conservatory, HarkerDev, journalism and athletics.

School meeting recap 8/23/22: First week of school, performing arts and fall sports updates

by Shareen Chahal and Claire Zhao August 26, 2022

Associated Student Body (ASB) President Kris Estrada (12) began the first school meeting of the 2022-23 school year on Tuesday.  Model UN Secretary Generals Mir Bahri (12) and Krish Maniar (12) performed...

Upper school composer Paul Woodruff sits at the piano, playing notes of a song. Woodruff joined Harker 12 years ago, and has since been composing for music for upper school musical groups.

Composing cadence: Upper school melodist writes music through time

by Vika Gautham, Shareen Chahal, and Olivia Xu May 30, 2022

Euphonic voices fill the air with joyful tunes as upper school composer Paul Woodruff sits at the piano, observing the students implementing his modified arrangement of the classic, “Walking on Sunshine.”...

Certificate seniors Sujith Pakala, Irene Yuan, Teresa Cai, Malar Bala, Richie Amarillas and Ysabel Chen pose with their certificates after Senior Showcase. Friday’s Senior Showcase and Hammies Ceremony recognized this year’s 17 graduating Certificate students as well as other Conservatory members.

Senior performing arts students conclude year at upper school with final showcases and awards

by Aryana Bharali, Kevin Zhang, and Sally Zhu May 22, 2022

Dancers, actors, instrumentalists, vocalists, tech crew, students from all aspects of the performing arts line up on stage, their smiles bright and wide as the stage lights shine down on them. They hold...

This article tells the stories of students personal experiences relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, including its impacts in sports, music and health. Solitude became our reality from March of 2020 to June of 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic continued on, and more social connection has emerged out of the return to in-person learning this school year.

‘A reality check’: Students share their personal stories with COVID-19

by Sarah Mohammed and Isha Moorjani March 31, 2022

Small rectangular boxes fill the computer screen, each one carrying a familiar face, a friend or a teacher. The Zoom page serves as the only window to “normal” life. A day at the upper school, once...

Anoushka Khatri (12) and Samvita Gautham (11) rehearse on Feb. 4 in the Patil Theater for the Spring Musical. This years Spring Musical will be The Drowsy Chaperone, performed yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Upcoming upper school performances

by Kinnera Mulam, Alena Suleiman, and Sally Zhu March 25, 2022

Spring Musical: “The Drowsy Chaperone”  March 24-26 This year’s Spring Musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” will take place today and tomorrow at 7 p.m. and a 2 p.m. show tomorrow in the Patil...

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