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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

Senior Claire Perng examines the cover of her ReCreate Reading book. Sponsored by upper school math department chair Anthony Silk, the vampire-themed novel attracted several students.

Sophomores, juniors and seniors discuss summer ReCreate Reading books

by Ella Guo and Mendy Mao August 29, 2024

Students reunited with their ReCreate Reading groups, ruminating on their books and sharing snacks with friends on Aug. 22 in different classrooms on campus. Sophomores, juniors and seniors chose a summer...

The bottom line is this: students need to like the books they read to nurture their love of reading and procure the best results learning-wise. Administrators who decide each class’ reading list should focus on choosing books that will be popular with students.

School kills love of reading

by Mendy Mao, Co-Features Editor August 29, 2024

I step into my room, glancing at the piles of books littering the floor. Most are assigned reading for English class. A few are books that I’ve selected for myself, untouched and collecting dust. I sit...

Book Corner: Escaping the vacuum

Book Corner: Escaping the vacuum

by Suhani Gupta, Co-A&E/Lifestyle Editor August 18, 2024

Content warning: This article contains mentions of suicide and depression. Botanists often use a glass bell jar to protect samples of delicate plants. These jars serve as vacuums, cutting the samples...

A former English teacher, Vaughan treasures the impact of teachers inside and outside the classroom, citing it as “real magic going on.” She values them as the community's foundation, facilitating student learning and growth. 

Meet your staff: Re-creating reading with passion and vision

by Emma Milner, Ella Yee, and Minal Jalil June 11, 2024

Students flock to classrooms all across campus. But unlike every other school day, they are not stressing about their looming deadlines full of assignments and tests. Instead, a new type of chatter fills...

Poetry offers students a place to express themselves, whether through writing, reading or reciting it. "You can just use words and use the feelings of those words to create a painting," Eric Zhang (11) said.

Poetry empowers student voices

by Suhani Gupta, Co-A&E/Lifestyle Editor April 30, 2024

Adolescence often feels like a struggle. In these turbulent years, teenagers may feel the need to express themselves, to make their voices heard. Poetry is one such mode of expression, allowing for a release...

Moshfegh exposes the emptiness and futility of chasing after superficial pleasures, painting a bleak portrait of a society adrift in a sea of excess. However, her dry wit and razor-sharp observations inject much-needed lightness into an otherwise heavy narrative, making it a surprisingly enjoyable read.

Book Corner: Wake up

by Jessica Wang March 17, 2024

Sometimes, you just want to sleep. The stress of everything around you presses on more and more. Maybe erasing yourself would serve as the easiest form of release from all external pressures. But the world...

A customer at Postman Books buys a book at the cash register. With a large range of books available for purchase, the store prides itself on having something for everyone.

Posman Books attracts Chelsea Market visitors with whimsical trinkets and literature

by Isabella Lo and Jessica Wang March 16, 2024

NEW YORK — Standing directly inside the Highline entrance of Chelsea Market, Posman Books opens its doors to customers. With vibrant walls and matching LED lights, the store offers books and fun...

Trisha Variyar (11) looks at the Recreate Reading book board in Manzanita. Recreate Reading voting opened yesterday for upper school students.

Students vote for Recreate Reading book choice

by Sally Zhu, A&E and Lifestyle Editor March 11, 2022

The annual Recreate Reading registration opened yesterday for students in grades nine to 11 at 9:35 am on Infinite Campus, presenting a selection of 70 books or topics to be read over the summer.  Recreate...

The audiobook edition of “Chain of Gold” by Cassandra Clare borrowed from Sora stands next to the hardcover edition. This novel was the first audiobook I ever listened to, and it introduced me to a new form of consuming media that I had previously shunned due to misconceptions.

Reading audiobooks isn’t cheating

by Irene Yuan, Co-Managing Editor December 14, 2021

Listen to the audio reading of the following article at the link below.  harkeraquila · Listen-ature is valid, reading audiobooks isn’t cheating"DAYS PAST: 1897,” a voice intoned. “Lucie Herondale...

The upper school’s reading aficionados and literary circles have gathered their resources to reinforce the benefits and delights of recreational reading and help everyone realize their own reader within.

Upper school recommends recreational reading, escapism at its finest

by Alysa Suleiman, A&E Editor October 10, 2020

For a split second, a delicate page of leaf-thin paper sits between the pads of my thumb and forefinger, before gently fluttering down like a blossom petal onto the previous page. My fingertips gently...

Delaney Logue's (12) pocket-sized Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein is more than just a book. Although the text is faded and the pages are yellowed from years of use, Red Planet harbors priceless memories from her childhood.

My Pocket-Sized Adventure to Mars

by Delaney Logue, TALON Photo Editor November 8, 2018

Its corners creased and spine bent, my pocket-sized Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein is more than just a book. The cover depicts a tall alien figure carrying Jim Marlowe and his companions through the...

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