Skip to Main Content
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

Harker Dance Company co-captain Serena Lau (11) stretches her muscles out in a lunge position. "Stretching and getting the muscles loosened up is really important for your full body range," Serena said. (Illustration by Eva Cheng, Photo by Tiffany Zhu)

Stressing the stretch

by Wenjie Zou and Caden Ruan January 14, 2025

After a tough practice, athletes often feel proud, knowing they dominated the intensity of the workout. But by the following practice, muscle soreness and stiffness set in, making it hard to maintain the...

Many young athletes battle body dysmorphia, driven by a variety of social and athletic pressures. From dance's strict emphasis on perfect alignment to the double-edged use of "weight classes" in sports like wrestling, body image issues manifest themselves in across a variety of athletic disciplines.

Body dysmorphia pervades athletics

by Eva Cheng and Katerina Matta March 8, 2024

Trigger warning for discussion of body image and dysmorphia.  “Did you eat a watermelon today?”  An anonymous dancer recalled hearing the insensitive comment from a teacher at her studio,...

Imogene Leneham (12) poses on Davis Field with gold pom-poms. As captain of Harker's cheerleading team this year, Imogene is in charge of choreographing sections of new routines and teaching them to her fellow cheerleaders.

Apex: Cheerleader defines grit of sport through commitment

by Julie Shi, Reporter December 4, 2021

Upbeat music pumps through the air as Imogene Leneham (12), captain of Harker’s varsity cheerleading team, performs with her cheer members at Harker’s 2021 Spirit Rally. Imogene leaps into the air...

Load More Stories