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

“Something that inspired me is every time I lost in a debate tournament. While I do love when I do well, reflecting back on the past and seeing the hard work Ive put in has pushed me to realize how important it is to reflect on your past, Aaditya Gulati (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Eagle in flight

by Ariana Goetting, Reporter January 24, 2022

As Aaditya Gulati (12) reminisces about his first-ever football game in late August of his senior year, a smile spreads across his face, his eyes glistening and his head held high. Having scored both the...

Instead of trying to cling on to my routine during the pandemic, I was like, ‘I cant live like this for the rest of my life.’ Thats when I started to try and change things a little bit, [and] that made me proud of myself: being able to recognize that and [change] my mindset, Emma Cabral-Gurleroglu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: A change of pace

by Olivia Xu, Reporter January 21, 2022

Most freshmen and sophomores are sound asleep at 5 a.m., but when Emma Cabral-Gurleroglu (12) was a sophomore, she would be wide awake, arriving at City Team, a homeless shelter in San Jose, in the early...

“The most satisfying part of playing piano is when I’m working on a really difficult passage for a long time, and then, for the very first time, I can play it through without stopping or mistakes. Even though the process of getting there can be really frustrating, at that one moment, it feels like everything before was worth it, Yvan Grinspan (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Keys to compassion

by Lakshmi Mulgund, TALON Social Media and Co-Sports Editor January 21, 2022

As he sits down on the piano seat, Yvan Grinspan’s (12) fingers hesitate for a second before resting on the keys. He waits a few seconds before he lets his fingers sink into each key. Yvan’s smile...

[Painting] makes you feel like youre the only person in the world. The idea that I could do it for fun for myself has been the reason I like getting into it. [It’s] the idea of independence and doing things that you want to do. If you cant come up with a reason for [your decisions], then you should reevaluate how youve been living your life, Jackie Hu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Reshaping escape

by Smrithi Sambamurthy, TALON People Editor January 19, 2022

Jackie Hu (12) reflects on fond memories of Saturdays spent at the library as a kid. Surrounded by the vibrant covers of the Geronimo Stilton and Rainbow Magic series, Jackie immersed herself in the endless...

“Do what you want to do and explore what you want to explore. Don’t feel the pressure to fit others expectations. If you have an interest in something, pursue it. You don’t need anybody to teach you how to do it. Go after it yourself,” Kaden Kapadia (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Pedal to the metal

by Muthu Panchanatham, Opinions Editor January 18, 2022

A pink glow blankets the horizon, filling the blue sky with a lively glow. As the shimmering sun sinks below the clouds, a figure emerges from below, gliding effortlessly onto the precipice overlooking...

“I remember being interested and attracted to the idea that I could create something that I didnt see anywhere else. I didnt see anything [that] made adoption easier for the people who are trying to adopt, so that was the idea I was going forward [with] and that I wanted to develop [with Lucky Paw], Ysabel Chen (12) said.

Humans of Harker: A dog’s best friend

by Lavanya Subramanian, TALON Student Life Editor January 15, 2022

Shaking a bowl of treats in her right hand, Ysabel Chen (12) beckons her dogs, Blaze, Tommy and Almond, across her backyard. Immediately, three blurs of white fur rush towards her, eagerly jumping on her...

I want to be remembered as someone in the community who is willing to talk with everybody, someone who connects with the underclassmen. Especially at cross country, I’ve made lots of friends, [from] freshman to seniors, and it was really awesome. I want to be remembered as someone who is open to everybody and is friends with everybody, Aidan Lincke (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Crossroads and connections

by Alena Suleiman, Reporter January 13, 2022

Gripping the edge of his frisbee, Aidan Lincke (12) bends his knees at a slight angle and curls his wrist inwards, preparing to throw the plastic disk. The moment he lets go, the frisbee soars into the...

“Something I try to think about whenever I do things is helping other people. It might seem cliche, but I’ve realized that everything I’ve been really passionate about revolves around helping others.”

Humans of Harker: Growth of a star

by Katie Reed, Reporter January 13, 2022

Thresia Vazhaeparambil (12) perches on a gnarled tree in her backyard, a peaceful expression adorning her face. A sweet-scented garden of vegetables, flowers and various shrubbery surrounds her — a subtle...

“The way I choreograph tends to be listening to music a whole lot, and not even necessarily dancing to it, just listening to music, knowing the music. Then, its freestyling and whatnot, and freestyling is where most of the creativity comes out, Brandon said.

Humans of Harker: Free flow

by Julie Shi, Reporter January 11, 2022

"Roses" by The Chainsmokers blasts through loudspeakers on the makeshift stage in the quad as Brandon Park (12) and his dance partner Kai Due (12) perform their self-choreographed hip hop piece for Harker’s...

Sometimes I feel like its inevitable for everyone to think in some way theyre inferior to everyone else, but for me, success is more like being satisfied with what Ive done and what I have accomplished to get to where I am at that moment and overall being happy and joyful. I dont know when that time will come, but when it does, I feel like I’ll know that Ive achieved some kind of success, Emily Zhou (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Wisdom in WiSTEM

by Angelina Hu, Reporter January 10, 2022

Gesturing with her hands, Emily Zhou’s (12) eyes light up as she raves about the boundless beauties and mysteries of outer space with animated passion. Occasionally studying something in the distance...

“[Investing] allows me to think a lot more through my decisions, and its given me a lot of restraint in decision making. [In investing,] you cant be too emotional about your decisions: you have to look through things very analytically. That transfers to my everyday life, where I try to think things through very thoroughly,” Ethan Huang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Investing towards more

by Emma Gao, Reporter January 8, 2022

For many high school students, the daunting and complex finance world of stocks and investments seems light years away, an issue to tackle as adults. But Ethan Huang (12) has immersed himself in this world...

“In football, every single play youve got to run full speed, you’re hitting guys, you’re making a play on the ball, all sorts of stuff is going on. It’s pretty crazy. It’s pretty fun, Adheet Ganesh (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Tackling the game with tenacity

by Julie Shi, Reporter January 6, 2022

The crowd in the bleachers holds in a collective breath of excitement and anticipation as Adheet Ganesh (12), co-captain of the varsity football team, races towards the end zone, football soaring through...

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