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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

“I feel like volunteering is always important. I know Harker has the volunteering requirements, but honestly if they didn’t have that, I would still be volunteering because it’s just helping your community, which is something I’m passionate about. I want to work in the medical field when I’m older, which is also helping people, and I just feel like they fit together well,” Sophie Durn (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Always there for you

by Isha Moorjani, Winged Post Asst. News Editor November 2, 2020

A light splash of water echoes as Sophie Durn (12) dives into the crystal clear water, clearing her mind and drowning out people’s cheers from above. A myriad of tiny bubbles follow her hands as she...

“I really want to get to a point where I can tell other people stories and even my own [story]. I really want to provide good, realistic stories about real people and good representation in kids' shows. I really want to get that satisfaction of creating a story and seeing it come to fruition and putting it out there for the rest of the world to see and making other people happy and feel represented,” Elliot Kampmeier (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Making his mark

by Emily Tan, Winged Post Features Editor October 30, 2020

Gazing intently down at the neon inks covering a page in his sketchbook, Elliot Kampmeier (12) lays down another layer of vibrant color, giving his study further depth and dimension. The bright contents...

“In London, separated from everybody I [know], I had [this] detachment which made me stop and think about who I wanted to be. [Since the trip], I've let that keep going and define what I do. Everything I do is a choice; it's about the person that I want to be,” Nilisha Baid (12) said.

Humans of Harker: The road ahead

by Anoushka Buch, TALON Co-Editor-in-Chief October 29, 2020

The aroma of a fresh-pressed Norwegian waffle drizzled with strawberry jam and brunost wafting past the entrance of a popular London café. A drive through Silver Creek at dusk with the windows down, Halsey’s...

“I’m always glad to see people using their talents, their abilities to help others … not to fulfill a graduation requirement, but for the sake of helping. If people saw that both big and small steps can work wonders for the world, the community or even just a friend, we’d be in a better place,” Elizabeth Chen (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Always in heart, never apart

by Katie Wang, TALON Asst. Photo Editor October 28, 2020

In a voice call, Elizabeth Chen (12) and her friends settle down as she clicks the button to queue up another round of social distanced, online One Night Ultimate Werewolf. The cool, muted colors of Elizabeth’s...

“There was this point in sophomore year during Mr. Hurshman's poker tournament, where he asked us about [the point] of school — [it’s] to learn — not about any numbers or anything else. And it just resonated with me. That's what I want to do. I want to learn … [Go] into classes with the mentality to really learn, no matter what grade you get, you'll come out a better person in life,” Kishan Sood (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Parries and counterattacks

by Kushal Shah, Sports Columnist and Podcaster October 27, 2020

“En Garde! Prêts? Allez!” With those four words, the contest of survival begins. On an elevated stage, two fighters, both garbed in silver and white outfits and armed with foils, tense for a split...

“I really like this basic Tumblr quote, it’s called, ‘Reach for the moon, and if you miss, you'll land among the stars.’ The way I interpret that is … to set unachievable goals. So I'll try and reach that unachievable goal, and if I make it, that's awesome … but if I don't, I've still achieved a lot,” Elizabeth Fields (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Striving to serve

by Lavanya Subramanian, TALON Organizations Editor October 23, 2020

A field of grass that goes on seemingly forever. Hundreds of different species of plants. Only a few other people in sight. Elizabeth Fields (12) spends a significant amount of time in places like these,...

“It’s such a big world. Why don't you want to learn everything about it? There's so much in everything, and I just want to learn as much as I can for learning's sake. There’s wonder and excitement at seeing all these new things in the world that I didn't know about, and [I feel] really overjoyed that I get to learn about them,” Tessa Muhle (12) said. 

Humans of Harker: Discovering the world

by Sally Zhu, Humans of Harker Profiler October 22, 2020

Think about all the places you’ve traveled to in your lifetime. Does that list include England and India, Spain and Belgium, Panama and Austria? Tessa Muhle’s (12) list certainly does, and it doesn’t...

“I only have one year left [at Harker], and I really want to take advantage of it. I know every single person has their unique story [and that] every single person is special in their own way, so I want to get to know everyone. In 20 years, I may not remember everyone, but whether it's someone I know well or not, just going to talk to them, having a quick laugh in between classes, those small moments are what I know I will carry on with me,” Bryan Zhang (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Leading by connection

by Aditya Singhvi, Co-Managing Editor October 21, 2020

“I’m 6-foot-2 and scared of Disney movies.” When he needs a fun fact to introduce himself — whether to a crop of excited mentees at DECA launch, with his Link Crew advisory playing two truths...

“I like making … art that moves people and makes them think a little bit more. My AP [Studio] Art focus was on my experience with anxiety, so I turned that into understanding how a person feels or how I felt personally with anxiety, like chaos. I replicated that in my artwork, and it was a nice escape for me to understand what I was feeling,” Arya Tandon (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Artistic expression

by Nilisha Baid, TALON Business Manager October 20, 2020

Golden sunlight illuminates Arya Tandon’s (12) face as she sits at Vasona Park and outlines a brain in her sketchbook. A pen in hand, she adds minute details to her piece, concentrating on the page in...

“Everyone is a unique individual person, and you can't shift someone else into another person's mold. That just won't work. If you do, you'll feel even more unfulfilled. And then you'll feel sadder because you're not living up to be that other person,” Ajay Madala (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Finding purpose through filmmaking

by Sabrina Zhu, Asst. STEM Editor October 19, 2020

A young third grader sits eagerly on a couch beside his mother, staring at the TV in front of him. Dressed in an all yellow suit, a woman appears on the screen, and she grips tightly to a long, metallic...

“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.

Humans of Harker: Learning to fall

by Jin Tuan, Aditya Singhvi, and Saloni Shah July 23, 2020

The sun begins its descent behind the mountains at Rancho San Antonio as Anya Gert (‘20) fiddles with a leaf. A lanyard with her car keys swings from her pocket, jostled as she takes in the different...

“You just have to go for it. You think, 'In the future, if I think back and regret it, is that how I want to end up — or would I rather just try something and see what happens?' Usually, it turns out well,” Montek Kalsi (’20) said. 

Humans of Harker: All fun and games

by Jin Tuan and Aditya Singhvi July 1, 2020

As music blares in the parking lot after school, a flurry of cards sprays into the air and scatters all over the shining roof of the jet black Mazda6 as Montek Kalsi ('20) — clad in an olive sweatshirt...

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