The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
At Harker, where the majority of the student body identifies as Asian — East Asian, Southeast Asian, Central Asian, South Asian or Pacific Islander descent or ancestry, casual racism is especially relevant.
Editorial: Casual racism is rebranded racism
Students respond to unsatisfactory spirit results by blaming lack of spirit transparency or biased judging. This mindset can create tension between students and leadership.
Editorial: Rethinking the spirit of spirit
When assignments become more about learning to prompt an AI tool than mastering material, we must ask if they truly help students learn. AI could be beneficial for students who want to review concepts and spot where they have gaps in their understanding, but that purpose needs to stay in students’ minds.
Editorial: Classroom AI integration calls for clearer direction
Because certain teachers favor different teaching methods, students can experience inconsistencies in information reception and engagement between classes.
Editorial: Learning experience should not depend on the teacher
Eventually, we start to drown out the cookie-cutter suggestions that we always hear — sleep more, stop participating in so many extracurriculars, be productive and stay off social media.
Students benefit from intentional scheduling
“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.
Humans of Harker: Laws of life
“Everyone finds meaning in their own life. For me, that meaning comes from my family, my music and helping others. Doing music is not just something to win competitions or to look good on my college applications. It’s just an amazing tool in general for servicing others,” George Yang ('26) said.
Humans of Harker: Value in violin
“Community and connecting with people are my core values. Whether it's at school with our class or at practice with my teammates, being able to participate in things that allow me to give back to communities that gave me so much is an experience I'm eternally grateful for,” Janam Chahal (’26) said.
Humans of Harker: Swimming with spirit
“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.
Humans of Harker: Persistence in play
“The main legacy I hope to leave at Harker is to inspire the next generation of performers and to inspire other dual STEM and theater kids who want to do both to a really high level. It's not an ‘either or.’ It's not a ‘because you're this, you can't do that’ type of thing,” Daniel Miao ('26) said.
Humans of Harker: Building community through performance
Humans of Harker: Multi-disciplined, multi-dimensional
Humans of Harker: Multi-disciplined, multi-dimensional
Humans of Harker: Continuous and differentiable
Humans of Harker: Continuous and differentiable
Humans of Harker: Power in profiles
Humans of Harker: Power in profiles
Humans of Harker: Widening the aperture
Humans of Harker: Widening the aperture
Humans of Harker: Sharing stories, striking serves
Humans of Harker: Sharing stories, striking serves
Humans of Harker: Cooking with creativity
Humans of Harker: Cooking with creativity
“There's a lot of value in every moment and everyone around you. I appreciate people who just appreciate the little things. For me, I feel like everyone you meet can teach you a little bit, and that's something that I've really internalized over the years. I think that's part of why I like being around people and different communities so much. Because in each of these communities, you can learn so many different things from everyone," Olivia Xu ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Purpose towards progress
“I get to choose how much effort and detail I put in, and that’s what you’re going to see in the end. I love that you can see the truth on paper. A lot of my work is in black and white, so I can’t rely on color to cover it up or make it more interesting — I can only rely on my skill and willingness to go into the studio and add to my piece," Katelyn Zhao ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Envisioning the everyday
"I used to think that I have to keep doing dance just because it's what I’m known for. But now I’ve realized there’s beauty behind all the madness that happens. And it’s now a part of me, so not doing dance or not having Legos is like I’m losing a part of my identity," Luke Mehta ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: Building with style
“Why not? So many things are very foreign or unknown to us, but there’s not much to lose by just trying things. I initially wasn’t very comfortable with DECA, especially with impromptu, but the community really helped me grow out of that. And DECA is now one of my top high school memories. Just giving things a try is really worth it, and if it fails, the worst thing that can happen is you just try something else," Claire Luo ('24) said.
Humans of Harker: It’s all in the details
"Being a lifer, I really want to put my knowledge to use. Being a TEDx speaker is a really big honor in and of itself, but to be able to actually address the Harker community was really important to me because I wanted to have an impact on the place that I've been at for 13 years," Arissa Huda ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Prescribing change
"I’ve learned discipline: practicing a lot and then knowing what your strengths are, knowing where to improve. That discipline is definitely going to stay with me. If I’m trying to get a big piece of work done in general when I'm interested in it, I'll stop at nothing to reach my goals," Linette Hoffman ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Artistry in motion
"I have this philosophy with theater. I wholeheartedly believe that my life was made for the stage, and all my make or break moments have happened there. While some people learn best through lectures or visuals, I learn best from having a spotlight on me," Zubin Khera ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Scripts to success
"One of the most important things for me about performing is its transformative power. There was one concert where we were singing this commission about gun violence, followed by a piece about climate change, a piece about the Holocaust. Watching the audience's expressions and how they reacted to the music we were singing was the first time that I was like, ‘Whoa, music has the power to change lives and engender positive change,’” Sawyer Lai ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Symphony of spirit
"It’s been fun getting to know the chefs at La Mar, their team and how different cultural influences blend together. For example, they make ceviche, which is a traditional Peruvian dish, but they infuse it with many different cultures. They have a version of their ceviche which is inspired by African tastes and spices, and they also have a Japanese form of that same ceviche dish. I think it’s interesting to watch how these fusion dishes form," Alex Lan ('23) said.
Humans of Harker: Flavors of knowledge
Prakrit Jain ('22) searches for new animal species to help the environment and wildlife.
Humans of Harker: Scorpion spotter
Arnav Gupta ('22) moves a DNA construction.
Humans of Harker: Coding for a cause
“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.
Humans of Harker: Blast of creativity
"Every single person I've interviewed for Humans of Harker has said one killer quote that has stuck with me even through four years of high school, and I think I really do internalize those messages. There are nuances in every single person's experience that makes it unique to them and also makes it a good lesson for everyone else. It's just amazing to see how much wisdom every single person at Harker has, and it's fascinating to learn about those stories," Erica Cai ('22) said.
Humans of Harker: Harmony in humanity
“Something I took away from baseball is that there's always the opportunity to bounce back when things don't go particularly right. Even the best hitters only go one for three, so being able to push through that is one of the most important parts of the game. Being able to identify what goes wrong and learning from that is important to being able to find success in the future," Mark Hu ('22) said.
Humans of Harker: The perfect pitch
Humans of Harker: Perseverance on par
Humans of Harker: Perseverance on par
It's been obviously rough, turning on the news and seeing another death, seeing another acquittal every single time … but, ‘How much can I do?’ is the question I'm asking myself. ‘How much can I help, and what impact can I have?’” Brian Pinkston ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: For the future and the present
“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: Leading with DECA-cation
Class of 2021: Humans of Harker compilation, part three
Class of 2021: Humans of Harker compilation, part three
“I feel really good about myself when I'm relaxed and enjoying the world. There’s so much to learn about the world and so many ways to do so," Daniel Wang ('21) said.
Humans of Harker: Mapping the unknown
"I'm the person that always has a plan for everything. And then I have backups for the plan, and I have backups for the backups," Nicole Chen ('19) said.
Humans of Harker: Calendars for a cause
"I don’t ever intend on letting the internal love of life that I have leave me. As I grow up and I maintain my love for the random things I do, I know I’ll be happy– and hopefully people around me will be, as well," Mathew Mammen ('19) said.
Humans of Harker: Jack of all trades, master of fun
Humans of Harker: To dance, to feel
Humans of Harker: To dance, to feel
"The more serious side, people will never see. You'll never see who's behind one of these websites that people may be using," Neil Ramaswamy (12) said. "Several freshmen have approached me like, 'hey, you're the really funny guy at school meeting' and I'm like 'hey, yeah, nice to meet you' and at the same time they might be using an application that I've written not knowing that it's me. I kind of get that personal satisfaction knowing that there is a serious side to me, you just don't know about it."
Humans of Harker: Dueling with duality
Humans of Harker: Humanity in art
Humans of Harker: Humanity in art
“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Neymika Jain finds balance in life
“A lot of the time, when I’m out at nail salons, nailers ask me if I‘m Vietnamese. I say yes, but they say that I don’t speak the language and have never been back to Vietnamese, so am I really? I always felt disconnected, like I would be Vietnamese-American but never Vietnamese. When I went to Vietnam for the first time, it brought me closer to my culture. I realized I shouldn’t view myself as a different. I have to see Vietnamese-American and Vietnamese as one and the same," Haley Tran (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Haley Tran values her cultural identity
“One time, I was hiking up this giant off-trail path, and this is going to make me sound like a complete hippy, but what I was thinking at the moment was that every single tree out there must have had some sort of backstory. Even when I was walking to Shah, there was this tree right next to the building, and I was like, ‘Maybe this tree had a lot of other tree friends, but then this building came up and they had to get cut down.’ That made me pretty sad. So, when I was coming up with backstories for trees, it reminded me of my childlike innocence of playing pretend or playing with my stuffed animals because I thought my imagination would never run as wild as it once did. But, this experience made me feel happy because it’s something that I’ve lost, and I feel like I gained some of it back," Aashish Jain (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Aashish Jain finds inspiration in painting through watching Bob Ross videos
“For me, robotics has always been a great way to learn about how to build things and how things work. Honestly, that is the reason why I love robotics. When you see everything working, you look at it and say 'I helped make this happen,' which is really really gratifying," Andrew Tierno (12) said.
Humans of Harker: Andrew Tierno reflects on his passion for robotics
“A lot of being a choreographer is about digging deep, understanding, and finding out which event leads to the next, which is basically what science is. You would take a circuit and break it apart to understand each of the components, and you would do that to a song,” Sneha Bhetanabhotla (‘17) said.
Humans of Harker: Sneha Bhetanabhotla learns to connect robotics and dance
“I can be serious, and I care a lot about a lot of things, but I also just like having fun and people feeling comfortable being their true selves,” Isabella Spradlin (12) said. “You don't have to be one-sided — you can have different sides of your personality, and different moods.”
Humans of Harker: Isabella Spradlin gleans insight from sisterhood
“This is like a melting pot of Cupertino, Lynbrook, Saratoga, some people from De Anza, so you meet all kinds of people,” Rahul Mehta (12) said. “Half the time I’m not even playing with my friends, so I’m playing with random people. You start off in the beginning a bit wary of each other, and then by end you’re playing like they’re your friends. It’s kind of gradual. Like after a really cool play, you’ll high five each other, and that’s how it all begins.”
Humans of Harker: Rahul Mehta befriends others through banter
"People are always debating, you know, ‘should I go up to a higher weight or not?’ And I’ll just yell, ‘do it, you won’t,’" Tiffany Shou (12) said. "And then, you know, it’s like that challenge, and so it always pushes them pick that higher weight, and then they can accomplish it, so it’s even more gratifying."
Humans of Harker Video: Tiffany Shou pushes her limits in the weight room
“First, I start at my house,” Sparsh Chauhan (12) said. “Then, I turn on Saratoga, and it’s always crowded with traffic and stuff. That’s when I’m setting the music, checking the tire pressure, the gas. After downtown, the road gets smooth, which is when I put the windows down. I go all the way down until there’s a dip and then I go back. Even when I have stuff to do, I drive that same route every day. I don’t have to take directions. I know all the traffic times; I know exactly where I’m going.”
Humans of Harker: Sparsh Chauhan takes pride in his work
“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”
Humans of Harker: Angel Cervantes chases his goals
“[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
“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
“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.
Humans of Harker: Leadership and love
Humans of Harker: Grit and grind
Humans of Harker: Grit and grind
Humans of Harker: Artistic nonconformity
Humans of Harker: Artistic nonconformity
The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
“It doesn't matter if you're not changing the world by writing a single poem. You don't have to advocate for everyone when you write. You can advocate for yourself, you can advocate for your community, you can express on behalf of someone who can't write. That's my biggest goal when I'm writing or whatever I’m doing,” senior Lindsay Li said.

Humans of Harker: Writing with heart

by Hannah Jeon, TALON Editor-in-Chief • May 22, 2026

Senior Lindsay Li leans over her laptop, brows furrowed in concentration as the screen’s glow illuminates her face. Her fingers move in quick bursts, pausing every so often to fix a sentence. A spark...

“Football and musicals are maybe the two most opposite things ever, but I did both of them, and choir at the same time as well. Balancing all of it was a little difficult, but in my mind, it was completely worth it because of how much I enjoyed everything. These activities bring a fun time to people, and they are a way for people to de-stress by enjoying time together,” senior Henry Fradin said.

Humans of Harker: Bacon king balance

by Kanav Gupta, STEM Editor • May 22, 2026

Under the flood lights of Davis Field, senior Henry Fradin pushes forward – not for his usual task of blocking the opposing defensive linemen, but to carry the football into the endzone. A few days...

Humans of Harker: Into the spotlight

Humans of Harker: Into the spotlight

by Isabel Yang, TALON Photo Editor • May 22, 2026

Bubbles swirl around senior Aditya Ramanathan as he paddles toward the reefs at the bottom of the sea floor, but something is not right. On his family's traditional snorkeling trip, not a single fish...

“I always want my passion and my drive to be reflected outward. I don’t want to just follow along with what other people say, but have original ideas to contribute and take that idea all the way to the finish line. I think in the long run, I just want to look back and see all the things that I've actually done and that I've made an impact in the time I've spent here,” senior Audrey Dagum said.

Humans of Harker: Drawn to discovery

by Janam Chahal, Aquila Managing Editor • May 22, 2026

A thinker, creator and advocate, senior Audrey Dagum views the world as one interconnected system of expression and impact. Whether she is reflecting on how her daily choices affect the planet, sketching...

“Everyone probably practices philosophy even if they don't realize it. It's a broad term. Most of the time it's just being able to think about problems that might not have a solid answer like political issues. Even if you're playing a game, that's also partly using philosophy. Philosophy is so universal in how you use it in real life that it's everywhere in my life now,” senior Jaden Fu said.

Humans of Harker: Molding mind into matter

by Nathan Yee, Aquila Managing Editor • May 22, 2026

Socrates, Confucius, Immanuel Kant. When most hear the word “philosophy,” fancy names, lengthy texts and convoluted ideas are the first things that come to mind. Senior Jaden Fu does enjoy his...

“I want to be remembered as somebody who’s kind. Somebody who works to make the world a better place. Those two things are really important to how I view myself and how I want others to view this world,” senior Shreya Vemulapalli said.

Humans of Harker: Leading with compassion

by Alyssa Choi, Reporter • May 19, 2026

A pink tablecloth flutters in the wind. An array of vibrant crochet animals and cancer symbols lay alongside beaded bracelets packaged neatly. Cancer ribbons adorn posters, and leaflets are scattered on...

“I'm a pretty self-motivated person because it would be a real waste not to live up to one's potential. I have a lot of respect for people who can not only transfer knowledge but create it. That's something that I am inspired to do with my work. I am very much drawn to the idea of making a contribution to the world’s knowledge,” senior Farhan Ansari said.

Humans of Harker: History meets heartbeats

by Liana Barooah, Sports Editor • May 19, 2026

The blue glow of a laptop screen illuminates a single open notebook on a desk. A dozen browser tabs stay open in the window, digital links to old primary sources and databases of American history....

“Across everything I do, whether it’s journalism, where I get to hear people’s voices and tell their stories, or soccer, where everyone’s working together toward a common goal, it’s that sense of connection and community that drives everything I pursue. In these environments that push me out of my comfort zone and teach me perseverance, it’s the community aspect that helps me to do the hard things I don’t think I’m capable of, just to prove to myself that I can," senior Eva Cheng said.

Humans of Harker: From field to family

by Lily Shi, Aquila Editor-in-Chief • May 19, 2026

In 9th grade, senior Eva Cheng left the soccer team she’d been a part of for most of her life. After starting the sport at age three and spending years at a small local club where she was among...

“My favorite memories are the games where we know we're not going to win, but we still play our hardest and have fun. There's a lot of other teams that fall apart in those situations and or give up. Our team does a good job of staying in the game, and there's a lot of adrenaline going through everyone, because every game feels like a big deal and then excitement and closeness with the team,” senior Alana Brill said.

Humans of Harker: Making waves

by Charlene Li and Addie Firman • May 19, 2026

A streak of yellow and blue leaves senior Alana Brill’s outstretched arm, slicing through the air before landing in the goal with a splash. Treading water alone at half-court, Alana remains the only...

“With these activities, there's definitely an essence of being willing to try something different, something new and alien. You have to have a certain level of self-confidence, or at least stubbornness, to keep coming back and trying something that initially you’re bad at. Each time, you have to show up knowing you’re going to try to do your job so the overall product benefits,” senior Thomas Ryan said.

Humans of Harker: Tenacity through teamwork

by Cynthia Xie, Aquila Editor-in-Chief • May 19, 2026

“Yes, let’s go!” Senior Thomas Ryan roars as he successfully blocks an incoming hit. All around, from the volleyball court to the sidelines, his teammates celebrate with him. A pulse of excitement...

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