The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
“I find value in what I do because it makes people feel happy when they see us perform. It makes them feel encouraged. It brings spirit to people, and it brings our team together in the community. Dance — it's a community thing, not just moving," senior Zachary Soraire said.
Humans of Harker: Dancing in the spotlight
Humans of Harker: Crossing the finish line
Humans of Harker: Crossing the finish line
“I want to be known as someone that’s able to do my own thing, so goal-determined that I don’t let the failures stop me: someone who can take the situation and turn around to look at it from an optimistic view. I’ll just keep getting back up again and again and again," senior Rushil Jaiswal said.
Humans of Harker: Going the extra mile
“A lot of team members at Addax Games had more experience than me, so there is a lot of stuff that I don’t know as well as they do about those games. In general that would be bad, but when it comes to playtesting, that can be quite useful because not everyone who plays the game will be super experienced with board games," senior Saahil Herrero said.
Humans of Harker: Player to playtester
Humans of Harker: Charging through challenges
Humans of Harker: Charging through challenges
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
“A photograph an artist takes and their vision of it can be completely different from when a reader sees it. It may not always turn out as what the artist intends. But that's just art: it's one's own subjective experience,” Shalini Rohra (12) said.

Humans of Harker: An open ear and an open heart

by Arely Sun, Winged Post Lifestyle Editor and Social Media Editor • December 8, 2020

The legend of Perseus, the son of Zeus who slayed Medusa. Athena and Poseidon's contest for Athens. Those were some of Shalini Rohra’s (20) favorite Greek and Roman myths as a child. Gaze tilted down...

“I’ve had a lot of experiences that have shaped me as a person, and I’ve always wanted to provide that for younger kids. If you experience all these things and think ‘Ok, that’s it. I got to do all these things, but they’re done now,’ the cycle stops. If you decide you’re just going to keep taking and not give anything back, who’s going to provide that for the next round of kids?” Aria Wong (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Paying it forward

by Arushi Saxena, Co-Managing Editor • December 4, 2020

Both on and off the soccer field, Aria Wong (12) is a powerhouse. Whether it’s boosting morale in the locker room, directing her team on the field or helping organize the immensely popular ‘Kicks Against...

“I’ve played many things, from an old lady to a little boy, [and] oftentimes, I [play] characters that are humorous or a little bit strange. You have to really be able to convey this emotion that's very personal a lot of the time ... It was a really interesting experience, just to be able to explore those emotions in a way that I hadn't really been able to before,” Maya Franz (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Sliding into the spotlight

by Erica Cai, Humans of Harker Co-Managing Editor • December 3, 2020

A cherry-red plunger balanced precariously atop her head, Maya Franz (12) carefully lowers her hands before striking a jazz pose and flashing a bright smile. The bathroom accessory — memorabilia from...

“All the stories present, in a way, different views of the world. And to some extent, they're all true. They're all just looking at different parts of life and the world. I think for most of my life, [reading stories] has been a way to explore the world and explore things that I otherwise would never know about,” Pascal Han (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Learning the universe through color and dimension

by Sarah Mohammed, Asst. Features Editor • December 2, 2020

Holding a sharpened charcoal pencil in their loose fist that rests on a clean piece of paper, Pascal Han (12) stares into the distance, lips pursed, as they begin to outline in their mind a sketch of fan...

“I came into water polo not knowing anything, and this is part of why I’m so grateful to my team. I’m able to serve as a role model not necessarily because of how good I am, but just because of character … and I’m able to give an example to my teammates where I can be a role model on how to improve,” James Pflaging (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Driven dedication

by Carter Chadwick, TALON Co-Sports Editor • December 1, 2020

With the cool breeze greeting the players stepping out of the pool after the intense water polo game, James Pflaging (12) already begins to take mental notes in preparation for the next game. In order...

“The way I see myself and [what] I pride myself [in] is not be[ing] subjected to one group of friends. Now, it’s tougher to do so online, but I still have another semester. I just want to end on a good note with everyone, and I don’t want to hold grudges or any regrets,” Anmol Velagapudi (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Time well spent

by Alysa Suleiman, A&E Editor • November 20, 2020

He’s the quiet kid, modest and a good listener. But he knows everyone in the grade, and everyone knows him.  The considerable shift from middle school to high school brings with it considerable changes,...

“The longer I’ve been running, the more I love it. I feel like it’s taught me so many life lessons, and it’s always pushing me to be my best on and off the field. I do it everyday because I like it so much, but on top of that, you can be so much more. I’m still a student and everything, and [I have] a normal life,” Anna Weirich (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Step by step

by Anika Mani, TALON Co-Student Life Editor • November 18, 2020

A school of clouds sprinkle across the sky, creating a layer of fog just thin enough to reveal the entire San Francisco Bay. Birds chirp quietly, and the dry grass sways gently in the warm afternoon wind....

“I’m not a very outgoing person, so music is a way for me to speak out in a different way — through music instead of words. I think it’s a way for me to conquer my shyness. Although I’m not the most confident in my playing skill, compared to speaking, music has been a mouthpiece for me to convey my own thoughts,” Varun Mangla (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Conquering through humility

by Nicholas Wei, Humans of Harker Profiler • November 17, 2020

Standing with his feet spaced evenly apart, his lips pressed gently against the mouthpiece of his trombone, Varun Mangla (12) gazes thoughtfully before beginning to play. Powerful, soulful notes emanate...

“[I've always had] a fear of not doing well [which was influenced by] the definition of the stereotype that we hold at Harker. It's something I grew out of by senior year ... I realized [that] we're all just in this together and what happens in our lives happens. It's all about how I choose to present myself. It's not about what other people may think,” Julia Yusupov (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Reimagine the possibilities

by Ritika Rajamani, TALON Academics Editor • November 13, 2020

Resting on the hill near her house in her newly thrifted clothes, Julia Yusupov (12) stares out into the distance, the view calming her. Smiling, she lets go of all the worries in her head, preparing herself...

“I really love photography, especially wildlife photography ... [Recently,] I haven’t been able to get outside as much, but it was just fun to create last year. In my sophomore year, I did something related to photography and robotics — I led media and created the videos. That was a lot of fun and that’s what drew me into videography and photography,” Arthur Jakobsson (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Amicable and dependable

by Tiffany Chang, TALON Conservatory Editor • November 12, 2020

Nearly all Harker students have the Harker Bell Schedule bookmarked on their browsers, but do you know who helped develop the website? Arthur Jakobsson (12) has dedicated hours of his time to perfect this...

“I used to live in New Jersey for the first ten years of my life, then I moved to California, so I had three different schools ever since coming to California. But my swim team … was like my second family. I knew everybody on the team for a long time. Even newcomers who came to the team later: they were embraced really quickly and [the] bond we had — it was pretty strong,” Matthew Chung (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Timed strokes

by Irene Yuan, Multimedia Editor • November 6, 2020

Wearing a pair of blue goggles, Matthew Chung (12) raises himself out of the water with ease. Smoothly dipping in and out of the water, he betrays no sign that the temperature of the water is different...

“I find it to be a lot better when you discover something [yourself] … rather than trying to do everything in a really shallow way. Having that interest in whatever you like to do can help you generate better ideas and have better experiences … especially when you’re passionate about something, rather than trying to follow either other people or what is common," Bowen Yin (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Self-discovery to success

by Mark Hu, STEM Editor • November 5, 2020

Sitting at a plain, wooden table in the corner of the bustling upper school library and surrounded by high schoolers scrunched over their laptops, Bowen Yin (12) types away on his computer, adding in the...

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