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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

“[Archery and trumpet] have made me more open because I used to be pretty shy, and I’m still kind of shy, but it’s encouraged me to express myself in different ways and start opening up. I’ve met a lot more people than I would have, especially through the friends I have made through archery; a lot of them I wouldn’t really have known if I didn’t do the sport [since] we don’t have that much in common otherwise,” Lila Gorman (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Bullseye

by Erica Cai, Humans of Harker Profiler January 21, 2020

Ten concentric circles. Three slender arrows. One determined face.  Dressed in a red and black jersey, Lila Gorman (12) swiftly hooks an arrow onto her metallic blue bow. Her eyes focus on the foam...

“Over the years, I’ve learned how to manage my time more … and take advantage of teachers’ help, which has actually been really useful. But [I] learn[ed] that it's okay to not be great at everything and it's okay to ask for help when you need [it],” Sofie Kassaras (12) said.

Humans of Harker: An intricate story

by Rachel Ning and Lavanya Subramanian January 21, 2020

Brows knitted together with intensity as she moves her pen from line to line, a growing smile forms on Sofie Kassaras’s (12) face as she writes on her slightly worn notebook covered with different lines...

“I’m not like one of those people who has a core set of values or tenets of who I am. I feel like I just do what I do, and I am who I am in the moment. I don’t adhere to anything,” Jai Bahri (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Quirks and all

by Erica Cai, Humans of Harker Profiler January 17, 2020

Leaning against a wooden bench, he fiddles with the rubber band on his wrist, stretching it and letting it snap back as he ponders his answer to the question. An upperclassman passes by and calls out to...

“[My motto is to] embrace what comes to you … I was so terrified of embarrassing myself that I never put myself out there for most of high school. It wasn’t until last year until I was like, 'Maybe you should just let go.' I embrace all things that come to me: good things and bad things, because they’ll pass, and I can get through them,” Riva Saksena (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Acting with confidence

by Isha Moorjani and Sally Zhu January 15, 2020

Face animated and eyes bright with energy, Riva Saksena (12) chuckles as she recounts the events that occurred at one of the SDS productions last year. She describes the passion she had felt while performing,...

“I like anything that’s exciting to me, anything that is an adventure that I don’t know what I’m getting myself into. It’s kind of a thrill for me and I like that feeling. I love drop towers. It’s terrifying being at the top. There’s something that I find really fun about losing control for a few seconds,” Annabelle Ju (12) said.

Humans of Harker: To lose control

by Lucy Ge, Winged Post Asst. News Editor January 14, 2020

The afternoon sunlight filters through tree branches, casting long shadows on the trails of the nature reserve. She slips on her running shoes, worn from use, and starts jogging, her black hair swishing...

“I love trying new things. I’m always bored with my life, so I try to challenge myself. What I most remember from my experiences are the relationships I form along the way. I’ve been exposed to a broad array of personalities and backgrounds, [which allows] me to create lasting relationships in the process,” Charlotte Blanc (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Breaking the bubble

by Anoushka Buch, TALON Student Life Editor January 14, 2020

Take a look at Charlotte Blanc (12). What do you see? Most of her peers at Harker see a poised, collected young woman with a mess of freckles and a dancer’s body: someone they’re used to seeing standing...

“When I’m feeling some type of way...art is really a distraction because especially when you’re sketching something and trying to be meticulous about it and really focused on achieving a specific goal. You really have to give it most of your attention which is nice because when I’m in class, I have a lot on my mind and it’s nice to almost be forced to focus on one thing and just take it easy,” Delaney Logue (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Adding color

by Shreya Srinivasan, TALON Managing Editor and Business Manager January 13, 2020

Laying a colorful striped blanket on the moist grass, Delaney Logue (12) sets her clear box of art supplies and her black headphones down before sitting down. She clicks the triangle-shaped icon on her...

“My courage to do things that are not the mainstream, not what everyone else is doing, boils down to, I’m not afraid to ask questions and challenge what has been before. If you always just acknowledge that without asking, ‘Does it have to be like that, can I improve this,” not being afraid to ask those questions is really what I want to be remembered for,” Ellen Guo (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Courage to question

by Nicole Tian, Co-Lifestyle Editor January 13, 2020

Tucked beside a corner upstairs in Shah Hall sits the unassuming entrance to the Near Mitra Scholar Center with a sign on the door inviting those inquisitive students. Upon entering the room, the walls...

“I definitely do programming, and that's my thing for sure. But I also like other stuff. I guess the best way I can describe myself is like organized chaos. Everything is happening in all sorts of all but limited in some way. It's like split identities, but they're all unified in some way that I don’t know,” Bennett Liu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Organized chaos

by Varsha Rammohan, Co-Managing Editor January 12, 2020

Dressed in a bright red Harker CTF sweatshirt and blue jeans, Bennett Liu (12) dumps out the contents of his backpack on the chilly Nichols Hall floor. Out tumbles a copy of V for Vendetta, a tangled pair...

“There's nothing like that feeling you get. You can't really put it into words. Just getting a new experience or learning something that completely changes the way you think.  And you can't do that by doing the same thing over and over. You can't do that by staying in your comfort zone, you know? And I can't describe the feeling, but it's — it's something else,” Martin Bourdev (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Pushing limits

by Aditya Singhvi, Co-Sports Editor January 12, 2020

As he leans back on a couch in the Nichols Rotunda, one leg crossed over the other, a sparkle emerges in his eyes and his usually-deep voice reaches a pitch of child-like wonder, unable to contain his...

“Because I started off from, ‘I didn't know what to say, I couldn't say anything,’ to, in a roleplay, figuring out what am I going to say, how am I going to say it, that really helped me structure my thinking and my speaking skills where I'm not just droning on. When I start talking, I know what I want to say and the point I want to get across,” Ishaan Chandra (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Lead and learn

by Nilisha Baid, TALON Organizations, People and Social Media Editor January 11, 2020

Freshmen and sophomores swarm to Ishaan Chandra (12) during DECA’s Silicon Valley Career Development Conference (SVCDC). Ranging from “Where’s the bathroom?” to questions about the event, they...

"Going to school with kids who are ambitious, motivated, curious, just intellectual, is something that is just powerful because I don't think I could have those conversations with anyone else my age unless they also similarly valued education like I do. Something that I’m passionate about is just people becoming more aware and involved in their own communities and just being aware of current events,” Caroline Yager (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Learning art

by Irene Yuan, Asst. Photo Editor January 11, 2020

Black and white sketches cover a wall of the room, the scenes carefully drawn without smudging the graphite lines. Clipped to an easel in the corner of the room opposite from the windows is a black and...

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