The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila
“In every activity I do, there's always an element of making sure that my work can impact people. In what I've done, there are times when people question what I do or if what I'm doing is correct. For me, what is most important is that what I'm doing can have a tangible impact on someone else. As long as I believe that an impact can occur, then I want to do that regardless of what other people think," senior Valerie Li said.
Humans of Harker: Calling for change
“My favorite part is not even the content, just how all my family presented. I made a jeopardy one time about myself to see who knew me the best, and that was funny because I realized that they do pay attention more than I give them credit for. I appreciate my family more for that," senior Rithika Yamasani said.
Humans of Harker: Finding strength in connection
Humans of Harker: Data and dynamics
Humans of Harker: Data and dynamics
“Once people start lifting, they'll never be happy with how they look or how big their muscles are. It definitely makes them more self-conscious about how they look because a lot of people train for muscle size. Since I'm not trying to pursue lifting in college and it’s just for fun, I train for both. It's not exclusively one or the other," senior Jason Yi said.
Humans of Harker: Power through
“Food brings people together. Cooking is one of the very few things in our world that can do that. No matter where you go, you will always see families sitting around a table eating food. It's very powerful and I'm glad that my cooking club could be a part of that," senior Ian Gerstner said.
Humans of Harker: Crafting cuisine and catching critters
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
“Everyone’s stronger than they give themselves credit for. It’s super important for every one of us, who are all super scared, to get out of our own heads. We need to realize that the reason we are sitting there being scared when there’s things we could be doing to make out lives better is just a matter of breaking down personal boundaries," Viveka Saraiya (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Beyond the surface

by Cameron Zell, TALON Student Life Editor • March 6, 2019

Viveka Saraiya (12) sits attentively, eagerly listening, while her friends open up about their personal problems to her. Her ability to handle challenging obstacles stems from her general mindset of viewing...

“I think my interest in photography just sources from this fundamental interest in thinking or maybe even overthinking,” Andrew Skrobak (12) said. "I just like trying to find a reason for everything, so for me, photography helps to synthesize these bigger concepts and find answers in a way.”

Humans of Harker: Confidence through creation

by Sabrina Takemoto, TALON Reporter • March 5, 2019

As people in awe huddle around a table filled with his photographs, primarily taken of his friends throughout senior year, during the AP Studio Art exhibition, Andrew Skrobak (12) observes with a smile...

“People sometimes don’t realize how much they have. They’re so focused on the material that they don’t realize there’s more worth and wealth in just having people with you who love you no matter what,” Wynter said. “To me, being loved is so much more important. Knowing that I have my family, and my close friends, who have helped me get through the hard times, has always helped me keep going, because I knew that I could always have them to fall back on, no matter what happened," Wynter Chaverst (12) said.

Humans of Harker: The power of connection

by Irina Malyugina, Photo Editor • March 4, 2019

Wynter Chaverst’s (12) eyes light up as she laughs with a friend, head back, body shaking. She is comfortably leaning on her right leg, her posture exuding confidence. Before she speaks, she pauses to...

“We focus a lot on the technology we make, but we don’t focus nearly as much on the people we are trying to impact. I think that getting to know people and getting to know their stories is something that should be done,” said Alycia Cary (12). “I think that communication is important in being knowledgeable about how we are going to change the world and the people were impacting. That’s why I try to actively listen to people’s concerns and take into account other’s perspectives.”

Humans of Harker: United we stand

by Ritika Rajamani, TALON Reporter • March 3, 2019

She walks in front of the panel of judges at the tournament, telling herself to be calm. Her nerves might overwhelm her, but Alycia Cary (12) stays focused on the speech she is about to give. Each word...

"My motto is ‘why not’? I think people always put limits on themselves with what they are capable of. I wish more people shot for what seems impossible," Sayon Biswas (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Cracking the puzzle

by Arushi Saxena, Global Editor • March 2, 2019

Sporting his classic denim jacket, Sayon Biswas exudes an air of confidence. Talking easily among his friends at a table in front of Manzanita, it’s hard to guess that Sayon’s adjusted to his new school,...

“I’m definitely not the person who’s a stickler for rules and who’s all about being strict—I like to get to know the people I’m leading. It’s a lot more interactive when you’re working with other people. You’re able to have a good time but also be productive. It’s just more enjoyable to be able to share an experience with someone else. You get to share stories and jokes and just have fun," Rahul Goyal (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Laughing and leading

by Katherine Zhang, Editor-in-chief • February 28, 2019

Leaning back into the teal cushions, Rahul Goyal (12) spins a pair of plastic goggles in his hands, a placid smile etched on his face as he contemplates what to say next. It’s an odd place to be in —...

“At some point I was going through a hard time emotionally and then I started volunteering with the Palo Alto Art Center. Just being around the kids and seeing them discover new ways they could make their ideas concrete - that was just kind of what got me going again, knowing that I can be helping others in a way. “Art for me is a way to say things I really don’t say, so if I can show kids that they have that ability to speak out and just do whatever they're imagining, that would be great,” Katrina Liu (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Expression without words

by Irina Malyugina, Photo Editor • February 26, 2019

Like white fog, a cloud of paint drifts away from Katrina Liu (12) as she sprays a sculpture. Focused, she steps back to survey her work from every angle, her glasses catching the afternoon sunlight, and...

"I think other people would describe me as fun. I’m not really a serious person, except when I have to be. I always try to have a joke or something relevant," Joshua Broweleit (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Friend and flyer

by Carter Chadwick, TALON Reporter • February 25, 2019

Lines of smoke fill the air as Joshua “Josh” Broweleit (12) flies across the sky in his Cessna plane. Josh has been completing tests and other requirements to obtain his pilot's license. He flies mainly...

“I express myself through my energy and laughter, and that ties into the music I produce. The music that I make reflects the emotions within me. Whenever I play I’m always jumping on the keys. I put all my positive energy into it. That’s why I mostly play happy songs, not like sad slow songs," Ihita Mandal (12) said.

Humans of Harker: The energy of laughter

by Gloria Zhang, Features Editor • February 22, 2019

Jokingly teased by classmates and computer science teacher Anu Datar about her height, Ihita Mandal (12) was determined to prove her physical ability. What’s a better way than to write on very top corner...

“I have certain passions that I sort of invest myself significantly in. Having passions is an important thing, to live life in a very substantive manner and to be an interesting person because it's a pretty terrible fate to be boring," Alexander Young (12) said.

Humans of Harker: From poetry to plants

by Catherine Feng, Reporter • February 21, 2019

If you were to search up Alexander Young (12) on Harker Aquila, you would find an entire page of results, the articles topics ranging from virtual reality to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. As a...

"It's important to keep going on in what you're passionate about because a lot of people have told me that I’m doing too many activities, and I should quit some of them and just focus on one. And I'm glad that I didn't do that and I was able to stick with all of them," Pamela Duke (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Eye on the ball

by Saloni Shah, Asst. Humans of Harker Editor • February 20, 2019

“It’s tennis.” Without hesitation, Pamela “Pam” Duke (12) proudly acknowledges that tennis defines her. Dressed in blue tennis gear and hair pulled back from her face with a blue headband, Pam...

“Moving to America, I was really scared in the beginning. It was like coming to an amusement park where there are a lot of people having a lot of fun, and then finding out that everyone is different from you. Academic challenges are easier to deal with, but making new friends—these kinds of things are more emotionally attached. I had to embrace the environment, and then the environment embraced me," Jessica Pan (12) said.

Humans of Harker: Turning barriers into stepping stones

by Helen Yang, Reporter • February 19, 2019

Standing in the cool January afternoon atmosphere, with her feet shoulder width apart and an easy smile on her face, Jessica Pan (12) exudes an aura of comfort and content. Whether it be moving to a new...

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