Harker Aquila

Harker Aquila The official student-run online publication of The Harker School. Read more at harkeraquila.com!

Sitting on the branches of a tree, Savya Agarwal (’25) pulls out his notebook and a pen. Observing carefully, he marks d...
07/01/2025

Sitting on the branches of a tree, Savya Agarwal (’25) pulls out his notebook and a pen. Observing carefully, he marks down every trait of the surrounding birds: noting their distinctive chirps, sketching their beak and body shape and identifying their behavior. As Savya jumps down, he scans his notes and uploads them to the cloud.

Savya’s fascination with biology began the first time he saw an animal. From that moment on, he watched closely — the chirps of insects, the singing of birds, the movement of ants across the ground.

“The first animals I ever saw in real life, I was immediately entranced by the sheer diversity of them, the sheer magnitude from the biggest whale to the smallest ant,” Savya said. “It’s always made me more curious about the world.”

That curiosity grew into a deep interest in ecology, which connects living things to their environment. Savya’s junior year biology teacher, Eric Johnson, recognizes his talent and dedication to biology.

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89763/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-branching-in-biology/ #

Reporter: Charlie Wang
Photographer: Charlie Wang

Less than a minute on the clock, and one point down, the water polo match against Palo Alto seemed hopeless. Heavily gua...
06/30/2025

Less than a minute on the clock, and one point down, the water polo match against Palo Alto seemed hopeless. Heavily guarded and having played for the entire game, senior Summer Adler was exhausted. Yet before the timer struck zero, her teammate, senior Melody Yin, lobbed a lucky shot, scoring a point and knocking the game into overtime. Despite her exhaustion, that moment gave Summer the push she needed to keep going and help the team win the game. 

For Summer, water polo is a sport of resilience. Her flexible and resilient mindset contributes to Summer’s approach to not just water polo but life itself.

“There are mistakes that stand out more than others. You miss a shot, you mess something up, and certain teammates just freak out,” Summer said. “But it’s not really how you play in the moment; it’s how you recover. Can you come back from that and move past it? You have to just move on and be aware of it next time and not make excuses; not dwell on it unless it needs dwelling.”

Summer’s water polo journey began when her dad introduced her to the sport when she was around eight years old, signing up to play in a club. Initially, she lacked the intrinsic motivation to play and quit for a season when she was 13. However, her season off shifted her perspective on the sport as she took to swimming and kept polishing her water polo skills. 

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89538/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-connection-is-the-goal/ #

Reporter: Mirabelle Feng
Photographer: Angelina Burrows

Giggles and joyful shouts echo through the Kiddo Land Learning Center as kids play together, and senior Gemma Chan scurr...
06/30/2025

Giggles and joyful shouts echo through the Kiddo Land Learning Center as kids play together, and senior Gemma Chan scurries behind them. Every day is a new adventure, and Gemma finds herself both shocked and in awe of the growth the kids are making: new words, new lessons, a new sense of maturity.

Even more rewarding than witnessing their tiny yet monumental accomplishments, Gemma relishes her own role in their development while working at Kiddo Land. 

“This past summer, I really solidified how, though working with any age group is great, I enjoy working with little kids more,” Gemma said. “There are more chances to see them growing, and it’s a quicker development than older kids. You get to see their progress a lot clearer. It feels like I contributed to it. It’s very rewarding.”

Alongside witnessing the children’s personal growth, Gemma has come to appreciate each child’s unique traits and personalities. She’s been able to apply this approach to her teaching.

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89590/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-through-a-psychological-lens/ #

Reporter: Angelina Burrows
Photographer: Angelina Burrows

A game, a combination, a goal. Claire Anderson (’25) fondly recalls scoring a goal last year in combination with former ...
06/29/2025

A game, a combination, a goal. Claire Anderson (’25) fondly recalls scoring a goal last year in combination with former soccer captain Anya Chauhan (‘24). During their shared time on the team, Claire looked up to Anya: the highly-skilled heart of the team, who tied her players together with a sense of community and respect. As the current co-captain, Claire aims to fill that same space, balancing authority with good cheer and camaraderie. 

Claire started playing soccer when she was four years old. As she gained confidence in her skills through club soccer, she grew well-suited to an offensive style, playing as a center forward. Due to her competitive spirit, Claire meshed well with the sport. 

“I was a competitive person, and soccer just brought it out of me,” Claire said. “When I started scoring goals, I was like, ‘Wow. Me scoring is me winning.’ A toddler can understand that.” 

Through sports, Claire developed lifelong personal connections in both Harker’s soccer team and club soccer. As she plays her last season, she reflects on the joy that her teams have brought her over the years.

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89750/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-marching-forward/ #

Reporter: Claire Tian
Photographer: Ashley Mo

“Experience the Difference”. On any given school day, dozens of students walk from class to class, proudly wearing a bei...
06/29/2025

“Experience the Difference”. On any given school day, dozens of students walk from class to class, proudly wearing a beige hoodie emblazoned with that very slogan. Responsible for these fashion pieces is none other than Lauren Lin (’25), who brainstorms ideas for DECA’s clothing drops.

In leaving aspects of herself in her craft, Lauren made her mark on the communities she belongs to. As a Harker DECA public relations officer, she explores innovative ways to expand the club’s recognition at school, adding her own sense of humor and artistic imprint to events that reach the entire high school community. From bizarre cardboard cut-outs at school rallies, DECA hoodies representing her artwork on the back or faculty volleyball games, Lauren can always be counted on to bring unconventional ideas to the table and implement them.

“I’ve always liked drawing and DECA let me actually apply it toward something,” Lauren said. “Seeing all those people walking around wearing stuff that I made — that was really fulfilling and placed a genuine value on the things I use my skills on.”

Close friend and fellow DECA officer Gabe Li (’25), who works closely with Lauren on the leadership team, commends Lauren for the originality she brings to meetings. He recalls a memory in which Lauren proposed printing their teacher’s face on a cardboard box as a prop for a DECA volleyball tournament, an idea that had the entire team laughing and fully on board. 

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89733/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-designing-a-difference/

Reporter: Wenjie Zou
Photographer: Wenjie Zou

Looking up at the Willis Tower, John Hancock Center and Tribune Tower,  Naiya Daswani (’25) took a deep breath as she pr...
06/28/2025

Looking up at the Willis Tower, John Hancock Center and Tribune Tower,  Naiya Daswani (’25) took a deep breath as she prepared for the INCubatoredu National Pitch Competition in Chicago. Lugging five suitcases filled to the brim with Shlurp — a vegan and gluten-free instant ramen business — into the conference room, Naiya and her business partners, Emily Mitnick (’25) and Siddhi Jain (’24), ran through their script over and over again.

The loudspeaker announced their names as they walked onstage to “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore, facing a panel of five judges with the fate of Shlurp in their hands.

Holding a healthy snack stand on the side of the road was where it all began. Then it became a slime stand. Later a rainbow loom bracelet business. Naiya’s interest in entrepreneurship began long before enrolling in the Incubator class at Harker, founding Shlurp or taking home a $5,000 check from the national competition.

“I was always creating different things and experimenting with entrepreneurship and selling, and that has definitely carried forward with Shlurp,” Naiya said. “I used to make sparkly rainbow loom bracelets and set up a little shop on Chestnut Street in San Francisco. I had my American Girl doll as a model and would sell all my bracelets on the street. I realized later on that I wasn’t there for the money, but more to make people happy, because I really liked seeing these little girls come over and put on a bracelet and feel really pretty and confident.”

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89625/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-shlurping-up-success/ #

Reporter: Gemma Chan
Photographer: Gemma Chan

The sun shines bright across Davis Field. The audience in the bleachers await action. All of a sudden, Alec Zhang (’25) ...
06/27/2025

The sun shines bright across Davis Field. The audience in the bleachers await action. All of a sudden, Alec Zhang (’25) runs to the center of the field, snags the ball from the possession of the opposing team and earns a streak of points for the Eagles. The crowd erupts into cheers, the stands buzzing with excitement and energy.

Alec first discovered his love for soccer at the age of four as he was inspired by his dad, who played soccer in college. Soccer remained his favorite sport even after he tried other sports like basketball, tennis, swimming, ping pong and table tennis. He currently plays in both club soccer and on the varsity team as team captain, dedicating a considerable amount of time to soccer every week. Alec emphasizes the importance of personal relationships in playing soccer.

“Even watching the game with a lot of people is really enjoyable,” Alec said. “In terms of playing, it puts you in a different setting than other sports, where you’re able to enjoy the outdoors, but also bond with teammates. In soccer, it’s really important to have chemistry between teammates, because soccer is a really team oriented sport, and you can’t do anything individually without having someone else to support you.”

Outside of playing soccer, Alec also researches injuries in sports and attempts to use statistics to predict an athlete’s chances for future injury. He initially introduced himself to research through the research methods class offered at Harker in his sophomore year, where he focused on investigating a business model looking at how injuries can impact a player in a transfer market. 

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89292/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-dribbling-towards-discovery/ #

Reporter: Vivek Moorjani
Photographer: Vivek Moorjani

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Kaitlyn Su (’25) leads her life followin...
06/27/2025

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” 

Kaitlyn Su (’25) leads her life following these wise words of Confucius. She maintains a positive attitude in everything she does, from robotics to cooking to gardening.

Kaitlyn first started robotics in seventh grade, and she recalls falling in love with it after attending a Girl-Powered Robotics workshop, where she learned about the basics and hoped to learn more. Kaitlyn eventually joined a team outside of school and continued on that path throughout high school.  

“In the moment when I knew nothing, it was the coolest experience ever,” Kaitlyn said. “I wanted to build robots, not really knowing what it was actually about at all. It just happened to be something that I enjoyed because I like creating things I can see and feel. I like building things that can move because it’s like creating your own human.”

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89691/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-passion-in-precision/ #

Reporter: Janam Chahal
Photographer: Janam Chahal

While the frosh are on the community service trip, the sophomores and juniors are taking the PSAT and the majority of th...
06/26/2025

While the frosh are on the community service trip, the sophomores and juniors are taking the PSAT and the majority of the seniors are sleeping in, Gary Jin (’25) and his friends are on their way to Summit Rock. They hike to the top of the mountain that extends above the clouds, just in time to see the sun come up over the horizon. A search for unique experiences like this defined Gary’s high school years. 

“The goal I have right now in life is to enjoy myself,” Gary said. “I’m still young, and I don’t have very many responsibilities. I get to have fun. After college, after sports, senior year is about having fun with your friends and trying out new things that you don’t have time for in your first three years of high school. My objective for senior year is to have as much fun as possible while I still get to.” 

In every pursuit of his, Gary strives to make his experiences not only memorable but uniquely his own. This mindset, paired with a willingness to try new things, led him to take up the drums after quitting piano. While piano felt structured and restricting, drums offers him the sense of freedom and self-expression he seeks in an instrument. 

“Drums match who I am as a person, and I find it more fun than piano,” Gary said. “There’s more creativity and expression. There’s more you can do outside the boundaries of what’s expected, whereas in piano you can play something at a different speed, or at a different pace, but it’s more difficult to express the way you want to play and yourself.”

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89721/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-reaching-new-heights/ #

Reporter: Leah Krupnik
Photographer: Eva Cheng

Dust flies into the air, the racers pant in the heat, and the coaches, teammates and spectators cheer on the competitors...
06/26/2025

Dust flies into the air, the racers pant in the heat, and the coaches, teammates and spectators cheer on the competitors through the final stretch of the three-mile cross-country course. Amongst the swarms of runners, senior Harriss Miller speeds forward, closing the gap between himself and the finish line — no twisting paths, muddy grass, or hilly terrain can stop him now. Motivated by grit, Harriss frees his mind and thinks only of beating his competition.

“I don’t think there’s any ecstasy quite like hitting a personal record in a difficult course; there’s something really joyful there, and it’s a very rewarding experience,” Harriss said. “There’s a runner’s high. Your brain gets pumped with endorphins when you’re running to make you feel better.”

Starting with middle school track and field, Harriss discovered his love for running and competing alongside teammates, and he continued this passion into high school, joining the cross-country team in ninth grade. Despite the importance of solo performance, Harriss cares for his team, setting an example by leading practices. He lifts team spirits and inspires others to excel, like his teammate and close friend, senior Marcus Blennemann.

“I’ve seen him absolutely destroy all our race times,” Marcus said. “He motivated me to show up, to practice and to work hard. He really pushes me to become a better runner and a stronger person. His camaraderie is always good because life gets tough and demoralizing.”

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89579/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-calmness-and-competition/ #

Reporter: Samuel Tong
Photographer: Samuel Tong

As production night drags into the evening, writers hurry to finish their articles as deadlines approach. Editors upload...
06/25/2025

As production night drags into the evening, writers hurry to finish their articles as deadlines approach. Editors upload drafts, which make their way onto the pages of the Winged Post newspaper. In the midst of this writing rush, several grammatical and formatting errors sneak their way into articles unnoticed. But seated quietly in the corner is senior Jeremy Peng, skimming through each text, his sharp eye catching every mistake before they go to print. 

Jeremy first embarked on his journey in Harker’s journalism program in his sophomore year Introduction to Journalism class to pursue writing. Despite initially struggling to make connections with his classmates, who were mostly in the grade below him, Jeremy eventually embraced the relationships he formed during his sophomore year. He quickly felt a sense of belonging in the journalism community, which Jeremy cherished as he navigated life in the United States apart from his parents. 

“I’m living here without my parents, who are back in Asia,” Jeremy said. “So during high school, I’ve been living with homestay families and living from place to place with different families. Through these four years, the school community has been the one really stable place in my life that I can always come back to every year. “It’s still the same people in my grade, the same people in the journalism community. In that sense, the Harker community and the journalism community have stabilized my place, and I’m grateful for that.”

When Jeremy joined as a reporter, he initially was unsure about what he wanted to pursue in particular within journalism. However, his path led him to the less visible but crucial world of copy editing, a niche that aligned with his strengths. 

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89614/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-behind-the-scenes-2/ #

Reporter: Vivek Moorjani
Photographer: Jonathan Xue

In front of thousands of students, senior Sam Parupudi stands with a microphone, steadying themself before delivering an...
06/25/2025

In front of thousands of students, senior Sam Parupudi stands with a microphone, steadying themself before delivering an announcement. Although they’ve stood there countless times, each appearance brings a familiar rush of nerves.  It’s a familiar feeling, one that hasn’t gone away despite years of experience, but Sam has learned how to move through it. As student body president, they’ve faced this challenge again and again, turning moments of anxiety into opportunities to learn how to lead and speak publicly with confidence.

“It was a lot of coming to terms with who I really was,” Sam said. “Every time I go up there for a school meeting, my heart rate genuinely reaches 160; it doesn’t get any easier. It’s just a matter of how you deal with that anxiety. It’s kind of like spice — everybody feels spice the same, but some people get more used to it. For me, that happened through a series of announcements that I made.”

Sam’s journey into leadership began in eighth grade when they took the initiative to apply to their grade’s class council. Because their eighth grade was during the pandemic, they started off by making quick online announcements through Zoom meetings and email. The transition to in-person meetings and speeches was daunting, but over time, Sam grew into the role. 

Dean of Students Kevin Williamson has overseen Sam’s involvement in student leadership since their frosh year. He remarks on their growth as a leader and the increased responsibility they’ve taken on.

Full article: https://harkeraquila.com/89562/onlineexclusive/humans-of-harker-announcements-spark-action/ #

Reporter: Risa Chokhawala
Photographer: Alison Yang

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