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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

Many hands work together to help make our Harker campus function every day. This thanksgiving season, let us celebrate these individuals.
Hands of Harker
by Tiffany Zhu, Kairui Sun, and Dyuthi Vallamsetty
From maintenance staff who ensure our facilities remain clean to the Office of Communication connecting us with the broader world, these individuals behind the scenes are the backbone of our daily operations.
Pulse of the People: Staying informed amidst digital media
by Shreyas Karnam and Leah Krupnik
More than 2,000 U.S. local newspapers have closed over the past 25 years, and the digital shift in journalism has exacerbated the issue.
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
by Editorial Board November 21, 2025
When one teacher leans toward hour-long lectures while another prefers interactive, hands-on activities, students’ experiences are not equal even when the same course appears on their transcript. 
Guard Joey Diffenderfer (10) rushes past the enemy defense with the ball. Joey scored a three-pointer near end of the game, helping to secure a victory for the Eagles.
Junior varsity boys basketball fends off Monta Vista 58-54
by Jonathan Szeto and Charlie Wang December 2, 2025
Junior varsity boys basketball bested Monta Vista High School in a close 58-54 game in the Zhang Gymnasium on Wednesday. 
Talk Around Campus: Fall Break
Talk Around Campus: Fall Break
by Charlie Wang November 27, 2025
Thanksgiving Break means different things to different people: family dinners, movie nights, outdoor projects and Costco-sourced chickens.
Inside the Campus Leadership Coalition
November 21, 2025
What exactly is the Campus Leadership Coalition, and what role does it play at Harker?
Campus Compass: The magic of Manzanita
November 21, 2025
Today, Manzanita Hall is a focal point of campus, visited by almost all students and faculty on a daily basis. 
Meet Your Staff: Connection through compassion
November 21, 2025
Constantly moving between campuses to support all teachers and division heads, Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs Jennifer Gargano believes that a schoolwide community is essential for the learning experience.
I acknowledge that some people may struggle to find an outlet to convey their emotions. But when AI, a machine with no personal experiences or authentic emotions, becomes the actual artist, it completely destroys our individuality.
AI art removes originality and expression
by Grace Wu, Reporter
Critical thinking is a cognitively expensive process: recalling what you know, considering alternatives and challenging your assumptions is hard work. When you offload this struggle to a machine, you bypass the effort that strengthens your mind, weakening your capacity for deep thought.
The cost of effortless efficiency
by Lily Shi, Aquila Editor-in-Chief
Even though I learned Chinese as a child, it's hard to connect with people if you don't understand the culture and background they come from.
Chasing Chinese culture
by Isabel Yang, TALON Reporter
“Only a 93”
by Kanav Gupta, Assistant STEM Editor
This I Believe: Explore the Mundane
by Mendy Mao, Humans of Harker Managing Editor
The case prompted public reflection on the relationship between artists and their management. Evolving into more than a legal matter, it set a precedent that challenging a major K-pop label can carry serious legal consequences and even larger fan backlash.
NewJeans rejoins ADOR, but at what cost?
by Liana Barooah, Assistant News Editor • December 4, 2025
Friday Five: Ways to cook potatoes
Friday Five: Ways to cook potatoes
by Chelsea Xie, A&E/Lifestyle Editor • December 2, 2025
While Orwell wrote his dystopia in 1949, I noticed many glaring parallels with the modern world when I was reading this book over the past month. The Party’s slogan, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past,” struck me as extremely relevant today.  
Book Corner: When truth becomes treason
by Aileen Jang, Assistant News Editor • November 20, 2025
Music Monday
Dark chocolate contains cocoa flavonoids, plant compounds that have been linked to improvements in cognitive ability. Researchers believe that these flavonoids support brain function by increasing blood flow and promoting more efficient neural activity.
The sweet perks of dark chocolate
by Liana Barooah and Kanav Gupta December 3, 2025
Math Club member Haofang Zhu (11) explains how the Jordan Curve theorem can transform Slitherlink puzzles into coloring problems.  Solving a Slitherlink puzzle requires drawing a single simple loop by connecting dots in a grid while making sure each box with a number in it is adjacent to that number of sides of the loop.
Math Club teaches outside-the-box puzzle solving
by Heather Wang and Claire Tian November 29, 2025
Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil speaks creating the police data initiative. He spoke to Harker students at a meeting hosted by Data Science Club.
Data Science Club hosts first U.S. Chief Data Scientist at fireside chat
by Claire Tian and Heather Wang November 28, 2025
Feature Video