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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

Harker journalism members stand in front of the Alma Mater statue at the entrance of the Columbia University library. They explored the CSPA convention and New York City for three days.
Navigating New York: Harker Journalism attends 2026 CSPA Spring Convention
by Chelsea Xie, Lily Peng, and Sam Li
NEW YORK — Twenty-five Harker journalism editors attended the 2026 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Spring Convention at Columbia University on Thursday and Friday.
A night of culture and community at La Noche Cultural
by Aileen Jang, Nathan Yee, and Claire Tian
National Spanish Honor Society (NSHS) hosted their annual La Noche Cultural on Mar. 6 in the Auxiliary Gym, where students and faculty enjoyed diverse aspects of Spanish culture, like food, music and dance. 
Junior Riya Samuel shows a picture of her younger self to an HSLT representative. Students were required to provide a physical or digital photo of the outfit they were recreating in order to gain spirit points.
Spring Spirit Week Day 3: Students travel “Back to the future” with childhood outfits
by Kanav Gupta, Assistant STEM Editor • March 25, 2026
Students dressed up in the theme of “Back to the Future: Younger Self” and participated in a lunchtime “Coffee House”-style karaoke outside Manzanita on day three of Spirit Week today. 
APEX: Driving success
APEX: Driving success
Sophomore Justin Hu competes with patience and persistence
by Charlene Li, Assistant Sports Editor • March 25, 2026
Gold player Justin Hu (10) maintains a determined attitude in golf.
American figure skater Alysa Liu smiles as she holds her gold medal, while in the backdrop, a fracture grows between Olympic athletes. The 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics highlighted historic achievements and new events but also sparked controversy surrounding national representation and political debate.
Cold stage, hot games
March 9, 2026
In contrast to constantly scrolling on digital media, reading offers an opportunity for sustained attention, inviting people to actively reflect about literature and the ideas it presents. (Photoillustration by Elizabeth Zhang)
The benefits of pleasure reading in a digital age
by Grace Wu, Assistant Opinions Editor • March 17, 2026
In contrast to the constant scrolling of digital media, reading offers an opportunity for sustained attention, inviting people to actively reflect about literature and the ideas it presents. But reading for pleasure is slowly declining.
Talk Around Campus: Senior Red Cards
March 12, 2026
The class of 2026 recently received their red card privileges starting on February 26. Find out how seniors are most excited to use their red cards, as well as their thoughts on red card policies, from grades to time limits. 
What does Harker look for in a 9th grade application?
March 11, 2026
Every year, around 50 students from outside Harker receive acceptance letters into Harker’s frosh class, according to the Harker admission team. Beyond just strong grades and test scores, what does Harker look for in applicants? 
Emerald Fennel’s Wuthering Heights trades depth for drama
Emerald Fennel’s Wuthering Heights trades depth for drama
by Lily Shi, Janam Chahal, and Shaina Cohen March 24, 2026
Juniors Eliana Chui and Duncan Marquardt tour the AP Studio Art Exhibition in Nichols Hall on Tuesday. The exhibition featured works of art from all three AP Art classes: 2-D, 3-D and Drawing.
AP Studio Art Exhibition spotlights artists
by Chelsea Xie and Cynthia Xie March 22, 2026
The actors for "The Great Gatsby" wave at the audience after the show. Harker journalism visited Broadway to watch the musical at the end of the second day.
Broadway’s “The Great Gatsby” is fabulous, faithful and feminist
by Claire Tian, STEM Editor • March 21, 2026
Music Monday
Juniors Xianyao He and Amy Tong begin cutting open a pig heart with scissors. “Just getting to feel the heart and cut through it was quite the experience,” Honors Biology student Ethan said. “Everything was just tissue and muscle and like the heart is already so big. So it was easy to find the individual compartments and examine them without needing a lot of precision.”
Biology classes dissect pig hearts
by Claire Tian and Saria Lum March 22, 2026
Harker's 8th grade middle school team poses for a photo after winning first place in the team round. HMI recognized the top three teams and five individuals for each grade level with plaques and medals.
Diana Nichols Harker Math Invitational celebrates 25th anniversary with 410 attendees
by Kanav Gupta and Kristiyan Kurtev March 21, 2026
Junior Cynthia Wang presents her independent research findings to a group of judges. “It was very inspiring to talk to some of the judges,” Cynthia said.
Students compete at annual Synopsys Science and Technology Championship
by Sam Li, Features Editor • March 13, 2026
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