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The Student News Site of University Preparatory Academy

Aquila

The Student News Site of University Preparatory Academy

Aquila

The Student News Site of University Preparatory Academy

Aquila

Junior Trip Returns!
Junior Trip Returns!
Shibani Ghosh, Team Editor • April 16, 2023

From Feb. 13 to 16, 99 juniors visited seven colleges and saw first hand what campus life is like. The itinerary included the following colleges: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Cal State University Fullerton, UC Riverside, Cal Poly Pomona and UCLA, in which students went to two per day and one on the last day. Students started the trip by arriving at UPA campus at 5:00...

Sebastian demonstrates the functionality of her jack-in-the-box costume by going in and popping out of her cardboard box, per the emcees’ request.
ASB hosts scavenger hunt and Costume Day to celebrate Halloween
December 6, 2022

With the end of Marking Period 2 on Friday, Oct. 28, the following Monday was scheduled to be the usual Data Day, a day off for students. However,...

On March 23 Jennifer Rojas led a Parent University webinar on "Emotional Regulation Part 1: Recognizing What's Wrong.” It covered why people have emotions, why emotions being too high or too low can be harmful, tools to understand students emotions and the impact of inward emotions on mental health. (Photo by Haylie Yee.)
Parent University program holds six courses to support student guardians
May 20, 2022

UPA Founder Jackie Guevara and math teacher Jaz Dhillon created Parent University in 2011. Initially called Parent Workshops until a name change...

Nahum Hinsta (12) promposes to his girlfriend Tiffany Tran (12), and all of the male pageant contestants celebrate with him. (Photo by Mariah Myers.)
Seniors raise over $1,000 during Nuit de Monsieur
April 19, 2022

Sophomores, juniors and seniors all came together to be a part of UPA’s 2022 Male Pageant, located in the amphitheater on March 25. Director...

The two exits in the student parking lot lead to a traffic jam as it is a common place where students are picked up. (Photo by Christopher Alvarez.)
Parking Situation Frustrates Students
March 13, 2022

As you walk towards your car slowly after a tiring school day, you notice the abundance of cars lined up, fighting over parking spots and parked...

Just One More Bet

Harshad Vaidhyanathan, Reporter
May 12, 2025

In 2025, Americans have legally and illegally bet over 24 billion dollars on the Super Bowl and other sporting events. This number drastically increases annually as more Americans learn about online gambling and sports betting. The easy accessibility and popularity of the internet have led many Americans...

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From C++ to HTML

Yunji Zuo, Reporter
February 14, 2025

Programming is more than just a skill. It represents a shared passion. But when it comes to choosing a favorite or most effective programming language, which one do UPA students believe comes out on top? Programming is the process of writing instructions for computers to execute. There are a vast...

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Samira Madden, Multimedia Manager
May 29, 2024

The UPA handbook states, “Students take a breadth of courses that help to prepare them for the future, such as Project Lead the Way (our math, engineering, bio-med, and science pathway)” UPA handbook. UPA is an academic focused school, striving to help students succeed and attend all kinds of universities with different majors. However it seems there are more opportunities at UPA for STEM majors.    UPA’s...

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Reading Between the Lines

Alana Estrada, Reporter
May 28, 2025

Censorship or protection? Where do we draw the line when it comes to banned books? Some say that certain topics should not be covered in books aimed towards younger demographics, while others feel that younger people should explore these topics and feel comfortable talking about them openly. As a huge...

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Preserving The Ends

Aparna Ayyadevara, Publicity Manager Shadow
May 28, 2025

“Pain is temporary, swag is forever”, is a motto people use when talking about piercings. But for hair, I like to say, “Swag is temporary, fried and crunchy hair is forever.” Impulse decisions and hair experiments are things that I, and probably many others, have fallen prey to. Changing one’s...

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Maturing into the Pink Mindset

Gagandeep Kaur, Copy Editor
May 23, 2025

I hate the color pink. I hate the way people perceive me when I wear pink. I am not taken seriously when I wear pink. Pink is seen as a childish and immature color, pink is a “pick me” color, and wearing pink means you’re trying hard to be different and a wannabe Barbie. Or that's how society wants...

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A member of the Aquila staff poses with necklaces representing Christianity and Hinduism.
Different Creeds, Same Love
Shelby Byrd, Web Manager Shadow • May 23, 2025

The U.S. is filled with many types of people, with a variety of ethnic backgrounds, religions and social beliefs, people who coexist and interact together...

Student playing a mobile game while in class rather than paying attention to presentation
Out of Focus
April 25, 2025
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From the Queue to the Stage View
Defrosting Winter Favorites

Defrosting Winter Favorites

February 14, 2025

Winter Holidays Around the Globe

Winter Holidays Around the Globe

January 13, 2025

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UPA vs STM Boys Varsity Basketball 2020 Senior Night | Live Broadcast Highlights
UPA vs STM Boys Varsity Basketball 2020 Senior Night | Live Broadcast Highlights
Dylan Ziegler and Kristian Crowther July 26, 2020

Editor's Note: This video was originally published on YouTube on Feb. 18, 2020. In case you couldn't attend the 2020 boys' varsity basketball senior night on Feb. 9 against...

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