![LALC Vice President of External Affairs Raeanne Li (11) explains the International Phonetic Alphabet to attendees. "We decided to have more fun topics this year instead of just talking about the same things every year so our older members can also [enjoy],” Raeanne said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_4627-1200x795.jpg)
![“[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.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“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.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“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.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“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.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[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.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“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.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Global Headlines (Issue 4)
February 10, 2022
President Biden and Fumio Kishida hold virtual meeting, discuss China and North Korean missiles
U.S. President Joe Biden had a virtual meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Jan. 21 to discuss security issues in the Indo-Pacific. Prime Minister Kishida said the 80-minute long virtual meeting was focused around China, primarily over China’s increased aggression towards Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory.
Biden and Kishida also discussed human rights violations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang and announced a new “2 plus 2” dialogue focused on economic issues such as supply chains and investment in key technologies, as well as deepening economic ties between Japan and the United States.
North Korea’s recent ballistic missile tests were also a topic of discussion, and Biden agreed to work with South Korea and Japan to discourage North Korea from more provocative actions. Kishida also supported Biden’s efforts to deter Russia from invading Ukraine.
Pentagon places up to 8,500 troops on alert for possible Eastern Europe deployment
Around 8,500 American troops were put on heightened alert on Jan. 24 for possible deployment to Eastern Europe, according to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued the orders at the request of President Biden, who authorized the change in force posture because of Russia amassing over 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border, which raised fears of a possible Russian invasion into Ukraine.
“The United States has taken steps to heighten the readiness of its forces at home and abroad, so they are prepared to respond to a range of contingencies, including support to the NATO response force if it is activated,” Kirby said during a press briefing.
President Biden said on Friday that he will be “moving U.S. troops to Eastern Europe and the NATO countries in the near term.”
Communities prepare for Lunar New Year as holiday begins
As Lunar New Year approaches, communities across the world are preparing to celebrate. The holiday lasts for 16 days and ends on the first day of the new year on Feb. 1. Specific celebrations vary from culture to culture, such as in Singapore, where Chinese Singaporeans eat foods like nasi biryani and chicken curry during the holiday; in Vietnam where the Ox and Rabbit in the zodiac calendar are replaced by the Buffalo and Cat; and in Korea where traditional foods like “jeon” and “teokguk” are eaten during New Year’s celebrations. In Chinese culture, it is usually celebrated by cooking traditional meals like dumplings and “tangyuan,” gifting red envelopes with money in them, or “hongbao,” and lighting fireworks.
Lunar New Year is celebrated in China, Mongolia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Korea, and other parts of Asia, as well as in diaspora communities across the world. This upcoming zodiac year will be the year of the tiger.
UN approves resolution condemning Holocaust denial
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly approved a resolution on Jan. 20 that condemned Holocaust denial and urged all nations and social media companies to “take active measures to combat antisemitism and Holocaust denial or distortion.”
The resolution was sponsored by Israel and strongly supported by Germany. The assembly approved the resolution by consensus, with Assembly President Abdulla Shahid meeting with a group of Holocaust survivors before the assembly meeting. Iran “disassociated” itself from the resolution.
“We now live in an era in which fiction is becoming fact and the Holocaust is becoming a distant memory, and as this happens following the greatest crime in human history, now comes the greatest cover-up in human history,” Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, said during the assembly.
