![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)
United States sends $275 million more in aid to Ukraine
![Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced in a press release on Oct. 28 an additional $275 million of aid for Ukraine to help in the country’s resistance against Russia. “[I think that the U.S. should be] increasing aid, providing more refugee opportunities,” Stefan Maxim (10), who has observed the evolution of the war over its duration, said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ukraine-900x600.jpeg)
Provided by defense.gov
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced in a press release on Oct. 28 an additional $275 million of aid for Ukraine to help in the country’s resistance against Russia. “[I think that the U.S. should be] increasing aid, providing more refugee opportunities,” Stefan Maxim (10), who has observed the evolution of the war over its duration, said.
November 25, 2022
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced in a press release on Oct. 28 an additional $275 million of aid for Ukraine to help in the country’s resistance against Russia.
This additional military equipment brings the total amount of aid sent by the Biden administration to over $17.9 billion sent to Ukraine from the war’s beginning in February. This is the twenty-fourth set of American aid for Ukraine.
“The United States will continue to stand with more than 50 allies and partners in support of the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and independence with extraordinary courage and boundless determination,” Blinken said in the press release.
The U.S. has been a reliable partner of Ukraine since the start of the war in February, providing the nation with weapons such as Javelin anti-tank shoulder-held heat-seeking missiles, Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), supplies vital for their continued defense against the Russian invasion.
“I think it’s important that the U.S. continues to aid Ukraine,” Sonya Apsey (11) said, “I think if the US continues to do this, it could lead to the resolution of the conflict. Seeing how the U.S. is providing aid for Ukraine is definitely giving me hope.”
Despite continued foreign aid for Ukraine, Russia has steadily encroached upon Ukrainian territory, displacing millions. As of Nov. 8, the Ukrainian conflict has produced almost 8 million refugees across Europe, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“[I think that the U.S. should be] increasing aid, providing more refugee opportunities,” Stefan Maxim (10), who has observed the evolution of the war over its duration, said. “[It’s] really limited, the amount of actual refugee help the U.S. is doing — it’s a burden mostly put on smaller European nations which we shouldn’t be doing.”
Originally, Russia was predicted to quickly overwhelm the Ukrainian forces, due to their massive advantage in manpower and weaponry. Yet, the war has now entered its eighth month, and Ukraine has begun to retake its territory.
“To Ukraine’s credit, I didn’t think it was going to last as long as this; I just thought it was going to be a quick surrender by the Ukrainians,” upper school history teacher Jonathan Rim said. “I’m actually really surprised that they’re doing so well, and they’re able to drag this on. In fact, from what I heard, they’re on the offensive now.”
