The Metro Minute (V2I3)

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“being of service to others is what brings true happiness.

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- Marie Osmond, actress

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FALL/WINTER ISSUE

CONTENTS Introduction 01 02 04 05

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Cover Quote of the Issue Contents Message from the Editor

Messages

06 :: What’s Jammin’ with Josef 07 :: DLT Updates

Recap 09 14 17 20

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Past Club Events Past Division Events Past District Events Spotlight on Kiwanis

Up Next

22 :: Upcoming Metro Events 23 :: Upcoming District Events

SubB News

24 :: Updates by Jenny Park

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ABOUT THIS ISSUE HEY MONSTERS! The Metro DLT is so excited to show you all this issue of The Metro Minute. It's been absolutely crazy working on this giantic newsletter, but we hope you will all enjoy reading about what has happened in our division these past couple of months. Hopefully, this issue will take you down Memory Lane and remind you of all the wonderful events you got to experience these past couple of months, whether it be with your home club, Metro, or the rest of CNH. There have been some amazing accomplishments that we as a division have been able to achieve since the last issue was published.

This issue of the newly-designed Metro Minute covers a wide range of information! From recaps to listings for future district and division events, there are so many things that you can read and learn about.

For the F/W Issue, our spotlight is dedicated to honoring our sponsoring Kiwanis clubs, as part of our emphasis on Kiwanis family relations. This newsletter also contains updates from our Subregion B Trustee, Jenny Park. Read on!

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what's

jammin'

w/ JOSEF

HELLO METRO MONSTER FAMILY! Can y’all believe it? There are only three more months left in the Circle K year, and you can bet that they will be action-packed. The past few months have already been eventful. Imagine! Since the last issue of the Metro Minute was released, we were able to show our strength and spirit at CKI South, bond as a division while learning about Circle K at Fall Training Conference, beautify Monroe Middle School at our Divisional Service Project, and welcome our new members at our Induction and Holiday Celebration. None of this could have been possible without all of your help, so give yourself a pat on the back. I can happily say that I am super proud of everything that we have accomplished as a division and as a family, and the year is far from being over.

With three more months left until District Convention, you may be wondering what is in store for you. There is still plenty to look forward to on all levels of Circle K. This includes home club elections, more divisional service projects and socials, and events with the rest of our District and Kiwanis Family, including District Large Scale Service Project and Kiwanis Mid-Years. If you are already well involved in this organization, this is your time to let your leadership shine. If you are still wondering whether or not this club is for you, the next few months will definitely show you what Circle K is all about.

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So, you may be wondering what I have been doing these past few months both in Circle K and outside of it. My Fall Quarter was definitely a struggle… mostly because Neuroanatomy made the library my second home. Fortunately, I still had time to visit club meetings and attend service projects… and in the process, I’ve come to know the best study spots on your campuses. Seeing your bright, shining faces definitely made the quarter more bearable. I made it out of my toughest quarter at UCLA so far, and I owe a lot of it to all of you!! In the next few months, my main focus will be to establish a good foundation for our next Metro Lieutenant Governor. Outside of Circle K, I will be…still in school…and preparing a year-long experiment on genes that function in eye development and retinal wiring! FUN, FUN, FUN!!

As always, I encourage all of you to come to me if you ever need anything or just want to catch up. I’m always down to go on adventures with my AMAZING METRO FAMILY!! I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday season, and I cannot wait to see you all in the New Year!! WAHOO!!!

With love,

Josef Madrigal Metro Division Lt. Governor 2015-16

[dlt]

division leadership team updates // Hello Metro! For past few months, I've been busy with my major and have been doing my best to be involved with Circle K as much as I can! I've been trying to visit clubs, but school is a priority, so I'm sorry to all those who I have not yet visited! Trust paula le // ea me when I say you are all on my mind a lot! I've visited CSUN for their BonBon fundraiser, and had a blast with you guys at the divisional service project before that. I'm usually working on my tasks and assignments for the District Convention committee and staying involved with my lovely home club.

Although I missed a majority of the December DCM and Metro Install, I thought of you all during work and rushed to get there! I'm glad I was able to make it for even a small portion. It was refreshing to see everyone's faces again and I was so excited to hand you your Metro Baby pins. I hope to see you all again soon. Have a great break and remember to relax! We're halfway done, and the year will get better. Stay cool, stay swaggy.

My name is Lindon Tran, and I am serving as your spirit coordinator for this term. Since FTC, I haven't been able to do much spirit-wise, but you can bet that I'll be working over winter break to prepare Metro to be the best we can be at District Convention! You can expect new and updated spirit gear, reinforcement of cheers, and the time of your life at DCON! Other than that, I've been having a lot of fun see- lindon tran // spirit ing all of you at divisional events, such as our recent service project and DCM! :-) Outside of Circle K, I've been focusing on finishing up assignments and studying for finals week. I'm super excited to finally be almost done with fall quarter! As great as southern California is, I really do miss being back home in the bay area. That's it for me, Metro! I hope you all get through studying for finals and that you do well on all of your exams! Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and enjoy your upcoming break!

Hello Metro Monsters! My name is Andy Kim and I am serving as your Videographer this term! Recently I was unable to attend the December DCM due to work conflicts So what I have been doing is preparing for the next Metro Line Episode andy kim // video with our LTG, Josef Madrigal, and planning to have club historians work closely with me!

I hope you all enjoyed the first episode of the Metro Line! I am working hard to make the next one more entertaining!

My life outside of Circle K so far has been nothing but studying studying working working! I'm super excited for winter break and the end of fall semester cause that means I'll get to spend my time with you al!! That's all I have for you Metro! I hope to see all your lovely faces again soon! Keep on working hard for those finals! You all got this Monsters! This is Andy Kim signing out have a great break and happy holidays!!

Hey guys! So as you all probably already know I am the president of CSU Dominguez Hills Circle K. My club has been active during the entire fall semester and I just wanted to take the time and thank each and every one for their hard work and dedication to this club. belen lujano // csudh You have made me proud.

We are so close to reaching our goals and I am excited to continue this journey with you all. Hope you are all excited for some winter events as well! On a personal note, I am really excited for this winter break!! Can wait to spend my winter with friends and my Circle K family.

Also, I'm ready to start the upcoming year at an anime convention and new experiences! Happy holidays and Happy New Year!!

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[dlt]

updates // cont.

Hi Metro! I’m Natalie and I serve as the president of CSULB CKI. This past semester has been overwhelmingly amazing for CSULB. This semester, we reached over 2,700 service hours and built a family of over 100 members. Aside from school and natalie mann // csulb family, my life has revolved around Circle K this semester. Our board has focused on maximizing the member experience this year, and it has been so heartwarming to see how our members have fallen in love with Circle K. LB CKI makes every stress pimple and sleepless night worthwhile. I can’t wait to get through finals and to celebrate the holidays! Good luck on the finals you have to conquer and hope that you have the happiest holiday season!

Hi everyone! My name is Dercy De La Cruz and I am the 2015-2016 President of ECC CKI. In CKI, my club and I have been going crazy organizing a food drives for the Food4Kids pantry. We just finished the first one with the help of all of Metro. Now we are going to go bigger dercy de la cruz // ecc and mash the STUFH organization and Food4Kids. It will be called STUFH the TRUCKS! We hope to fill up 2 trucks full of food. It is a bit daunting, but it will be fun. Oh, and guess what? I also applied to TRANSFER!! Exciting! I am still not totally done, but for UC and CSU applications I am! Transferring stuff, school work, and CKI take up most of my time, but I also am so excited for Deadpool and Captain America: Civil War!!!

Hey y’all! Clare Smith, CSU Northridge’s President here! Gosh darnnit finals are here already and it’s been crazy. My mind is constantly exploding with information that I have to know and remember. But with the 2 weeks that I have of finals, the end of the whole semester clare smith // csun is within my grasp, and I am not sure whether I am relieved or disappointed about it. Okay so what I’ve been doing—aside from stressing about schoolwork and finals, and my excellent club. I’ve been working on my medium-ish fear of heights by climbing the 92ft Rockwall at my school’s gym. I am actually glad to see that I have gotten a few calluses—the battle scars of the trade—from climbing. This has been a great way for me to de-stress. And I am actually becoming good at it. I hope that the rest of you have the merriest of days. Be most excellent to each other.

Hello everyone! It's me again! Hi, I'm Lisa, local Circle K president at UCLA! These past few months have been jam packed with district events from CKI South to FTC! We've been starting up our continuing service projects again such as Reading to Kids and Stonecreek Restoration! We lisa chong // ucla are also looking forward to our large scale event for Alexandria House this year! It's going to be a huge Laser Tag event! Watch out! It's going to be on Friday, February 12 so save the date! Happy Holidays! I hope you all relax before coming back to school and please eat lots!

Hope y'all are enjoying your the Heholidays so far! I am glad that I got to experience my first semester of college as a CKI member with the best division in all of CNH. The endless opportunities for service, leadership, and fellowship in CKI have allowed me to continue my time ALLEN PHAM // COMM. in the Kiwanis family and I could not be more thankful for all the memories and friendships I have made in such a short time. Hope to see you at more division events!

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Hi! My name is Dande Wang, and I am currently serving as the USC CKI President. I’m happy to have hosted an evaluation of the semester meeting with my board where we got to see how well we did this semester and how we will improve next semester. So far, it’s been looking realdande wang // usc ly good and I know we will progress from this meeting next semester as well as years after. Outside of Circle K, I’m excited to just be on break. Next semester, I will be interning full-time and being a student part-time, so I’m looking forward to that.

If you happen to go to LED on New Years, I hope to catch you there! Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[RECAP]

PAST CLUB EVENTS

FAMILY NIGHT REVEAL Jessica Corrales | CSULB

On October 2nd, CSULB Circle K, had their annual Member Induction & Family Reveal Ceremony at the CSULB Soroptimist House, which was decorated beautifully and glowing with lights.

Semi-formal attire was requested of attendees, and all of the Circle K members looked absolutely stunning. The night started off with members casually conversing with each other and enjoying each other’s company. Each member was given an envelope, which they were instructed not to open until later, which made some curious and others more excited to peek into their envelope. The ceremony began shortly afterwards with Wanisa and Adriana recounting the tale of Hercules in portions, while emphasizing points of his journey pertaining to finding a place he could call home and identifying people he could call his friends and family. In-between the segments of Hercules’ story, there were many activities to partake in.

The first activity was ‘Act and React’, where the tables each competed to have the best, most dramatic acting skills by performing a particular scenario that was whispered to them by another member at their table. The

winning table had the opportunity to be served dinner before all of the other tables. After the ‘Act and React’ game, each table had the opportunity to eat some delicious dinner provided by the amazing board members. The board members were so gracious as to provide us with a variety of dinner options such as fried chicken, orange chicken, pizza, chow mein, white and fried rice, beef and broccoli, dumplings, soda, and Boba tea for the ceremony.

While everyone was enjoying a lovely and delicious dinner, our President Natalie Mann gave us a speech and told us about how much CSULB CKI has grown this year and announced that we are now 100 members strong! As Natalie ended her speech, she asked us to turn on our electric candles, which symbolized the light that was inside of us.

Next, we had another activity in which members were grouped by school year, and asked to write four items on their envelopes. On the envelope we were asked to write our favorite drink, favorite country, favorite hobby, and favorite music. Afterwards, each group had to present a short story using all of the items listed on each member’s enve-

lope. After long anticipation, we were instructed to open our envelopes. In the envelope, we found papers which contained a specific animal in a specific color. We had to locate the other members who had the same animals as us, such as ‘Goat’ or ‘Baby cat’ – no, not kitten.

Once everyone had located the members with the same animals as them, Wanisa and Adriana announced that we had found our families! Not only did we discover which family we were in, but we also were paired with our mentor or mentees by the specific animal we had in our envelope. Thank you to Wanisa Jaikwang and Adriana Sanchez who spent a huge amount of time and effort into organizing the member induction and family reveal ceremony. Everyone enjoyed playing games together, enjoying the competitiveness, and discovering our CKI family and mentor or mentees. Thank you to all of the board members who contributed to this event and helped make it a magical night for the CSULB Circle K family. The ceremony had over forty attendees this year, and it was definitely made a special, unforgettable day that we all were introduced to our mentors, or mentees, and families.

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BLESSING OF THE TREES Dercy De La Cruz | ECC The Hermosa Beach Kiwanians always sell beautiful Christmas trees after Thanksgiving. Every year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving they get some sort of religious person to come and bless all trees that are on the lot. They do this with the hope that they can sell out the entire tree filled lot and be able to fund all the projects and scholarships for the Hermosa Beach community and Kiwanis Family youth programs that the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis sponsor. This year, Lisa, the current Hermosa Beach Kiwanis President, got a local priest to bless the trees. He got a large container and walked all over the lot to throw holy water at trees. I am not a particularly religious person, but I do love that they do little ceremonies like these because it shows acceptance of all individuals. The Hermosa Beach Kiwanis have a reverend,

a rabbi, and very old wise souls in the club who lead their weekly meeting in prayer or offering of sage thoughts so adding a priest to the event diversified the already diverse crew that the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis already had. The event was filled with bickering and teasing, but everyone stood quiet when the priest prayed and offered his blessings to the month long event. After the priest completed his priestly duties, ECC CKI gave the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis their very large Thanksgiving themed Thank you card. Lisa and the other Kiwanians present went “awww” when they saw it. The Hermosa Beach Kiwanians flocked around to read the card when they had the chance. It was a very cute event and I hope that next year more members will be free to attend!

ACING & RESCUING Aurora Luong | UCLA Ace Of Hearts is a rescue foundation that rescues dogs from being euthanized and works to have these dogs adopted.

Specially, this service event was held in Beverly Hills at a local Petco store. The Ace of Hearts foundation worked with Petco to find a match for the dogs with a loving and caring owner.

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Volunteers had a variety of tasks to complete- some people made care packages of dog food and treats for potential owners, others were advertising the event on the street and asking for donations.

Many people took care of the dogs that were waiting to be adopted, such as providing

them treats and keeping them company. At the end of the day, we helped the staff and volunteers clean up the store and put items in their vans.

I learned from this event that one needs to be actively looking to help people out. The volunteers and staff didn’t have the time to constantly tell the rest of us what to do. It was essentially up to the volunteer to want to help out. At the end of the day, it was fulfilling to receive the workers’ appreciation for our hard work. The service event was extremely enjoyable and the dogs were adorable. I definitely recommend others to attend future events.

ROCK N' ROLL MARATHON Ashley Ta | USC On October 25th, USC CKI had the amazing opportunity to volunteer at the LA Rock n’ Roll Marathon, the world’s largest Halloween half marathon and 5k, in order to benefit the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. We had the task of passing out water to runners as they ran past, and our members were out on the streets by scenic Little Tokyo setting up water stations even before the sun rose to prepare. It was a fantastic experience helping runners who were not only taking care of their health and waking up to run a half marathon at 6 am, but runners who were running to benefit a wonderful cause.

The ASPCA is the largest humane society in the world, and their mission is to “provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.” It is always heartwarming to come together to work for a great cause. We all had a great time, from mingling with fellow volunteers to competing to see whose water cup would be taken first. The free t-shirts and bags were just a bonus! This was especially special to us because the event was so close to our school, so we were able to see lots of fellow students participating and cheer them on as they completed their race.

It’s always nice to be enacting change close to home.

We had fun, and we can’t wait to continue our service in 2016!

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EVERYBODY READS Isaac Miller | CSUN

My roommate, Kim, and I, Isaac, rush out our apartment. It’s finally Saturday and my favorite event is on, Everybody Reads. It’s just Kim and myself today, but that doesn’t matter. I get to see those happy faces of the kids at ER once again! We received emails that we were going to be doing coloring activities with Thanksgiving cards and I couldn’t wait to see all the cool designs these kids made for their parents.

We walk in early and all of the kids start filing in one by one. I wound up helping with checking in, so I got to see all of the kids come in. They all greeted me with big smiles, especially the 4th graders with whom I normally read. Once they were mostly checked in, I went to go keep the kids company along with the other volunteers. It turns out, a few of the kids had actually made cards thanking me and that really touched my heart. I playfully ask them to draw or make me things, but this time I didn’t ask for anything and they showed me thanks.

Then we actually got to reading with this kids and I was put in charge of 3rd grade. I was sad to not be with my 4th grade homies, but 3rd grade would be just as rewarding. The two boys with whom I read were so sweet. One, whom I will call Victor, was struggling to read; however, he was asking me questions about words he didn’t know. At one point, the two boys started reading the same book and I had them take turns reading. Victor would happily volunteer to read, even though he struggled.

That moment was the moment where it all sunk in that the point of this program is to get these kids to enjoy reading, regardless of their skill set. I’m so glad that CSUN CKI has been such a major part in this program’s success.

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CARNIVAL OF HORRORS: PAL-LOWEEN Sarah Chang | UCLA As a kid, Halloween meant an exciting night full of costumes, candy, and cavities. Though we didn’t go trick-or-treating this year, Halloween was still an awesome night of fun and sweets. On October 31st, Circle K members boarded the bus to volunteer at Santa Monica’s PAL-loween, a spooky carnival, hosted by the Police Activities League at the PAL Youth Center. PAL-loween is Santa Monica’s annual indoor Halloween celebration full of games, mazes, food, arts and crafts, a haunted house, and of course trick-or-treating. The event provides a free and safe way for kids of all ages in the community to enjoy their Halloween.

We arrived an hour before the event started to decided where each of us would be volunteering and set up our areas. While I was stationed at the arts and crafts booth, helping kids glue googly eyes on pumpkin, bats, and ghost pins, others were in charge of applying spooky tattoos and crafting Halloween necklaces and bracelets. Circle K members also took on the challenge of scaring kids in the haunted house, and passed out candy to trick-or-treaters. Kids and families came

dressed in their Halloween best, with whole families dressed up as characters from Inside Out to the Avengers and we got to enjoy all the adorable and creative costumes throughout the night.

After the event, we cleared sets and props, tore down decorations, and returned the spooky haunted house back into the PAL’s activity center.

Throughout the night the PAL volunteers were extremely friendly and thankful to have our help.

They hadn’t expected so many of us to volunteer and were surprised when we arrived, exclaiming “Is there anyone even still left at the school?” Before we left, they were even generous enough to pass out a few free t-shirts and leftover candy from the event! After snapping a few photos, we left with candy in our buckets and smiles on our faces, feeling again like little kids with our Halloween haul.

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[RECAP]

PAST division EVENTS

METRO DIVISION KEY TO COLLEGE @ USC Carlos Ong | CSUDH On Saturday, September 26th, 2015, Metro Division held their divisional service project Key to College on the campus of the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. Over 50 Circle K members from CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Long Beach, CSU Northridge, El Camino College, UCLA and USC held workshops, gave campus tours, and helped with the event to educate over 100 high school students, mostly seniors, about the wondrous journey known as college.

All of the attending high school students are part of their high school Kiwanis Family organizations, be it from the Crystal Division of KIWIN’S or Key Club, which had members from Division 1, Division 3 South, Division 13 North, Division 16 South, Division 19 North, Division 19 South, Division 25 East, Division 25 West, Division 35 East, and Division 35 West attend.

As mentioned before, Key to College was held to essentially educate high school students about college. In addition to leading campus tours around USC, Circle K members also held various college-based workshops, such as financial aid, choosing the right college, and doing well in college. During the lunch break of the event there was a service project held

by USC Circle K, in which Circle K members had an opportunity to make children’s cloth dolls for the Pediatric Trauma Program, or PTP. At the end of the event was the panel, in which representatives from the Circle K clubs answered questions from the high school students.

This Key to College was the first one I've ever volunteered at, and I enjoyed it very much. I was given the additional privilege to host a workshop with my fellow member, Cheyenne Luna; this was one of my favorite parts from that event. Even though my workshop audience was small, they were very en-

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gaged in learning about the workshop’s theme, which was dorming and commuting. Having these students so engaged in what I’m informing them about college, even though it’s a small part of college life, was a very fulfilling experience, one that I won’t forget at all.

That’s why I encourage members to volunteer at the next opportunity for Key to College. These high school students aren’t coming just because of the hype; most if not all of them are very intrigued about what lies ahead of them. College is right around their corner, and we can be the ones that guide them towards it. Overall, I really enjoyed this event and I hope more members can help volunteer the next time Metro hosts one.

MONROE MIDDLE SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION Maria Hammett | UCLA On November 21st the Circle K Metro Division went to Monroe Middle School in Inglewood, CA, to finish a beautification project left unfinished due to time constraints during UCLA’s Volunteer Day. I went with UCLA’s Circle K and we were joined by other Circle K organizations within the Metro Division, which included CSU Dominguez Hills, CSU Long Beach, CSU Northridge, El Camino College, and USC. We were split into various groups to tackle the various projects needed to be completed by the afternoon. I was placed into a group tasked with re-painting the red fire lane strip near the parking lot as well as painting a red boundary line in the hallway. After we finished those tasks we helped touch up the finished projects by making sure there was an even coat of paint such as on the columns of the hallway. Overall my experience was fantastic, I had a lot of fun meeting new people as I helped beautify a local middle school. Personally, I especially enjoyed helping with touch-ups as every detail is important to the overall quality! I encourage others to attend Divisional Service Projects to work on similar projects to the Monroe Beautification Project. It was a good way to have fun while also giving back to my community!

A SPIRITED NIGHT Isaac Miller | CSUN On October 16th, I had the privilege of helping make spirit items at the Metro Spirit Night and I’ve got to admit that it was pretty fun! El Camino College was hosting it and we managed to get quite a bit done. Lindon and Josef asked us all to make these golden laurels. Some of us took on the task of making the leaves and others with twisting the pipe cleaner and gluing leaves. Through all the cutting and gluing, we all managed to have some nice conversation and good bonding experiences. Of course, there was the standard CKI round of dancing to K-pop, but don’t let Josef see you do the wrong move!

The building that we were in closed, but did we call it quits and go home? Nope! Instead, we relocated to some benches a ways from the building and did loud karaoke while strangers walked by! We also learned some cheers as well as made up a few of our own! I’m really grateful that CSUN made the trip down for some quality bonding and productive crafting. We looked so cute at FTC with our gear and we cheered so loudly! Can’t wait for the next round! DCON spirit night, anyone?

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METRO MEMBER INDUCTION Frank Cheng | CSUDH

On December 4th, our division had the opportunity to host a New Member Induction and I am happy to say that it was successfully done. This event is one of the many events that shows how close our division is.

This night started off with our usual Divisional Council Meeting, where all the schools give their updates and past events. Also, during DCM there was a competition for the canned food drive that our division participated together. (Congratulations to El Camino College for winning with 122 cans!) Afterwards, we started a service project in where we made funny looking snowmen and everyone was interacting and socializing with one another. I would say it was fairly nice and simple service project.

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Later that night led to the New Member Induction and it was a very special time for all the new members. In our school, we had more new members attend andit was a great feeling. As being one of the large schools that attended the event it made me proud of being a member of CSU Dominguez Hills CKI. I was excited to see my video played during dinner. I worked hard on those videos and was excited that my division was able to recognize my hard work. Overall it was a great night with my CKI family!

[RECAP]

PAST district EVENTS

CRAZY KOMP FOR INFANTS (CKI): SOUTH Crystil Quiroz | USC Waking up bright and early on a Saturday morning was no easy task, and yet the grogginess and sleepiness was immediately filled with excitement the minute we realized that the day had finally arrived.

Alas, October 17th was here, and schools all across the southern division of the California-Nevada-Hawaii District met in Stanton Park to compete in a series of mini-games in the infamous Crazy Kompetition for Infants (CKI) South event. Teams of 6 played against one another under 5 stations, and those who performed the best would move on to the semi-finals and then finals. From jumping rope, to intense rock-paper-scissors, this competition was a great way to learn how to work and communicate as a team. I, personally, loved showing off my “dancing” skills in the animal relay, where I was a “bird” and had to “feed the chicks” by shaking tennis balls out of a tissue box that was strapped around my waist. My cheeks hurt from laughing so hard.

was for a much more meaningful cause. Although we were competing against one another, together we were united in for one reason alone: to raise money for the Pediatric Trauma Program (PTP). The program advocates for both the treatment of children who have been affected by unintentional injury and the prevention of such accidental injuries. The program funds safety education, specialized training, and many more resources to help kids and their families.

After hearing an empowering speech by Russ Kiner, whose son went through the PTP, all of us knew that our presence at CKI South was only one way we would help fund these programs and treatments. As beneficial as this fundraiser was, as CKI members, we all could do more and work together a team to help fund and raise awareness for these programs.

Ultimately, after a day of fellowship, teamwork, and fun, the long day was more than worth it, especially with the knowledge that we are making and impact As fun and competitive as the games were, beyond and that our work will promise a better future for chilthe games and relays, we all knew that our gathering dren.

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FALL TRAINING CONFERENCE Ethan Wynne | CSULB

Before I begin, I have to

admit that words alone do not do FTC justice, rather it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that has to be experienced first hand to be genuinely understood and appreciated. With that being said, I strongly encourage everyone to experience the magic of FTC in person at least once in his or her time as a Metro Monster.

So what is FTC? Well, FTC stands for Fall Training Conference and it is, as the name says, a training conference that spans over three days. The first day is considered the arrival day as a whole because many different difficult factors (Distance from university, Friday classes, etc.) effect the time each individual club arrives to the campgrounds in Sonora, CA, where FTC takes place. For us Metro Monsters, the first stiff steps outside our stuffed cars are relieving to say the least after our hours spent on the road driving. The long drive may be discouraging, but the hours of laughing, sharing stories, and bonding is a large part of what makes FTC so special. After moving the luggage into the cabins, the night concludes with the opening general session bursting with spirit and excitement.

After the rush of being at FTC, it’s quite difficult to fall 18

asleep that night, but it is more than necessary because the next day is jam-packed with fun and excitement from the early morning to the late night. Early morning is kick-started by friendly competitions and breakfast between teams comprised of members from all over CNH. This allows the wonderful members of CNH to intermingle with each other and get to know people they would’ve never met elsewise.

These games always occur simultaneously with dining hours, so between breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a variety of workshops, tailored to make us all more well rounded CKI members, students, and people overall. Whether it is a spirit, a public speaking, or

even a self-defense workshop, each in one way or an- the most dreaded part of FTC because it brings FTC other teaches very valuable and useful skill that we to a close. The final cheers and roars of each division can utilize as we go through life. were bursting with so much passion and pride that it seemed like the building was going to come crashing Workshops make up a majority of the day, as it is the down! The meeting recapped the amazing moments “training” aspect of FTC. At the end of the day after of this years FTC with sensational speeches and predinner, all the clubs gathered in the auditorium for a sentations of many awards to a variety of clubs. Wishseries of events. First, the member induction ceremo- ing everyone a safe journey home, Tae, our district ny took place where each member was awarded their governor, officially concluded FTC with a ring of the member induction certificate and a moment in front bell. of all of CNH! The rest of the ceremony is so powerful and special that I have to keep this unforgettable Without a doubt, FTC is one of the most wonderful experience a secret in order to preserve it for the fu- and unforgettable experiences in my entire life. Howture attendees. Next, there is a fashion show where ever, it was not the scheduled events and activities each club presents their own t-shirt for the year by that made the weekend so memorable, rather it is the having their models “walk” across the stage (to say people, our fellow CKI’ers, which made my weekend the least)! The thrills continued as everyone moved truly special. Spending the weekend with so many from the auditorium to the outside amphitheater for friendly, caring, and genuine people has to be the campfires skits! After these amazing performances, reason why I can’t wait to return! I have to especially we had our own free time to dance the night away thank my CSULB family; I have never met a group of on the dance floor, sing our hearts out at the karaoke, people so selfless, fun-loving, caring, and inclusive in or have a blast playing all the carnival games. As we my entire life… I couldn’t be more proud or grateful to entered the early hours of the morning, many mem- stand alongside each and everyone one of my 49’ers! bers bonded around the multiple bonfires before our But just because I’m a 49’er doesn’t mean I’m not a curfew of 2 am.

Metro monster! In fact, it’s been my genuine pleasure meeting so many incredible and kindhearted monThe final day was much more relaxed yet melancholic sters; I can’t wait to get to know so many more! So I as it was time for us to leave this CKI paradise back to look forward to all us Metro Monsters together as one the reality of college. We were allowed to get break- family cheering our hearts out and having the time of fast anytime before the final general session, and our lives at next year's FTC! most members, understandably, slept in for as long as they could. Then the final general session arrived, 19

n o t h g i l t o p S KIW CSUDH: GARDENA VALLEY The Kiwanis Club of Gardena Valley hasn’t always been the sponsors of CSU, Dominguez Hills Circle K but has fostered a sponsorship that seems to have been in existence since our charter. This club may be small, but their impact is as huge as their hearts for the youth and for their community.

The members of this club come in a variety with some having ties to other branches of the Kiwanis Family. Our faculty advisor is also, upon joining Kiwanis a few years ago, our Kiwanis Advisor. She has two kids and a husband that have also been supportive at times to our events and gatherings. Maria Garcia-Barajas is a huge asset to our club, similar to that of a mother always trying to point us in the correct direction. As a former member of CSU Dominguez Hills Circle K, she has much wisdom and insight from all these years. At one point, she was also the District Treasurer for Circle K and returns back to her CKI roots at some events such as District Convention and Fall Training Conference. Maria has probably been the truest and most valuable asset to CSU Dominguez Hill’s successes. Along her, we have another member named John Nicholson, Metro Division Regional Advisor emeritus and our former Kiwanis Advisor. He once was the advisor for 2 Key Clubs and Circle K. Now he is spending his time with only Key Clubbers and even at 90 years old, is still keeping up with them even at Fall Rally South and their District Convention. A fun fact, Mr. Nicholson used to take a group of Key Clubbers to Mexico every year for a service project and he is still frequently participating in community service today. A third former member of

the club that should be noted is Thomas Ramirez. As the former Regional Advisor for Metro Division, Tom was also our Kiwanis Advisor at one point, and a Circle K member himself. Mr. Ramirez had always tested our choices to ensure our confidences in our decisions and helped us grow from many situations. When he was our advisor, Circle K was a high priority item for him. Tom played taxi for us many times, has shared stories about past Circle K history, and tends to surprise us in many ways. He related to members on our level and was always willing to provide advice and guidance to a Circle K member in need. We will always remember his rambling speeches and lessons.Gardena Valley Kiwanis hosts several events year round. A few events include an annual Golf Tournament, a Last Man Standing raffle/dinner, and a large fishing derby for their and local communities to participate in. Their continued support to their community and to providing service is a prime example about how PEOPLE can make a difference to better others. This club is full of wisdom and knowledge from all their years of service. We never say no to any of their service projects and try to attend Kiwanis Luncheons regularly. This year, we have attempted to bridge transparency with every level of Circle K to their level.

By keeping them in the loop at all times, they can truly see that their sponsorship transcends through our drive and focus as a Circle K club. The Gardena Valley Kiwanis Club will always be an extension of our clubs Circle K family.

CSULB: LONG BEACH The Kiwanis of Long Beach covers a large part of the Long Beach area and they sponsor not only our Circle K club, but also four other Key Clubs in the area. In the past year, we’ve participated in everything from Safety Fairs to Tree Plantings with our Kiwanis and we’ve also invited them to our KFam Movie Night as well as our Key to College. Our Kiwanis is always there to support us whether it’s morally or financially (especially for those large events like FTC and DCON) and they’ve always done everything that they can to make sure that we are provided with the best and most promising opportunities.

A great memory that we had with the Kiwanis of Long Beach is when we attempted to host our Kiwanis Family Movie Night. The event was open to members of Key Club, Circle K, and Kiwanis and when it was the day of the event, the only person to show up besides a few Circle K board members was none other

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than our Kiwanis Advisor, Manuel Campos. Manny is one of the most supportive and helpful Kiwanis members that our club has had the opportunity of meeting.

He was the only one to show up and even though it was kind of sad for the rest of us that nobody showed up, he turned it into a time for us to get to know each other better and that was when he showed that he really cared for the members in our club. He asked us all about what we wanted to do in the future and gave us advice on how to reach our goals and to overcome all the obstacles that we’ll eventually have to face. He spent nearly two hours talking to us all and validating all of our dreams and aspirations.

No matter how busy our schedules get or how many problems we encounter, we always remember to thank the Kiwanis Club of Long Beach for all their support and their motivation to keep doing what we do.

on WANIS ECC: HERMOSA BEACH ECC is sponsored by the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis club and 1926 was the year they were established. Fast forward decades in the future and today you see the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis filled with men and women from all walks of life. There are lawyers, retired engineers, retired school teacher, realtors, and even business owners in the club. ECC loves visiting the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis because they will joke with us about random things that they find funny and then they enjoy teasing and bickering with each. They celebrate anniversaries and birthdays by banging their hands on the tables in a cacophony of song. Our Kiwanis Advisor is Howard Seeb! He is a retired engineer and one of the mellowest people you will ever meet. He takes pictures of every Kiwanis meeting and every Kiwanis

Sponsored event and does not always warn you when a photo is being taken.

One of the beautiful things about going to Hermosa Beach Kiwanis events is that they will always feed CKI people. Most events that they ask us to volunteer end up with us eating after we finish our tasks. They are very nice to us and always welcome us back to their hall. The hall is beautiful and a few blocks away from the beach, in case that wasn’t obvious with Hermosa Beach being in their name.

If a veteran ECC CKI person walks around the hall they are filled with memories of banquets, parties, and meeting that they have attend. It is a very special place for us. ECC is incredibly lucky to have a patient Kiwanis advisor and quirky fun-loving Kiwanians sponsoring us!

UCLA: SANTA MONICA UCLA Circle K is so thankful to have Santa Monica Kiwanis as our sponsoring Kiwanis Club! A club that is deeply rooted in the city of Santa Monica and in many areas throughout the community there, Santa Monica Kiwanis has steadily maintained itself as one of the most generous and active service organizations in the city.

Since its chartering in 1922 as one of the first Kiwanis clubs on the West Coast, Santa Monica Kiwanis has grown over the last 93 years in its contributions to its community and has remained the most active service organization in Santa Monica. For years, members from different organizations in the city and active community members across the board have united together through this Kiwanis Club, and the events and service they commit to these organizations even now speaks volumes about the rich history of the club. Through participation in service with the Police Activities League, Santa Monica Public Library, Salvation Army, the City of Santa Monica and beyond, this Kiwanis Club, although serves

together regularly, still has members actively serving the community individually and as a whole. Not only does Santa Monica Kiwanis contribute through service, but financially donates, sponsors, and awards around $150,000 to community entities, community events, and youth in the community annually. As a Circle K member who’s grown closer to Santa Monica Kiwanis recently, the level of commitment and investment that this club upholds in the community of Santa Monica is absolutely amazing; the energy that this club provides is silly and laid-back, but when it comes to giving back to the community these Kiwanians give everything that they can. Through monetarily contributing to our club’s finances, serving together with our Circle K members whenever possible, and always being willing to meet and interact with our club, I couldn’t think of a better sponsoring Kiwanis Club for UCLA CKI. Our club is so thankful for Santa Monica Kiwanis, and can’t wait to see how both of our clubs will grow together in the years to come

USC: LOS ANGELES USC Circle K has been sponsored by the Los Angeles Kiwanis club since its chartering in 1988. For the past 18 years, LA Kiwanis has supported us through all our endeavors and we could not be happier to be a part of their Kiwanis family.

Founded in 1917, the Los Angeles Kiwanis club has served the community consistently for 99 years. It was one of the first Kiwanis clubs to ever exist, just two years after the founding of Kiwanis International. Since then, LA Kiwanis has made its impact on Los Angeles history through its contributions to both the community and the youth of the city. Though small in numbers, the club remains one of the most active and enthusiastic service organizations in Los Angeles.

Members of the LA Kiwanis club have served the Angeleno community in many different ways. In recent years, the club has worked to prepare hot meals for residents at the Downtown Women's Center. LA Kiwanis has also worked to volunteer with the Southern California Special Olympics. Our focus on children has been emphasized by our partnerships with the Children's Hospital of Los Ange-

les and the McKinley Children's Center. LA Kiwanis has not only participated in countless service projects over the last 99 years, but also has contributed to the community through its philanthropic efforts. The club has raised and donated thousands of dollars toward its main goal of serving the children of the community and the world by sending its funds to initiatives such as the Eliminate Project and the Pedatric Trauma Program.

The LA Kiwanis club has helped develop servant leaders and community-oriented individuals in USC over the past years. Sponsoring many different KIWIN'S and Key Clubs in the LA area, the club has served as a focal point for all SLP's in the area. LA Kiwanis has helped fund USC Circle K by helping us financially. USC Circle K could not be more thankful for all the support we received through LA Kiwanis. Our club might be small, but the members, such as our wonderful advisor Camille Goulet and club secretary Bob Santo, have truly inspired us to keep striving to serve the community. Without them, USC Circle K would not be able interact with different clubs within our Kiwanis family.

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[up next] UPCOMING METRO/DISTRICT EVENTS Need some food for your soul? Looking to do something to get your mind off of school? Wanna be more involved in CKI while having the time of your life? Well look no further, because here are some events that will be open to all members of Metro Division within the next couple of months! There will be tons of opportunities for service, leadership, and fellowship. Make some memories and meet new friends while doing serving the community. How awesome is that! We look forward to seeing you soon!

JANUARY ICE SKATING/RUBY'S SOCIAL Palos Verdes Ice Chalet January 22, 2016 Ruby's: 7AM-9PM Ice Skating: 6PM-9PM Presale: $12 // @ the Door: $15

ECC Circle K invites you and your guests to a wonderful Friday in Palos Verdes Estate. Your day consists of exploring the Promenade on the Peninsula. Afterwards, join the CKI family with lunch/dinner at Ruby's diner next to the ice skating ring. The event is all day. Spend your evening skating at the Palos Verdes Ice Chalet. At the end of the event Sara will raffle off a Ruby's Diner receipt for a chance to get a free meal. All proceeds goes towards ECC CKI. So come join us! We hope to see you there! Sign up for presale at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1tJJsn6gRj-mCHKWzy0YLFC79Ysdor0VSeMtA__R_YrQ/viewform?usp=send_form If you have any questions, contact Dercy De La Cruz!

JANUARY DCM/DODGEBALL TOURNEY Stevenson Park (Basketball Courts) January 24, 2016 // 12-5PM Team Pre-Registration: $25 ($5/person) (Pre-registration ends January 23rd) @ the Door: $35 ($7/person) This DCM will be hosted by CSUDH CKi! Come out on Sunday, January 24th, for a day of fun and service. There will be a dodgeball tournament FUNdraiser, so make a team of five and sign up if you want to throw balls at other people! There will also be a card making service project for the homeless on Skid Row. CSUDH CKI will also be accepting any clothing donations for the homeless, so please bring some old clothes and help the less fortunate this winter! Please sign up for pre-registration with this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rRCrMsZ3lO9kuWZrWCcWYNOdXVMPDButjPeIfjQ-ji4/edit#gid=711766872.

If you have any questions, contact Belen Lujano or Josef Madrigal!

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JANUARY DISTRICT BOARD MEETING Kiwanis Professional Office Rancho Cucamonga, CA January 24, 2016 // 9AM *Must be a dues-paid member to attend*

CANDIDATES' EDUCATION SESSION / WEBINAR Queen Mary - Board Room/Promenade Deck Long Beach, CA February 6, 2016 // 4-6PM Parking: $10 Online Webinar: February 15, 2016 // 4-5PM Register @ https://cal-nev-ha-kiwanis.ilinc.com/perl/ilinc/ lms/register.pl?activity_id=htphchf&user_id=

District Large-Scale Service Project (DLSSP) South Orange County, CA February 20, 2016 // 8AM - 4PM Registration: $5 All forms and registration due January 22nd For more info, visit: http://tinyurl.com/DLSSPSOUTHPROJECTSAF or https://www.facebook. com/events/1668170463425310/

DCON 2016: Service Baked Fresh LAX Marriott March 18-20, 2016 Early Registration (by February 5th): $131 Regular Registration (by February 12th): $171 For more info, visit: dcon.cnhcirclek.org 23

subregion b JENNY PARK updates with

SEASON'S GREETINGS, METRO DIVISION! I hope everyone is keeping warm this chilly winter season and that you are all as pumped for convention season as I am.

Aside from our own amazing district convention in March, the start of 2016 comes with it several other amazing events to round out our CKI year such as: Southwest District Convention on February 26th, Rocky Mountain District Convention on March 11, and last but certainly not least CKIx on June 22nd.

For those who have not attended before, CKIx is a hybrid event that the Circle K International Board and the International Large Scale Service Project (LSSP) committee hosts every year which combines International Convention with that year's Large Scale Service Project. This year CKIx will be hosted in urban Toronto, Canada to finish out the celebration of 100 years of Kiwanis and its expansion to Canada and if that isn't enough to sway you; this year's service project focus for CKIx is homelessness which ties in perfectly with our own district's service initiative (Hope for the Homeless).

As of now, registration for all conventions are now open so if anyone has any interest in attending any of the aforementioned events please don't hesitate to contact me; the sooner we talk the sooner we can help you in affording all of these adventure packed conventions! Stay tuned next time for information about International Awards, the next Subregion Social Media Challenge, and CKI Leadership Academy 2016. Until next time, catch you later Metro!

Live to serve, love to serve!

Jenny Park CKI Subregion B Trustee 2015-16

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UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE PURCHASE THE 2015-16 METRO DIVISION SHIRT!

$15 CONTACT JOSEF MADRIGAL AT CKI.JOSEFMADRIGAL@GMAIL.COM

SEND YOUR ARTICLES AND SUBMISSIONS TO ALLENPHA@USC.EDU AND CKI.JOSEFMADRIGAL@GMAIL.COM FOR A CHANCE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT NEWSLETTER!

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THANKS FOR READING! CONTACT US

Paula Le

Executive Assistant paula.cnhcki@gmail.com

Andy Kim

Allen Pham

Lieutenant Governor cki.josefmadrigal@gmail.com

Communications Coordinator allenpha@usc.edu

Lindon Tran

Natalie Mann

Videographer cki.metrovideographer@gmail.com

Spirit Coordinator uclackikfam@gmail.com

CSU Long Beach csulbckipresident@gmail.com

Clare Smith

Belen Lujano

Lisa Chong

CSU Northridge president.csuncki@gmail.com

CSU Dominguez Hills csudhckipresident@gmail.com

UC Los Angeles uclackipresident@gmail.com

Dande Wang

Dercy De La Cruz

Armando Velasquez

University of Southern California d4ndewang@gmail.com

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Josef Madrigal

El Camino College elco.cki.president@gmail.com

Regional Advisor mondo80@gmail.com