THE HIVE
January 2016 CNH District D30S Whitney HS Volume XVIV Issue X
From your Bulletin Editor Hello Whitney Key Club, I just wanted to remind you all that everyone has a chance to be featured in the monthly newsletter. Send me an article on anything Key Club. It can be about an event you attended or just something you wanted to say. Feel free to message me if you have any questions at all! I really hope you will send in some articles, even if it’s just once every few months. Happy New Years! Until next month, Amy Wang
Aloha, ohana!! I can’t believe it’s finally 2016! Can you believe it? Because I’m still here sitting in shock. It’s almost a year since I’ve been proudly serving as your president and it honestly all feels so fast. I still cannot and do not want to believe that I will retire as your president in just 2-3 months. But we will make those months count! I’ll save the tears and the sap for banquet that I hope many of you come to because it is the opportunity for us to share our memories and to cry.. I mean rejoice together in the coming of the new term. On that note, let’s get on to what 2016 has in store for us! As many of you may know, we are starting this year off with our annual Lock-In!! I hope to see many of you there as it is an unforgettable, fun event where Key Clubbers come together for 12 hours to give back to our community through various activities that our cabinet has planned for the day. It’s a great way to end your Winter Break and to start your year off right. WOOT WOOT! What else do we have in 2016?? Hmm.. well we have Conclave in January where we will elect our new lieutenant governor for next year! It’s all happening so quickly. If you want to attend and watch our shining suns talk about how much they love Key Club, feel free to email me as soon as possible! There will be a future email talking about more details for you buzzin’ bees. Although it’s a bit of ways away, it’s never too early to talk about our own elections! Near the end of February/beginning of March we will elect our NEW executive board - president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer for the upcoming 2015-2016 term! If you want to run for executive board, go for it! Whether you have been in cabinet or if you have been a general member, you should run for a position if you truly want to take on its challenges and joys because the position and the experience with it are worth so much. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me, Iris, Isabelle or Karen about our thoughts on this past term! As many of you may know, the Key Club year is not the conventional school year so we begin & end in April. Officially, all the changes will happen on April 8-10, 2016, aka DISTRICT CONVENTION! Although DCON is a bit pricey this year, I highly recommend you go because it’s such a great experience where you get to see other Key Clubbers from all over California, Nevada, and Hawaii come together to express their passion for service and their belief in caring as our way of life. It’s honestly such an influential experience as it propels you further in your Key Club career with your ohana. I hope you all had an amazing, relaxing Winter Break!! I can’t wait to see what this NEW YEAR has in store for us SUNS. I love you all so very much. Thank you for making these past few months the best I’ve ever had. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to contact me at any time! Shining with Service, Frances Lee
From your President
Aq uariums e d u c a tfor ion
By Kristina Theam
Hi Key Clubbers! If you don’t know me already, my name is Kristina Theam and I’m your Whitney High School Key Club Historian for this term! I’m also involved with and passionate about Ecology and Wildlife Club at WHS. For my Key Club Project, I decided I wanted to integrate two very important aspects of my life—my passions for both volunteering and marine biology. I’ve started a project called Aquariums for Education where my team and I set up aquariums at elementary schools all across the ABC Unified School District. (You guys should all keep an eye out for future emails from me for opportunities to volunteer at these elementary schools—whether it be helping to set up an aquarium or teaching elementary kids about the cool fish we have in the tanks!!). The goal of this project is to inspire young children and get them excited about science so that they might have a better idea of what career they want to pursue when they get older. The goal of this project is to pretty much raise an army of future scientists!! I was inspired to start this project because as of right now, I’m certain I want to pursue a path in biology, specifically marine biology, but growing up, I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to let that spark of passion burn into a bright flame. So I want to help give the children of this generation, as well as future generations, the chance to find that love and fervor for science. Funding for these aquariums is definitely one of the biggest components of this project, as setting up a single tank costs on average $150. But, Aquariums for Education has successfully funded for tanks through crowdfunding through websites such as GoFundMe, giving people stickers for a $1 donation to the club, hosting both food sales at school and bake sales outside of schools, and asking parents of classrooms in elementary schools for donations. The Key Club and volunteering aspect of this project is that Key Clubbers will be given the opportunity to help set up super cool aquariums and maybe even come visit the classrooms to hold biology-based conversations with the kids. Through this project, I gained a deeper understanding of the importance of having volunteers to help projects like these. I’m able to see things from a different point of view now—rather than just think about an event from the POV of a volunteer, I now also take into account all the hard work it takes to set up the event and coordinate the volunteers. So keep an eye out for future emails!! (And just an fyi, we don’t just set up aquariums, we also set up vivariums!)
2015
By Iris Xu
Operation Christmas The long lines, the crowded parking lots, the bustling sounds...The holidays are a time of lots of shopping. And what better way to shop than to shop for others? For two and a half weeks, Whitney Key Club hosted the annual Operation Christmas Adopt-a-Family drive. Groups of three to four homerooms were teamed up to provide food, toys, and other gifts to families in need in the Orange County area. Homeroom representatives were assigned to every class to make sure everyone was spirited and contributing to such a worthy cause. With the money we raised from all the homerooms, the representatives were able to purchase more gifts that the families asked for at local Walmarts or Targets. On packaging day, the representatives made sure that all the gifts and food items were packaged correctly and in an orderly fashion. Wow! The whole process seemed pretty exhausting and complicated, but in retrospect, all you members and Whitney students made the job a lot easier for all of us! As a result, 8 families were able to have one of the best holidays of their lives! With all the money and food you helped us raise, we were able to feed these families for weeks and maybe even months. So thank you, Whitney Key Club for making this annual project possible! We really could not have done it without all your help and support. Happy Holidays and keep serving!
FOOD BANK HOPE PACKAGING
By Jason Park
At the Hope Food Bank packaging event, there were a lot more attendees than original, and I happened to be one of the volunteers who came from the Hike the Halo event that got cancelled. At the Hope Food Bank packaging, the volunteers helped out with a variety of tasks: organizing food into crates from completely unorganized ones, making and labeling and organizing cardboard boxes, and packing the food items into the boxes. During the first step, the volunteers all helped organize the foods from a large amount of crates of food. By organizing these food items, it would be easier to make all of the boxes prepared the exact same, and that way no family will get an unfair advantage because of the amount of a certain food went into a certain box. After packaging all of the foods, the Key Clubbers went inside and started to do two things: make boxes and label them, and organizing them into rows of 10. Half of the volunteers worked on making the cardboard boxes and numbering them, and when the boxes were finished, the people outside organized them into rows, and more than 200 boxes were made. When the boxes were finished and labeled and organized, the packaging begun. The way the packaging worked was that there were tables spread across so that when a person came with a box for a family, each person would put in a certain amount of a food item, and this process would continue until all of the boxes were used. At some point, all of the boxes were filled up with food items and prepared for delivery, and we even made extra bags of the foods that were packed so that there would be more in case. The packaging event was a good time to bond with other key clubbers, as we could make tasks such as organizing numbered boxes more entertaining by creating an assembly line and seeing who can catch the boxes first and place them. By turning these tasks into small and enjoyable mini-games, I was able to make memories that brought me closer to my Key Clubbers who I know I will be volunteering with in events to come.
ACUMC Christmas Caroling
By Victor Phong
The Artesia-Cerritos United Methodist Church Christmas Caroling event was a great way for Key Clubbers to spend part of their winter break helping the community while getting into the Christmas spirit. When our five volunteers arrived, we practiced our Christmas carols in order to tweak our out-of-tune voices alongside Mr. Lee, the pastor, and other members of the church. When we felt “ready”, our group headed over to the Windsor Care Center to sing to the elderly, whose family may not visit them for the upcoming holidays. We hope that even through the screeching and terrible intonations, our elderly audience enjoyed our performance and were able to feel the same holiday cheer many others will experience this winter. After the event, our carolers headed back to the church to enjoy warm beverages, with a side of nachos and cake. Although the event lasted for a short period of time, it was well worth seeing the smiles on the elderly’s faces. Upon reflection, we see that it’s not very often that Key Clubbers have the opportunity to participate in events that demand artistic abilities; therefore, I encourage everyone to sign up for activities that do such, especially when they are entertaining and beneficial to the community.
By Joshua Ahn
Key Club
I don’t think I will ever regret joining Key Club. And it was a mistake not joining it earlier. Not only did I make new friends in our school, but also met a bunch of other people in our Division. Whenever I go to our DCM’s I get excited to talk to the people who I have met at previous events. None of the events were ever boring either. The people there were either really friendly or the event was full of movement and action. At most events, there is something to do to keep us busy, but sometimes there might be an excess amount of volunteers which can give you free time. However, this free time is when you can communicate and talk with other members of Key Club. Bonding is an everyday thing for Key Club. You get to know people more and more and that’s why we have our Key Club ohana. Our family helps each other out in any way possible and always encourages everyone to never give up. I have heard that Key Club may be a club that helps you get into college only, but from experience, I know that that isn’t true. I have become a more open person and can now talk with people more freely. One lesson I learned through Key Club is that when you connect with someone, you become closer to them faster and easier. I really recommend for others to join Key Club because not only to have fun, but make new friends. Also, the events you can go to are all amazing and members of Kiwanis are sometimes there. Not only are you meeting with people around our age, but with seniors who have retired. It is a great experience that you shouldn’t miss out on before you graduate from high school.
December DCM
By Karen Long
Winter Extravaganza
It’s been pretty cold lately. But do you know what will help keep you warm during the holidays? Some Division 30 South sunshine! On Saturday, December 19th, all of the suns and rhinos from Division 30 North gathered at Buena Park High School for the annual Winter Extravaganza. The great amount of spirit from the cheer competition hosted at the school on the same day matched up perfectly with everyone’s holiday spirit inside the cafeteria where the DCM was located. The room was filled with Christmas decorations, food from our potluck, and Key Clubbers who were excited to begin their Winter Break with one another. We started off the event with our DCM, which was when we were awarded First Shining Club of the Month and Isabelle was awarded Shining Secretary. Congrats, Whitney Key Club! After wrapping up our meeting and then eating, we moved on to our service projects! All of us were partnered with a member from a different division to help everyone bond with more people. Together, we made non-slip socks for the children at CHOC. The soles of the socks were decorated with puffy paint which would help keep the children at the hospital warm and prevent them from slipping while they’re walking. If you’re planning on attending our annual Lock-In on January 2nd, this is a sneak peek of what we’ll be doing as well. For our second service project, we made cards for a veteran or someone we’re thankful for such as an advisor or Kiwanis member. While we were making our cards and non-slip socks, John and Serena gave away mini pillow pets to members who answered questions about Key Club correctly. These questions were followed by a mini fashion show for the ugly sweater contest. Doesn’t that sound like fun? And that concluded December DCM, meaning Conclave is next which is where we’ll elect the next lieutenant governor for our division for the ‘16-‘17 term.
By Ethan Xu
CPAD Christmas Party
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson This Saturday (December 19), Whitney Key Club had the opportunity to serve the Chinese Parents Association for the Disabled. We helped design and decorate for their annual Christmas party. First, we helped decorate the walls with Christmas ornaments and winter decorations. We were able to turn a regular room into a complete party house in an hour! Afterwards, we were able to help serve the kids and their families with a lunch that consisted of Chinese food. When we were finished, we had the chance to dive into the amazing food ourselves! While everyone was enjoying their lunch, the Revolution Records helped play Christmas carols in which kids were involved in playing many of the instruments. When they finished playing music, a special guest arrived…Santa! The kids were overjoyed and hugged and talked to him. It was such a great experience seeing all the happiness and positivity spread through the work of our Key Club. At the end of the day, we were all exhausted but were extremely happy of the excitement spread.
By Eunice Shim
The Gift of Giving
“Give others all that is alive in us—our interest, understanding, our knowledge, our humor, everything in us that’s good. In doing so, we enhance the sense of aliveness in others while enhancing our own. When we give, we get a “heightened vitality” of what it means to be human.” –Erich Fromm. WOW...what a bold quote! Since it’s been December, I thought that it’d be highly appropriate for me to write about the beauty of giving. With our changing economic times, everyone is asking for help in some form. & as many ways there are to give, there are just as many reasons people give. Some people give for recognition. Others give expecting to be paid back or thanked, they give to get. Some people want a hands-on-experience and are generous with their time. Some like to give anonymously and don’t want any recognition at all. People who truly master the art of giving give out of the goodness of their hearts with no self-serving motives. And I think that’s what Key Club sets out to raise in this world; people who give to give, not give to get. Generosity is a choice that feels right and joyful. Generosity comes from believing you have enough to share, whether that’d be material gifts, time, or service. For Key Clubbers, this past December was filled with ‘giving’. The list was endless: monetary support for financially-lacking families in this year’s “Adopt-a-Family”, carol-singing for residents of the Windsor Palms Care Center, handmade holiday cards to the residents of Buena Park Nursing Home, etc. But I don’t want us to treat December as an excuse to give. I don’t want to end here. So here are some practical ways you can continue on the gift of giving in your life. Give of Your Talents Use your unique, or even non-unique, skills and abilities for a good cause. That knack you have of offering advice to a friend, that artistic genius in you, your talent for music. Don’t waste your talents! Find ways you can use them to better somebody else’s life! (No excuses! You shouldn’t refuse to offer your skills just because you think somebody else can do it better. You’re unique and your contribution is valuable on its own.) Give of yourself. Make someone feel loved! Putting extra time into making a visit, phone call, email, or card, will instantly make the other receiver feel appreciated. Giving a handmade gift will further make the person feel special. Give the gift of laughter. Laughter brings health and happiness to others. It offers both physiological and psychological benefits. So laugh loud and laugh often with everyone. Give affection. Offer a hug, a pat on the back, a touch on an arm, or a tender look (appropriately HAHA). We never lose the need for affection and acceptance (unless it’s me. please don’t touch me. I’m just writing based on scientific knowledge, not personal experience). Touching can heal emotional wounds. Give encouragement. When people are filled with doubt and fear they lack courage. When you inspire and motivate someone to act on their dreams, it can be life changing. You are making the world a better place. Give love. It’s easy to love those who love us back. Challenge yourself to give love to those who deserve it the least. Make your love unconditional. Make the world a more loving place. Everyone will reap the benefits!
Food4Thought
By Amy Lee
Ho-Holiday Seasons The holiday season brings a lot of things into mind: candy canes, gifts, family, no school, etc. Most of all, it brings happiness and comfort. One of the deep sources of happiness is being and connecting with others. Volunteering is something that brings about the connection; there is no underlining motives except that one wants to help another who isn’t as fortunate to be as healthy or well off. The holiday season brings special events, because the emotions of the giving season are strong and are initiated in hopes of reaching out and aiding any and all. The joyfulness and thankfulness triggers a more giving attitude, in contrast to the rest of the year. They bring out the best in all of us, stretching out smiles on our faces and fueling us a surplus of energy to haul and labor more for a greater cause. They make us want to give back to the community or support a cause because it’s what the season calls for, giving and charity. However, Key Club emphasizes these ideals all year and, although they are only given spotlight towards the end of the year, it is a huge reminder to why we strive for more at events we commute to from Cerritos. It reminds us that there is hope in humanity, represented in us and in our actions.
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Contact Cabinet(:
Frances Lee, President - sweet2frances@gmail.com Iris Xu, Vice President - itzmeiris98@gmail.com Isabelle Lee, Secretary - isabellelee2424@gmail.com Karen Long, Treasurer - long.karen09@gmail.com Amy Wang, Bulletin Editor - amywangh32@gmail.com Amy Lee, DIrector of Activities - amylee90703@gmail.com Christina Hur, Director of Activities - christinahur16@gmail.com Eunice Shim, Director of Fundraising - euniceshim07@gmail.com Jason Park, Director of Fundraising - jasonoftheparks@gmail.com Danielle Lee, Director of Publicity - danielle9lee@gmail.com Joshua Ahn, Director of Publicity - joshahn2000@gmail.com Kiristina Theam, Historian - kctheam@gmail.com Richard Tee, Historian - richardtee2000@gmail.com Victor Phong, Kiwanis Chair - victor_phong@yahoo.com