july 2019 brooklyn tech the beaver tree
NO T E
FROM THE EDITOR ellen seto
Summer vacation is finally here!! Honestly, it couldn't
so check out the Table of Contents.
come fast enough. I'm so glad
Keep an eye out for my
testing is over!! (I'm so over
future newsletters, too, since
regents. Anyone else tired of
you'll always have
them, too?)
opportunities to get points in
What's not over, though, is
simple ways!! Sending in
service!! Key Club is still active
pictures and photos to me also
throughout the summer, and
earns you points, so be sure to
all your points from here on
do that. It's really helpful to
out will go towards next year,
me!!
so get a head start! It's gonna be really fun with all our new
Thank you for reading the newsletter and keeping up!
events coming up, so look
1
forward to that. Summer
Yours in service,
equals fun!! Definitely come to
Ellen Seto
our fundraiser with Stuyvesant
2019-2020 BTHS Key Club
Key Club!! More info on that,
Bulletin Editor
2
2
it's it's
july july
3
TABLE OF
CONTENTS 1
4
5
6
7
9
13
39
41
45
note from the editor did you read it?
table of contents you're here!
reminders
read all the way to the end!
key club
who we are
executive board at brooklyn tech
executives' remarks
from our president and treasurer
events
look at photos and articles submitted by members! (lookin' good, guys!)
adventures at governor's island stuy x bths interclub event
updates
26
47
48
49
61
31
lieutenant governor's update from jaden thomas
key club international news all the latest updates
district board 2019-2020
ICON
check out the beautiful spread!
special thanks
to ms. visbal, stuyvesant key club, and you!
puzzle
solve for points!
32
club vip's
32
key club pledge
ms. mckinnon, ms. multari, and mr. morgan read it!! changes have been made to the pledge!!
our fundraiser, new member applications, and our website
divisional news
keep up with our division! and a word from our lieutenant governor
4
reminders read ayan's presidential update emails for all the information and updates you need about key club! want a quick tl;dr for club updates? watch our member representatives' member updates!! we've already released 3 video updates so far. watch out for our tech x stuy interclub fundraising event "adventures at governor's island." proceeds will be donated to the children's miracle network! perfect time to hangout with your stuy friends!! be on the lookout for key club events in the summer!! all points and hours you receive from this point on will count towards your hours and club credits for next year.
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We are a community that focuses on service and volunteer work so we can help others and the place we live in. Here, we give students opportunities to build character, leadership and have a place to feel included. We're here to make a difference. thetechkey Brooklyn Tech Key Club BTHS KC
Check out our social media for updates on our club and upcoming events! (Watch our member updates!! Our member representatives worked super hard on them!!)
key club 66
the the
executive executive d r a d o r b a bo
7
AYAN RAHMAN
SIMRUN KOTHARI
YOUSSEF EL MOSALAMI
MARIYA MELEGANICH
president pres.thetechkey@gmail.com @ayan.rahman
vice president vp.thetechkey@gmail.com @youssefelmosalami (not pictured)
ABIGAIL ISAKOV
treasurer treas.thetechkey@gmail.com @abyiskv
RICKY KE
executive assistant executiveassistant.thetechkey@gmail.com @rickyke03
co-secretary sec.thetechkey@gmail.com @simrunkothari
co-secretary sec.thetechkey@gmail.com (not pictured)
ELLEN SETO
bulletin editor editor.thetechkey@gmail.com @ellnsto
AURORA HOM
web master web.thetechkey@gmail.com @aurorahom (not pictured)
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president's
remark
Our club has been brim with passion lately and
HELLO to my
OUTSTANDING members!
And HAPPY JULY! HOW DO YOU FEEL?!?! Since I’ve last written to you lovelies so many amazing things have happened in our club. Our service
year
has
been
moving forward with FERVOR and it’s all thanks to you guys. Since last time, we hosted a successful
9
Mental
Health
want to thank our new exe and cabinet board for
their jobs and making this
as amazing as it is. From
amazing member represen
updates, to the pheno fundraisers, to the organ of
our
secretaries,
and
stunning
work
our
Service
Director
and
E
committee has been doin
club is in such a fantastic right now because of our
so I just want to thank ever
Awareness month in which
Lastly, I want you guys to p
we hosted a few events
check
(more on the way!) as well as
emails from me because
led
Yoga
contain the first wave o
Fundraiser! You can read
news and updates! I’ve
about my thoughts and the
talking about a lot like the
experience on page 17, but in
member application and
short it was amazing.
upcoming interclub with S
our
first
ever
your
weekly
u
(which you should absolutely attend!!) So be sure to read those
mming I just
ecutive doing
s club
m the
ntative
check your weekly update emails for the new wave of updates and info!
menal
ization
And I think that’s it? Oh wait I
d
the
totally forgot — attend events!
Single
Make new friends and unite as
Events
one as the world changers that
g. Our
we all are by participating in all
c state
we have to offer this summer.
board,
The road ahead looks pretty
ryone.
darn fantastic, so stay with us,
please
update
e they
f new been
e new and
you won’t regret it. SEE YOU AT A FUTURE EVENT!
I LOVE ALL OF YOU! Yours in Service,
Care
and
Your President Ayan Rahman
with
10
11
treasurer's remark
Hey everyone! We have a few fundraising
fun! Make sure to look at
events in the works!! For
emails and the Facebook
starters,
and Instagram pages.
we
have
the
interclub event with Stuy, our
See you guys soon!
Adventure
Yours in Service,
(Super
Island
excited
for
event! that!!)
Come down to Governors Island, and meet us officers and other Key Clubbers! I can' t wait to meet all of you while fundraising for great causes
Abigail Isakov Treasurer 20192020
like the Children's Miracle Network
Hospitals
and
Project Semicolon! I don’t want to spoil the events in August, but be sure to save up because they will be super
12
OUR EVENTS june & july
wyckoff house museum vibe & flow yoga fundraiser breast self-exam workshop helpers food pantry volunteeering it's my park at south oxford park NAMI community mental health fair pride disability fair
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ayan rahman
Wyckoff House
Museum
by Sunehra Subah
Our guide, Zach, sprawled out a at the fastening of the bark over knowledge on building Ikea tables, map on an old desk in the gift shop the wooden poles, and then were we learned to swat at mosquitoes and began to point at the places in promptly handed wooden pieces at record speed. Despite the herbBrooklyn that used to belong to and a drill to work on a project of based mosquito repellent we’d the Dutch West India Company. On our own—a picnic bench for future been giving and despite my blood being anemic, the mosquitoes still this map, Rockys was no longer a visitors. common place for Tech kids to loiter around after 10th period, but an area of land marked by independent farmers. Zachary not only reminded us of the struggles of the independent farmer, but also of the struggles of the Native Americans who were raped of their land. After a quick history
we trudged through the wet soil and tall grass towards the Wyckoff wigwam, built by school children to honor the Lenape. With Zach’s help, we learned to dined on our limbs. But aside from work around the knots in the the thousands of mosquito bites wood, to drill pushing our shoulder that littered my ankles, the downwards, and to stop pushing experience at Wyckoff was grand.
once the drill started to whine. I adored picking snap peas and While the scattered nuts and bolts berries and pulling radishes and wet soil and tall grass towards the were originally confusing, by the carrots and turnips, remembering Wyckoff wigwam, built by a group end we wielded our power drills both the Lenape native and of school children to honor the like the farmers before us wielded independent farmer who had once Lenape. We marveled hoes. In addition to our new pulled crops from the same soil. lesson, we trudged through the
14
VIBE & FLOW YOGA FUNDRAISER
15
16
of one of our amazing advisors, Ms.
AYAN RAHMAN
Visbal. So many members came out to
MR. PRESIDENT
support
this
amazing
cause
by
A big theme of fundraising this year
participating in cobra and tiger poses,
surrounds mental health awareness and
headstands and child's poses, peaceful
supporting those who face incessant
warrior and mountain poses, and more!
struggles
and
We came in as a rowdy crowd, unable to
depression, especially with the District
stay quiet with the sight of friends and
Project for the year being Project
Key Clubbers from not just Brooklyn
Semicolon. Brooklyn Tech Key Club took
Tech, but also many other clubs around
this
themed
the city. However, we came out, we
fundraiser in which members could
were rejuvenated and more in touch
practice mindfulness through yoga and
with ourselves and our presence in the
meditation, under the expert supervision
world.
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idea
such
and
as
anxiety
created
a
It
felt
mental
like
a
physical
cleanse
and
and
more
throughout the year. We absolutely loved seeing so many passionate faces wholeheartedly embrace the idea of mindfulness and just how
than anything, taught us the
integral it is in today's society. This most definitely motivated us to
importance of mental health
become bigger and better, so look forward to what we have to offer in
and the ways we must take
the future!
care of ourselves.
Ms. Visbal was excellent in leading this constantly avoided conversation with providing verbal insight as well as worksheets and infographics for everyone to read and learn from. This fundraiser, in the end, was more than just raising funds for a cause. We learned to become more in tune with ourselves and being present in our world. We learned to nurture and acknowledge
the
importance
of
mental health. Most importantly, we raised awareness on a taboo topic and
financially
supported
those
affected by mental health issues. This event connected so many key clubbers from around the city and will surely be returning with fervorÂ
18
Relax.
Kaitlyn Chau stand
was the best way to usher in
grounded on the floor,
learn about mental health
the summer, she was right.
while
great.
you feel each part of your body get lighter, and the stress floats away.
I have always known that
That is how yoga can be an
Maintaining
yoga was used as a tool for
essential tool to your mental
health is such an essential
relaxation
many
health. It was refreshing to
part of life, and it is barely
others, I didn’t really buy into
see how I myself, and my
talked about in our world. I'm
that. How could standing still
peers around me, felt this
glad our Key Club stepped up
with your hands to your sides
magic.
and advocated for something
be relaxing? Well, as youÂ
I would hands down say this
so important.
friends
and
experiencing
something so different was
19
but
like
eyes
closed,
20
When Ms. Visbal said yoga
Coming together with all my
still,
,
was the most perfect way to supporting
organization much
to
that
an
does
support
so
those
suffering
from
things
anxiety
and
depression.
good
like
mental
ANTHONY LIM
DISTRICT TREASURER On June 27, Brooklyn Tech Key
though I fell down on some of the
Club hosted their Yoga Fundraiser
harder poses. I even tried a pose
at Gibney Studios.
When I first
where I would be on my head, and I
stepped in, I was very apprehensive
was able to at least get half way
of the place, as the staircase was
there.
very steep and cramped. Once I went into the studio though, it was
The yoga session was a
really large, and I saw a couple of familiar faces.
The yoga session
really
good
way
to
end
was led by one of Brooklyn Tech’s teachers, who was a certified yoga instructor. pushed
off
the
day
and
relieve
The yoga definitely everyone’s
physical
the
stress
I
got
from
abilities, but it was still really fun for everyone.
I felt relaxed after the
sophomore year.
yoga session was completed, even
20
21
18 raymond ng
raymond ng
22
that many people suffer
I
originally signed up for the Breast Cancer
Workshop event to just help with the setting up. However, once I got there, it
was
actually
really
interesting and informative. I learned a lot about breast
from. We set up food for the
attendees,
the guests
and have some time to ourselves! It was definitely
and
knowledge will
really
a good way to help out the
BTTF
(Breast Treatment Task Force)
be
alongside
useful
my
friends
for the future,
and
obtain
especially
important
since
facts.
breast
cancer is a real health issue
1 out of every 5 women will have breast cancer and not even know it. 23
the door.
session afterwards to relax
gained a ton of that
at
There was even a yoga
know
before
out
goodie bags, and greeted
cancer that I didn’t
put
DORIS HONG '22
However,
aside
from
the
serious talk, it was kind of captivating
on
how
the
women/ladies there were so easygoing
and
comfortable
talking about such a serious topic. It made listening and understanding so much easier and
more
interesting,
in
comparison to sitting in a health class with just a video about breast cancer for the whole
period.
There
were
even
demonstrations
and
“audience participation.” YAY!! (All we did was feel around the chest of a silicone mannequin as practice. It was a good time). I learned quite a lot from
Volunteering at the Breast Workshop Event was truly a worthwhile experience. Volunteering
at
the
Breast
just that one event, but even though I talk about all the good things about it, I still
since all you are doing is
have to say one thing…it was
Workshop Event was truly a
checking for any discoloring,
still weird and awkward.
worthwhile
discharge, or any
experience.
As
someone who has little to no
abnormalities that might not
knowledge on breast cancer, it
have been there before.
was a nice change to actually
Alongside that was to check for
learn one or two things about
any unusual bumps that you
the issues and problems that it
might come across when you are
can
feeling around your chest area.
cause
and
additionally
W. DONG '22
BREAST
several methods to preventing
Regularly performing the self-
and checking for breast cancer.
examination is beneficial as any
One method was to perform a
abnormalities that may be found can
self-examination.
be treated for earlier and the
procedure is a rather simple
The
symptoms might not be as severe.
SELFEXAM WORKSHOP 24
ST. FRANCIS XAVIER FOODÂ PANTRY
Volunteers helped make small packages of food for peole visiting the food pantry and gave out cans of food. 25
suzana morshed
26
suzana morshed
27
The food pantry event
and that I was doing
that I attended today
something good for
was a nice experience.
the community. This is
I got to work with a lot
what it means to make
of
a difference. Overall, I
other
volunteers,
and I had a lot of fun
suzana morshed
thought that this event
working together.
was pretty fun and I
By going to this
got to interact with a
event, I realized
lot of different people
that
while helping others.
there
are
many people that are
in
a
dire
Faustina Huang '21
situation and that I was one of the luckier
ones.
was
It
heart-
warming to hand out
food
for
those in need. It felt great knowing that I was helping these people
suzana morshed
I realized that there are many people that are in a dire situation.
28
irene liu
29
K R A P Y IT'S M ARK P D R O F X O AT SOUTH A fine summer day, complete with a cloudless sky and cool winds: perfect conditions for spending the day volunteering at South Oxford Park. July 13th was the day for summer cleaning at the park, with Key Club obviously lending support in the form of an event.
irene liu From 10 AM to 1 PM, some volunteers and I tended to the park. We did tasks that ranged from weeding the lawn to clearing out fallen leaves. Despite the tedious tasks and high temperatures, I still enjoyed many aspects of the event.
19
For starters, the park staff were very welcoming. They gave clear instructions to each volunteer, such as which parts of the lawn are to be weeded and which trees needed mulch. I even received a few tips from one of
the staff while I was working. Along the way, there were plenty of refreshments for the volunteers. For all of the tasks, more than enough tools were provided for the job. Additionally, many adults came by to do nothing else other than to help with the park, giving off the sense of community in the small, secluded park. However, even with all of these benefits, there was still a complaint I had at the end of the day. The event itself was a pleasant experience, but one question was still lingering in my mind at the end: why were there only 3 Key Club volunteers total there? While the other 2 volunteers were very nice and hard working, the event allowed for 10 people to sign up; due to this amount of space given, I felt that there was a lack of people present in the event. Even though Key Club has an extensive amount of members, most of them apparently cannot extend a hand to help during summer. Volunteering is an essential aspect of many of Key Club's events, so I think that there should be more interest in being a volunteer! At the end of the day though, the event was overall fun and rewarding with little to no issue other than my opinion that more people should be a part of Key Club.
Volunteering is an essential aspect of many of Key Club's events. David Yeung '21
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INCREASING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS
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COMMUNITY
MENTAL HEALTH FAIR During
the
NAMI
I saw just how genuine the founders
Community Mental Health
of NAMI were, spending hours upon
Fair, support, fun, and joy
hours on a blazing summer day, to
were abundant. Being a
help those in a dire situation.
volunteer, you could get
In the end, this event proved to be
food from the barbecue, and
go
to
the
many
beautiful workshops that the event had to offer. Other than the barbecue, the fair showed how if you needed guidance in your life, to become mentally stable, you could talk to NAMI. NAMI, or National Alliance on Mental Illness, is an organization that aims to help individuals and families that are affected by mental illness. Besides, many flyers were given out, typically for one of each
age
instance, program
bracket.
For
there’s
a
that
supports
parents of children under the age of 18.
extremely
insightful
because
it
showed how if you’re struggling with a mental condition, there are other
Our mission is to help families and individuals affected by mental illness build better lives through education, support, and advocacy. people with the same problem. Knowing
that
there’s
an
organization that’s aimed to help children, teenagers, and adults of this caliber. It was indeed an honor to be able to volunteer
in
this
wonderful
event, and I hope to go to more events of this quality.
Jason Gao '22 32
PRIDE DISABILITY FAIR
33
I really didn’t know what to expect from this parade. I had the idea that we were once again supporting an amazing cause that doesn’t get much recognition, but the idea was unclear. I have never been to a pride parade for different reasons and I didn’t know whether it was gonna be similar to other parades. Once we all got there, we watched the parade happen. It was really exciting and got all of us riled up. There were people walking on stilts, people with banners, and so much more. Everyone looked happy and were shouting and dancing, and it made us feel really good.
The people that looked the happiest were the disabled. It made us all so happy that the disabled had a whole day in the pride community. It was a really good experience and it was really nice to watch and participate in.
RICHARD ZHAO '22
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36
37
38
JULY 27 GOVER NOR'S
39
ISLAND
ADVENTURES
AT
Stuyvesant x Brooklyn Tech Interclub
Looking to hang out with friends and other fellow Key Clubbers this summer season? Trying to hit up your crush but don't have plans? Just LOVE having a good time? If you answered yes to any of these questions, come to Brooklyn Tech x Stuyvesant Key Club's Adventures at Governors Island Fundraiser! We invite you to: 3 hours of BBQ with GREAT FOOD AND DRINKS and drum-roll... Governors Island's very own attractions: the Climbing Challenge and Amazen' Maze, featuring rock climbing and maze wandering!
BBQ
ATTRACTIONS
11:00 AM - 2:00 PM $8
2:30 AM - 4:30 PM $14
$20 for both! proceeds go to children's miracle network 40
SETADPU
41
raymond ng
We made $209 from our
you all for attending our
Vibe & Flow Yoga
fundraiser and making
Fundraiser, which will be
it so successful!! Be on
donated to the Children's
the lookout for future
Miracle Network, a Key
fundraisers and help us
Club International
support these causes
preferred charity. Thank
and charities!
click here for the application!! 24 42
WEBSITE 43
24
IN THE
MAKING
24 44
our district goals fundraising: $200,000 service hours: 120,000 Hours contact jaden at division9@nydkc.org if you can't contact jaden, try division executive assistants ryan chen and abby borshchenko!
DIVISIONAL
NEWS 45
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S
UPDATE Hey everyone! First off, I want
about it in my weekly updates,
to commend all of you for
so be sure to come to that!
staying active and bringing so
That’s all for now, and don’t
much to Division 9! I had the
forget: Key Club never stops,
great opportunity of attending
not even in the summer!
our international Key Club
JADEN THOMAS
convention, better known as ICON, from July 1st to the 7th. It was absolutely amazing to see the different ways that other districts operated, as well as the diversity present in Key Club. ICON also allowed the district board to bond, and it was overall an amazing experience. We also have a divisional coming up, and you can find out more
46
here is the district governor's june bulletin! here is the district governor's july bulletin! click here to watch july's new york minute update. read angelo's newsletter for the new york district of key club international! the key club pledge was changed! read it on page 64 to see the difference.
CARING OUR WAY
OF LIFE 47
KEY
CLUB INTE RNA TIO NAL
DISTRICT BOARD 2019-2020 DISTRICT GOVERNOR
Camille Brock Candor Junior Senior HS
TREASURER Anthony Lim Bronx Science
INTERNAL
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Qianting Chen Brooklyn Tech
EDITOR Angelo Lontok HSMSE
EXTERNAL
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Jaron Belmore NorwoodNorfolk HS
SECRETARY Linna Cheung HSMSE
WEB MASTER
Ramisa Azad LaGuardia HS working together to ensure NYDKC's success
48
49
IC ON I
JULY 2019
nternational Convention, or
ICON, is a annual gathering of Key Club members from
the world, held at a different location each year. It's the biggest event of the Key Club year, and you
can
meet
over
1,500
members from 38 countries! It's truly an international convention! For 2019, ICON was held in Baltimore, Maryland. This year's ICON already passed, but you can still sign up for ICON 2020, which will be held in San Francisco!Â
28
50
ICON
51
2019
H
EY BROOKLYN TECH KEY CLUBBERS!
I hope y’all are making the most out of your summer! Well.. for me, I went to the 76th Key Club Annual International Convention (ICON) in Baltimore, Maryland, and I got back just a week ago. It’s definitely one of those unique and unforgettable Key Club experiences I can have.
The trip consisted of two parts. We toured Washington, D.C. for the first two days of our trip, and then we drove to Baltimore for the convention. On our first night, we had dinner on the cruise. The district board members were bonding with each other while dancing and eating. Moreover, the sunset on the Potomac River was stunning and fascinating. We visited a few museums, national monuments, and national memorials. Noteworthy, the U.S. Holocaust Museum is my favorite destination in D.C. It was really emotional and educational for me. As soon as we arrived at our hotel in Baltimore, I feel the vibe of excitement for the convention in the air. The attendees came from all over the country. However, the unfamiliarity didn’t stop us. We started talking to each other in the hotel hallways, crowded elevator rides, and even before we put down our luggage. Perhaps the Meet and Greet is the most exciting part, which is where we trade pins with each other. Some would even
trade pins throughout the whole convention. Yes, if you were there, it’s impossible that you don’t know Peter Alegre. He is our IP Distinguish District Secretary who is known for having his towel with pins on the floor at any location and any time to trade pins. The purpose of the ICON is to elect the new international board and vote on the amendments in the House of Delegates. This year we passed the resolution to change our Key Club pledge for the first time since Key Club was established. If you didn’t know already, we got rid of the word “God” to “world” to make Key Club a more inclusive international organization. It was a historic moment in the House of Delegates when the voting result displayed on the screen. As much as I didn’t want to write an essay about ICON, it’s turning into one now. (So I need to end this soon.) Overall, I had a perfect experience to make new friends and talk to the candidates for the international office. It’s only after ICON, I came to have more understanding of the international board and the Key Clubbers from other districts. If you have not considered coming to ICON next year, I strongly recommend because next year’s going to be at SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA!!
Humbly yours,
Qian Ting Chen NYDKC District Executive Assistant 2019-2020
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Experiencing ICON with my two bestest friends, Kiln and Angelo, is an experience that I will never forget. Linna Cheung
54
Congrats!
55
to IP District Governor
Erica Swirsky Distinguished District Governor
to IP District Secretary
Peter Alegre Distinguished
District Secretary erica & peter
to IP D1 Lieutenant Gov.
Dominic Bossey
Robert F. Lucas
Outstanding Lieutenant Governor dominic
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57
58
59
60
special thanks to Ms. Visbal, Stuy KC, and you.
61
MAZE PUZZLE SOLVE FOR POINTS
get 10+ points for solving this maze! send a picture of your solution to me at editor.thetechkey@gmail.com. if you counted all the beavers, send me how many you found! if you found all of them, you'll get a bonus 5+ points. submitting articles about your experience at events (10+ points) and pictures (5+ points each) also get you points! 62
Ms. McKinnon
C LL C UB B U V II P P V S '' S
our three and only advisors!
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Ms. Multari
Mr. Morgan
THE KEY CLUB PLEDGE
I pledge, on my honor, to uphold the Objects of Key Club International; to build my home, school and community; to serve my nation and world; and combat all forces which tend to undermine these institutions. 64
caring; our way of life the beaver tree