The Circle (K) of Life in Binghamton Fall 2017 ll Third Edition Here’s what you will learn in today’s issue: Apple Picking (page 2) Out of Darkness Walk (page 3) Kids Halloween Party (page 4) New York Speaking (page 5) Bake Sales (Page 6) Making Strides 5K (page 7) Devil’s Game (page 8) Key Club Divisional (page 9) Binghamton University Sleepout (page 10) Member Spotlight (Page 11) Calendars (Pages 12 and 13) Some pieces of Wisdom: Quote Edition (Page 14) Contact Us (Page 15)
Apple Picking By Andrew Fenter A few weeks ago, Circle K went out to Apple Hills Farm to enjoy a day of apple picking. Thankfully it was not your average fall day in Binghamton. The sun shined and brought a glimpse of the past summer, which allowed us to fully take advantage of the orchard. Scattered in small groups we explored all the apple varieties, while getting to know fellow members. On the way out, we even passed a few farm animals, which was definitely an added bonus. My favorite part was that I got to see members outside of the school environment. Doing an outside fellowship activity, like apple picking, allows one to learn more about a person than simple conversation. I absolutely enjoyed our trip to Apple Farms, and especially the apples that came from it.
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Out of Darkness Walk By Claire Childs On a chilly Sunday morning, I was impressed by the number of people that came out to support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Yet the size of the crowd was just a reflection of the significance and necessity of suicide prevention in our society today. In the United States, a person dies by suicide every 13.3 minutes; one attempt is estimated to be made every minute. Out of the Darkness Community Walks fund research and educational programs led by the AFSP. The key word in the title is “community.” Each event is centered around bringing people together to combat a national health problem few people want to talk about. The Broome/Tioga County walk began under a picnic pavilion at Otsiningo Park. Each participant wore “honor beads” whose color told how suicide left an impact on them. White, red, orange, purple, green, and blue each respectively were worn by people that had lost a child, lost a partner, lost a parent, lost a sibling, lost a relative or friend, struggled personally, or supported the cause. The “honor beads” are a thoughtful method to bring walkers together. Everyone can wear at least one color; the sea of beads makes the walk feel like a Mardi Gras celebration. Each step is a reminder of the people we have lost, but together we walk forward with hope for the future. Everyone has their own story to tell; if you or anyone you know feels like they might be at risk, reach out and get help. You are not alone. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
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Kids Halloween Party By Raina Kamdar Three Circle-K members attended the Halloween Party at an elementary school. This was a great opportunity to interact with some of the Kiwanis club members and help in their pumpkin decorating event. We helped wash pumpkins in the beginning before the children arrived at the Halloween party. Families and children attended the event and dressed up in creative costumes. The children were given the opportunity to participate in a costume contest, which I thought was the best part. All the costumes were great! The children really enjoyed decorating pumpkins and it was great to interact with them. The pumpkin decorating event was very successful. There were some animals for the children to pet as well. They did a wonderful job putting up this event and I am glad that we were able to help.
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New York Speaking By Erin Herbstritt Circle K international is a club devoted to fellowship, leadership, and service. November 3rd to 5th, Circle K clubs from all the districts in New York state gathered at Lake George to develop fellowship both within and between clubs. This event was focused on the fellowship pillar of Circle K while still providing service and leadership opportunities. Throughout the weekend, we developed relationships with members of our own club and made connections with club members from different schools. Scavenger hunts, jeopardy, and a midnight dance broke the ice between Circle K members and created friendships between people from entirely different schools and backgrounds. Over this weekend, we joined together to complete service projects. One example of this was creating learning tools similar to flashcards for young children who cannot attend school due to natural disaster. With events dedicated to learning about Circle K-wide service such as the Governors and district projects, all of the clubs throughout the state became united under a common goal: to serve those who cannot serve themselves. Over the course of the weekend, schools in attendance raised over $600 for the Thirst Project, a fundraising project dedicated to supplying fresh water to developing nations. Participating in this Circle K event was a very valuable experience. Not only was it a fun weekend but it added to my commitment to Circle K international. After this weekend, I am eager to contribute and serve with members of the Binghamton chapter of Circle K.
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Bake Sales By Lila Fairclough The first bake sale for the year was on October 4th, 2017 in the Tillman Lobby of the Old Union. The theme for the bake sale was fall. For the sale, we sold acorn cupcakes, cake pops, snickerdoodle cookies, and covered pretzels. We raised about 50 dollars. The money we raised went to Houston Food Bank in support of the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Houston Food Bank is a nonprofit organization that collects food and distributes it to various hunger relief charities. There was a great need for this service after the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey. The next bake sale was on November 14th, 2017 in the Tillman Lobby of the Old Union. The theme for the bake sale was Thanksgiving. For the sale, we had turkey cupcakes, pilgrim hat cookies, cake pops, and oreo truffles. There were also pumpkin cupcakes that were brought in by another Circle K member. We raised about 35 dollars. The money we raised went to Harpur’s Ferry to provide meals for those who cannot afford a Thanksgiving dinner. They are putting together boxes to give to children in the local elementary and middle schools so their family can have a happy holiday.
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Making Strides 5K By Emily Patalano On Sunday, November 5th, several Circle K members and I participated in the Relay for Life 5K run/walk! The event was conveniently held right on campus, and was hosted by Colleges Against Cancer. All of the money raised was donated to the American Cancer Society. Although the 5K took place on a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon, there was still a sizeable number of participants! This turnout was awesome and truly underscored people’s dedication to the cause of fighting cancer. The overall atmosphere was great; everyone had a smile on his/her face and was genuinely happy to be there. We began the run/walk on the Old Dickinson Co-Rec field and continued on to the extended brain-loop around campus. My friend and fellow Circle K member, Alanna, and I walked this trail together. It was a great opportunity to support an important cause, take a break from school work, and enjoy the beautiful Binghamton fall foliage. To make it even better, hot chocolate was provided at the end of the 5K! It was a great end to a great event.
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Devil’s Game By Tim Leung A few weeks ago, I had the chance to join some of my fellow Circle K members and friends to attend the Binghamton Devils hockey game. The Devils were playing the Toronto Marlies, and this was the first time that I had gone to a hockey game here in Binghamton. I was excited to attend the game because not only was I finally going to a Binghamton hockey game, Circle K was also benefitting from the fundraiser that was being hosted with the Devils. For every ticket that was sold through the unique Circle K link, the club was able to fundraise $2. Not only that, the tickets were discounted – definitely a win, win! The game was definitely very exciting. Immediately during the first period, the Devils scored a goal. It was exhilarating to see all the local people cheering so passionately for the team and to feel the excitement in the air after they scored a goal. There was even one passionate fan near us that had all the Devils’ paraphernalia, as well as a bell that he was not shy about ringing throughout the game! As the game progressed, I felt more and more invested to see the Devils win. All of us were rooting for the Devils to succeed, which made the whole experience that much more fun. There were a few times throughout the game that players almost began fighting; they were stopped just in time by the referees and a few of us were a little bummed. Unfortunately, the Devils ended up losing the game, with the Marlies scoring goals in the second and third periods. Overall, it was such a fun experience to attend this game with my Circle K family. I hope that we do more events like this in the future so that more people have the opportunity to join in on the fun!
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Key Club Divisional By Alanna Witowski It was a typical fall day in Binghamton (cloudy and chilly), as I, Allison and Kiana went on to speak at the local high school about our experiences with Circle K. Getting to the school was an adventure in itself, as we hitched a ride with a local mom of the Key Club and made our way to the wrong school. Of course, we only realized that it was not in fact the right place after seeing a sign on the door, telling us that the divisional was actually at the high school down the road. And so, frantically we ran after the car, hoping to stop it before being left stranded in the wrong place with no high schoolers to present our stories to. Eventually making our way to the middle school (where we were actually meant to be), we set up our presentation. Our speech about the club itself only lasted for about ten minutes or so, and then we spoke to the kids about our college experiences so far. It was great to be able to impart some of the wisdom that I wish I actually knew in my younger years, and hope that they would learn from the mistakes that I made. This was definitely a worthwhile experience, and something that I would love to do again as a way of sharing little life lessons that we all wish we knew.
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BU Sleepout By Emily Fenter The BU Sleepout was a great event to attend and become more aware about Homelessness specifically in the Binghamton area. It was the 4th time this event was held and was another success. About 80 people stopped by throughout the night and 20 people stayed from 7pm-6am. This event was not meant to simulate homelessness rather raise awareness for the issue. People that attended were able to help set up tents, keep the fire burning, speak to residents of the Rescue Mission, a local shelter for people who are currently homeless, watch a movie on homelessness, and participate in reflective sessions about how we as college students can help people that become homeless. This event was paired with the Binghamton Rescue Mission which is looking for volunteers to come help in the future so this would be another great opportunity for Circle K! Overall the BU Sleepout was a very informative, fun, and memorable event that I look forward to attending again in the future!
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Member Spotlight: Christina Schmidt Christina is a Sophomore majoring
in Biomedical Engineering here at Binghamton. She loves meeting new people and volunteering in the community. Her favorite event that Circle K Was involved with is the CHOW Walk. This year she would like to see Circle K volunteer with the elderly at some point this year. She loves the outdoors so hiking and traveling are two of her favorite things to do. She is also a pretty good skier, she is even a ski patroller at Gore Mountain in Upstate New York. She encourages others to believe in themselves because people can do anything they set their mind to. Her favorite quote encompasses this very pillar of her personality: “I find the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.� This quote by Thomas Jefferson exemplifies the fact that hard work and determination are essential for success. And Christina would love to be able to fly if she could have any super power (I agree with that one Christina, being able to fly like a bird would be the most freeing thing in the world). 11
Calendars: October Sunday 1
Monday 2
Tuesday 3
Wednesday 4 Bake Sale
Thursday 5
Friday 6
Saturday 7 Apple Picking
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12 CCE Fair
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14 Out of Darkness Walk
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27 Kids Halloween Party
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Calendars: November Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday 1
Thursday 2
Friday 3 New York Speaking
Saturday 4 New York Speaking
5 New York Speaking Making Strides 5K 12 Key Club Divisional
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10 Devil’s Game
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15 Bake Sale
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17 BU Sleepout
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20 21 Friendsgiving
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28 Dress Drive
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Quotes:
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Contact Us: Executive Board 2017-2018
President: Allison Tipaldo Atipald1@binghamton.edu
Treasurer: Cassie Jiang Cjiang13@binghamton.edu
Vice President: Emily Fenter Efenter1@binghamton.edu
Editor: Melanie Dietrich Mdietri2@binghamton.edu
Secretary: Emily Saba Esaba1@binghamton.edu
Webmaster: Alanna Witowski Awitows1@binghamton.edu
Committee Chairs: International Project: Raina Kamdar Service Project: Emily Greenberg Governor’s Project: Claire Childs District Project: Kiana Cyrus Public Relations: Emily Patalano Fellowship: Erin Herbstritt Bake Sale: Lila Fairclough
Binghamton Circle K
Fundraising: Chaun Lin
@bingcirclek
Historian: Lauren Barone
@bingcirclek
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