BUpdate… CKI edition November 2016 ||
Fifth Edition
Check it out… 1. Editor’s Note 2. Soup Kitchen Visit 3. New York Speaking 4. Event Highlight 5. Salvation Army Bell Ringing 6. PB&J Sandwich-Making 7. Member of the Month 8. BU Sleepout 9. Incentives 10. November Bake Sale 11. Upcoming Events 12. Page of Puns! 13. Contact Us
A Strong Finish!
Hey Circle K, Happy Turkey Day! Can you believe that our semester together is ALREADY over?! The semester, especially this turkey month, has certainly flown by. But we have done so much to help our community, from soup kitchen visits to Salvation Army bell ringing, and everything in between. Although it will be sad to part for the next month, there will be a lot of extra fellowship and service opportunities next semester. The E-board already has some fun and new things for the spring semester, so there is a lot to look forward to! We’re thankful for all of you, and we can’t wait to see you all in January!!
A Trip to the Soup Kitchen! By Eric Ravens Volunteering at the Salvation Army soup kitchen, not once but twice, offered me an experience I don't normally get. This was actually my first time volunteering in a soup kitchen, though I did know enough to understand that every soup kitchen does things differently. The first time I went, fellow volunteers and I accidentally passed the soup kitchen workers (who were hanging out outside before the shift) as we were walking to the building. When we were corrected, initially embarrassed, we walked back to meet all the local, consistent volunteers, and after some slight joking, we were warmly welcomed on to the team. Both times I volunteered, we worked in the downstairs eating area/kitchen, where there's an efficiently set up line of tables along a wall decorated with a very elegant nature-based mural. As workers, we set up cups, utensils, and napkins at each point before a rush of local "Binghamtonians" of all ages (some families) came in, and set to eating and making jovial conversation as we served dinner and dessert (one of the days was lasagna and vegetables—it made me hungry, to be honest). Overall, though a short 45-minute experience (the actual serving), it was very rewarding to help serve all the happy attendants and have conversations with the fellow workers (very humble, down-to-earth people themselves). As patrons left, we cleared the tables, washed dishes, and swept the floors, until Lena (the coordinator) thanked us and sent us off. This was a very simple contribution we offered to the local Binghamton population and it was both fun and rewarding to learn a little more about the locals and have a direct impact, so I highly recommend the experience, though spots are always limited—can’t have too many cooks in the kitchen—so you have to act fast.
New York Speaking! By Amanda Graziano This year I had the chance to go to New York Speaking in Lake George. It was a really fun experience, especially as a new member, to be able to participate in fellowship opportunities not just within my own club but with Circle K clubs from around New York State. It gave me the chance to meet and get to know other wonderful people that I might not have gotten to know otherwise. Participating in the various workshops put on by Circle K members throughout the weekend and hearing the keynote speakers present not only allowed me to meet and make new Circle K friends, but also gave me the opportunity to become more informed and find ways to better myself and my community. For example, I attended workshops about online dating safety and healthy nutrition choices, both of which helped me to make more informed choices in my own life. I also participated in workshops about improving public relations communications, making icebreaker more interesting and effective, and suicide prevention and Out of the Darkness walks. These workshops were particularly interesting because I could use the information I learned at them to make positive changes not only in my own life but also in my larger community. New York Speaking was a fun, unique way to meet new people, eat great food, and develop new skills for the benefit of my community and myself.
And the event highlight is…
Game Night! By Doug Brillaud Tuesday, November 29th, a night to always look back on with joy. Circle K’s Game Night captured the attention from the club, a 2-hour charity event filled with friends, food, and games. A recipe for fun! The event benefitted Eliminate, one of Circle K’s international projects this year. The goal of the Eliminate Project is to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus worldwide by purchasing vaccines for people in impoverished countries. The night was a success, and for only a $5 entrance fee, it was quite an inexpensive blast for a noble cause. With the admission fee came games and competition, the prizes being three gift baskets won through raffles. Just for coming, everyone got a ticket towards the entrance basket. Participants had to earn their right to win the other two. Set up around the room were stages of combat, where everybody battled in vicious games of Yahtzee, Sorry!, Trouble, UNO, and Mario Kart. For each victory, the winner received a raffle ticket towards the remaining silver gift basket. The gold gift basket was given to the person with the most overall victories. Everyone could only win up to five times per game, to keep things interesting and fair. Each game was hard fought, and the room was filled with laughter, shouts of Yahtzee!, and groans of disappointment. I, for one, had an amazing time. While in the end I didn’t win any baskets, I wouldn’t hesitate to participate again. This event helped raise $169 for the Eliminate project. With the semester at Binghamton winding down, it was a great night to relax, have fun, and bond with fellow members. I cannot wait to come back next year for another exciting and fulfilling semester with Circle K!
Salvation Army Bell Ringing By Sidra Butt Circle K, a community service club at Binghamton University, held a bell ringing event on November 19, 2016 to raise money for the Salvation Army. The event included four shifts that were two hours long and two members of the club volunteered at each shift. I volunteered for the second shift, which was held from 1pm until 3pm. I volunteered along with Oluponle Iluyomade who is one of the E-board members of the club. Oluponle and I rang bells for two hours outside of the grocery store Weis, and asked people for donations. It was a beautiful day outside because the sun was out and it wasn’t very cold, even though it was the middle of November. People were coming in the store with their families, and there were smiles on everyone’s faces. Many people donated money and by the end of my shift, the donation box was almost full. Older people and families with little kids were mostly the ones who donated money. The fact that so many people donated money made my time worthwhile and it gave me inner satisfaction. This made me realize that there are many people in this world who care about people who are less fortunate than they are. Some people thanked Oluponle and I for volunteering and appreciated our work for a good cause. This increased my self-esteem and gave me motivation for being more involved in projects such as this one.
PB&J Sandwich-Making By Amanda Rizzi In honor of Hope for the Homeless week, we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a service project at a meeting. I thought this service project was a lot of fun. It was different from other service projects we have done because it was not arts and crafts oriented, which was a nice break from the usual. Overall, it was a lot of fun and it felt good to do something for people in need.
*A total of 120 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were made during the general body meeting on November 14th. All of the sandwiches were donated to the Binghamton Salvation Army.
Member of the Month‌
Melissa Levine!!! Full Name: Melissa Levine Major: Neuroscience Minor: Italian Hometown: Great Neck, NY Fun Fact: I am fluent in Italian Favorite Circle K Memory: Serving wine and cheese to the residents at Willows Point Nursing Home Why you love Circle K: I love the friends I’ve met and the memories we have made together! College would not have been the same experience without Circle K. What you’ll miss most about Circle K: I will miss the numerous service opportunities to participate in each week, but I will definitely seek volunteer events in my community. Melissa was chosen as member of the month for her dedication as Vice President this semester. Melissa is graduating in December, and she has been a part of the Kiwanis family since her freshman year of high school. We will miss you, Melissa. Thank you for a great semester of hard work!
The BU Sleepout! By Kristen Deacon As you may or may not know, the Binghamton Sleepout is a poverty awareness event held on the Hinman Quad. We’re all aware that poverty exists and it is not a condition we would wish on anyone, but most of us have never even experienced poverty. The Binghamton Sleepout gives participants a brief glimpse into one night of homelessness. The Sleepout began a 7 PM on Friday November 18th and went until 6 AM Saturday morning. In that time students surrounded fire barrels and listened to speakers from the Binghamton Rescue Mission. The Rescue Mission provides a place to live for men who have previously experienced homelessness and provides them with the resources to get back on their feet. We heard stories from men who currently reside at the Rescue Mission. The stories are incredibly moving. You learn how these men became homeless and it teaches you that you could have it all, but life can still take a turn for the worst. The purpose of the Sleepout is to make students aware of poverty and the conditions that the homeless endure. The Sleepout made me more empathetic towards those in impoverished conditions. In no way can I truly understand what it is like to be homeless, but this glimpse into the life of those who are homeless has increased my compassion and empathy towards those who are homeless. It is easy to think the worst of those who are homeless, but this event reminded me to think twice before I make my judgements, that I don’t know the circumstances that lead someone to become homeless, that homelessness is not a choice, and that it is incredibly hard to seek help for those that are impoverished.
Incentives!! Check out this awesome Circle K t-shirt design! If you want one… be sure to pay your dues at the next meeting! Dues are $12 and can be given to our treasurer, Tim! The shirts will be long-sleeved.
And if you complete 5 service hours this month… …then you will be given one of these shortsleeved t-shirts from last year! Best of luck to you, and happy service!
November
Bake Sale By Cassie Jiang Circle K International had a bake sale on Friday, November 18th to raise money for Hope 4 the Homeless, because November was National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness month. We baked cupcakes, cake pops, Oreo truffles, and red velvet cookies with cream cheese filling. We managed to raise fiftyone dollars. All proceeds benefitted the National Coalition for the Homeless. We would like to thank everyone who stopped by and contributed, showing great support for the many people in need. We really appreciate it.
What’s coming up?
Late Night Hot Cocoa 9 PM-12 AM
Food Recovery 5:30 PM
Food Recovery 5:30 PM
Food Recovery 5:30 PM
Food Recovery 5:30 PM
Conklin Tree Lighting 5 PM
Sorry for being a turkey, but here are some fly puns you can gobble up!
Contact Us! Executive Board 2016-2017 President
Treasurer
Courtney Aronica
Tim Leung
caronic1@binghamton.edu
tleung@binghamton.edu
Vice President
Editor
Melissa Levine
Kora SIleo
mlevin10@binghamton.edu
ksileo1@binghamton.edu
Secretary
Webmaster
Emily Fenter
Kayla Bautista
efenter1@binghamton.edu
kbautis3@binghamton.edu
International Project Emily Saba
Bake Sale Cassie Jiang
Public Relations Melanie Dietrich
Service Project Christina Holzhauer
Fundraising Elle Swete
Governor’s Project Jessica Siegal
Fellowship Kester Francis
Historian Anne Quirk
District Project Oluponle Iluyonmade
K Family Relations Paty Acipreste bingCKI
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Binghamton Circle K
@bingcirclek