September 2013 Newsletter

BearKats Monthly

IN THIS ISSUE Ø Paying Dues Want Ø Past Events to Vo Turn lunte to pag er? e

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f o s ervice r Ø Upcoming Events oppo our future rtunit

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on the e r o M hu nt lovely ge 7 ! a p n o

…AND MUCH MORE! Ø Ø

September Issue

Publication for Binghamton University’s Circle K International

Table of Contents In This Issue…

Ø Fall GIM & Service Project…..3 Ø Paying Dues…………………..….4 Ø Fall’s DLSSP..………………….…5 Ø Eliminate Scavenger Hunt.....7 Ø Upcoming Events……………….8

Find out how much fun our members had at 2013’s Fall DLSSP on page 4!

On The Cover: Campus-Wide Eliminate Scavenger Hunt

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Once Upon a G.I.M. to n t Bingham a s b lu c r t he mer ool, like o nal G.I.M. As a for y h c s f o k e io gm e first we informat le-K, durin -K c ir C During th ircle-K held their h it le dw y, C what Circ b affiliate n lu c w o a , Universit n b k of Key Clu ool, I had already r their school and member te ch of High S gs they did to bet uickly began to s r a e y r u fo thin ises nd q at compr realize, a , and the r h ’t t o f n y d id it o d n o I u . t t s f comm u t w ha y service o B it . e n y s u it n n e m s u m arm r co comm was the w rs’ true passion fo , d n a cussions t is s r d e d b n a unde m s e tion , and the m presenta ould join l h u s f r t n lo Circle-K, e o d c stu s of the serie , an d w h y g is K in rtunity to w le o c ie p v ir p C o b e h lu After dt fc er. at kind o re grante e semest h about wh sted students we t r o f t c e proje tere lied by th p t service all the in p s u ir s f e ls h ia t ter te in crafts ma hildren in the SOS d participa n a s t r a stic rds for c t ho r a o f a c le p y a e ing dome d h lv t h t o v ir b in e s Using t ad as ers, we m oubled p ort. club offic re families with tr refuge with supp ance to he of shelter, w provided a place udents had the ch a and z st are terested ing on piz violence k in c e a h n t s ll e a il wh ally, Addition make new friends bers. nd mem mingle a made by s t r e s s e d delicious

By: Tina Lee

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By: Jerry Cimo

When I walked into the room and sat down, noticed was th the first thing I at I was surrou nded by unfam Key Club anym iliar faces. "It's ore," I thought not to myself, and anxiously waitin I sat in my seat g for someone to start speakin organization. g about the Before anyone said anything a bout Circle K, W introducing he alaa started rself, and then a chain reactio major, position n began. Name , and why we sh , ould join the cl executive board ub from the en . After awhile, fa tire ces were not so anymore. I rem unfamiliar embered that th is was a branch place where an of the K-Family yone is welcom -a e to learn, serv ultimately, be a e , lead, and part of this fam ily. Binghamto that through th n's Circle K rev eir in-meeting ealed service project: underprivilege birthday cards d children. It w for as simple, fun, and a work of se Now this was fa rvice. miliar to me - a room full of pe little by little alt o p le giving back ogether makin g a big differen in the right pla c e .

I knew that I w ce that Wedne as sday night and a new family to I a m glad that I foun serve and serve d with.

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Do the Due Before you completely hate me for the amazing title of this article, hear me out. In order for you to call yourself a beautiful and devoted member of this esteemed club, there is a bit of a requirement. Each semester, every member of Circle K has to pay “dues.” Now, I know your mind is fluttering around the words, “What are dues?”

Brace yourselves because I am about to give you that answer.

Dues are pretty much that last blue and white stamp of approval for your membership here and paying them is totally worth it. Not only do you get an awesome membership card to accessorize your wallet, you also solidify the opportunity of becoming a part of the BUCKI family and forming bonds with everyone! On a personal note, I have met a few keepers over the last year, so I am very thankful for what this club did for me. Did I mention it is only $12? I am going to pause for a moment and let that sink in. Just $12 – that is a couple trips to Taco Bell. I think giving up a few chalupas is worth making great lifelong friends. If you do not think so, well, who asked you?

There are a lot more perks to the laminated card. When shopping at Office Max or buying a few textbooks from Better World Books, just flash that baby and enjoy the discounts! Do you want to know what is even better? You have the option of going to all of the district conventions and workshops, which are a whole lot of fun. At these events, you get to meet other Circle K clubs from all over, network with some lovely Kiwanians, make friends, and most importantly, have a great time!

What is the best benefit of them all? Actually getting the chance to make a difference in our community. You guys have no idea how much you really change the neighborhood we all live in. Whether it is from walking for Diabetes to making a birthday card, you impact a huge group of people and that is something you should be proud of and never take for granted .

So, take out that wallet from your pocket and give our spectacular president those dues. Remember, the dues need to be handed in before the first week of October 2013 and get ready for the best year of your life!

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You Know You Want the D…LSSP I had such an amazing time at the fall DLSSP. It was a great experience to bond not only with the members of our Circle K group, but also with other students from different parts of New York. The service project I was involved in with was at the children's garden. Despite all the rain, we were able to help by pulling out weeds, putting down mulch and plant matter, and laying out bamboo. Getting to see Ithaca, helping out at the garden, and meeting fellow Circle K members was something I will never forget.

Bond in g time!

By: Bridget Okoh I absolutely loved going to DLSSP. I met so many people from all over New York and we were able to connect by doing service together. We helped out a group of people in Ithaca who were working on growing an edible garden.

I really felt like I made a difference here because it was apparent that if our group of "Circle-K'ers" were not around, their garden would have been left uncompleted. I am glad I was able to help them out with their garden. I even want to bring the project back to my home club in Binghamton. Thank you, DLSSP!

By: Krishna Tejani

This was my first time ever going to DLSSP. I never imagined I would change someone’s day or bond as much with our members as I did. We were split up in groups, so we were forced to talk to other members from different colleges and it was a great idea! My group went to the nursing home. First, we played with balloons; throwing them at the nursing patients and having them exercise by hitting it back. Then we set up a hangman game for everyone (not as easy as it sounds). After all the fun, we left so they could eat. I went to a room whose patient only spoke Arabic (my native language) and I spent the rest of my day there. Her daughter, who is always with her to translate, would not stop thanking me because I made her mother comfortable enough to leave the room. Not only did I get to meet so many new Circle K’ers and bond with my own, but I also found out the significance something as simple as understanding the same language can change someone's day.

By: Walaa Ahmed

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I was able to attend the District Large Scale Service Project (DLSSP) in Ithaca organized by New York District Circle-K with a few other members from our Binghamton Circle-K club.

There was never a dull moment as I was able to meet and make friends with members from colleges and universities scattered throughout New York State and beyond. The fun began immediately following our departure Friday mid-afternoon and it never seemed to diminish.

By: Jerry Cimo

It was quite the experience sleeping on the hardwood floors of the Ithaca YMCA gym.

Especially, after rounds of intense dodge ball and basketball with all the new members I had met. The following morning, we packed our lunches and prepared for a long day of fun and adventurous volunteerism. We split into small groups consisting of students of which I never met before, but surely would become friends with, as everyone at the event was so friendly! Each group went to a different location. I went to a local organic farm in Ithaca that prides itself in its local food donations. I spent many hours harvesting and preparing beets in the fields alongside more volunteers – some from other local groups.

Afterwards, my group and I traveled to our next location, a small organic foods festival, called Food Justice, at the Southside Community Center, where we helped distribute and hold signs to help inform the attendees that many of the tables were moved inside due to the rain. Overall, it was a very exciting weekend. I look forward to attending DLSSP next year and the other weekend-long events soon to come during this and next semester!

DLSSP was such a wonderful way to get involved with service projects that were so much fun! My first project was at the library putting books back in order in the children's section. I know it sounds boring, but it was actually really rewarding and awesome to see all the little kids enjoying reading! The other project I did was making apple pies for a fundraiser at a local community center. It was really cool to make apple pies from scratch for the first time.

Overall, DLSSP was such a great time for not only doing service projects, but also meeting new people and getting to know our own club members better. I had such a great time and I hope I can go back!

By: Amy Boglarski

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Let Us Scavenge for EliMiNaTe It is a beautiful Saturday afternoon. What are you doing? Are you lying in bed nursing that nasty hangover from the night before or are you going on an embarrassingly fun scavenger hunt with your friends? Clearly, we all know the answer to that one, but for now let us pretend that you said the scavenger hunt. Circle K just had its Eliminate Scavenger Hunt and we saved over 200 mothers and all their children! Talk about something to brag about to all of your family when you go home for Thanksgiving break. Just picture it now. Your mom talking to your stuck-­‐up cousin from out-­‐of-­‐town saying, “Oh, your son got into medical school? That is nice, but my son saved over 200 people.”

For those of you who could not make it to the event, do not start beating yourself up for it, even though you should. Everyone had a blast that day! From the E-­‐Board setting up and hanging out to the teams going and taking crazy pictures, really all we did was laugh. One of the tasks was to “twerk with a senior citizen.” Do you think that stopped anyone from getting those 3 points? It did not! A few groups took videos of themselves twerking with the lovely people.

As the E-­‐Board was putting their brains to work tallying up the scores, the teams and Circle K’ers went straight over to the activities. Everyone made his or her first pit stop at the mural for Eliminate. Dipping your hand in the royal blue paint gave you the opportunity to really get your hands dirty and leave your mark. Immediately afterwards, the crowd moved over to duct tape origami, face painting, or the very popular, henna. Personally, I tried to make something out of duct tape, but since I lack all creative ability, it came out looking like a hot mess. So naturally, I had a girl paint my face to look like a cat – whiskers and all.

The best part of the night came along – free food. The table was swarmed with starving students ready to scarf down everything in sight. Full warning: never get in the way of a college student and free food -­‐ it will not end well. Eventually, it was time to announce the winner – Veggie Burgers. It was amazing to watch their faces light up when they found out they won the grand prize, which was a free TV.

This event was one to remember and all thanks goes to the beautiful Krishna Tejani, our Eliminate Committee Chair. We are definitely looking forward to 7 her next event for this inspiring cause!

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Volunteer Opportunities!

Riverbank Cleanup When: 10/5/13 Where: NYSEG Stadium

Making Strides against Breast Cancer Walk When: 10/19/13 Where: Recreation Park

Trick or Canning When: 10/31/13 Where: TBA Bake Sale When: 10/30/13 Where: Tillman Lobby Walk to Stop Diabetes When: 11/3/13 Where: Oakdale Mall

New York Speaking Conference When: 11/8/13 – 11/10/13 Where: Lake George

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The Lovely E-Board President – Walaa Ahmed Vice President – Jordan Asulin Secretary – Dana Shanon Treasurer – Kristy Wolfson Editor – Alyssa Famolari Webmaster – Stacy Villalva Kiwanis Advisors – Alan & Joan Kline Eliminate Committee Chair – Krishna Tejani Bake Sale Committee Chair – Angela Wu Scrapbook Committee Chair – Raven Gomez Fundraising Committee Chair – Amy Boglarski Service Committee Chair – James Cownie Advertising Committee Chair – Elise Cecil Governor’s Project Committee Chair – Bridget Okoh District Project Committee Chair – Sammi Wu Icebreaker Committee Chair – Aaron Chernin

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