BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB 7 5 W e s t 2 0 5 S tr e e t , B r o n x , N Y 1 0 4 6 8
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Volume 2 Issue 2
THE KIWI
In this issue! New Committee Heads ……. 2 Recent Club Events …….… 3-7 Event Spotlight #1 ………… 8-9 Division 11 Pandas …..… 10-11 Event Spotlight #2 …....... 12-13 Fun&Games …………….. 14-15 Member Spotlight …….…16-17 Credits! ……………………..... 12
Congratulations to the new Committee Co-Heads Here are the new Committee Chairs and a little bit about their positions.
Projects The Project Committee finds and organizes service events for alongside the key club board. Members of this committee are responsible for finding events, contacting those in charge of the events, forwarding any relevant information to their Committee Chair, who will, in turn, notify the club President. Committee Chairs Connie Liang: liangc4@bxscience.edu Mona Miao: miaom@bxscience.edu
Outreach The Outreach Committee raises awareness of important causes and creates petitions for these causes. The committee also chooses topics of interest to raise awareness for and create videos to submit to Wolverine TV and spreads the message of service and encourages others to join Key Club. Not only this, but the committee encourages submission of articles to the (amazing) newsletter as well. Members are responsible for finding ways to improve both inter-club relationships (with other Key Clubs) and external relationships (with organizations like Kiwanis). Committee Chairs Qing Lin: linq2@bxscience.edu Jasmine Quindala: quindalj@bxscience.edu
Scrapbook Fundraising The Fundraising Committee raises money for organizations, causes and our club. Working alongside the Club Treasurer, the committee chairs plan and organize fundraising events. The members of the Fundraising Committee are responsible for brainstorming new ideas to raise money and carrying out these ideas. Committee Chairs Simon Zorrilla: zorrills@bxscience.edu Sandy Jiang: jiangs@bxscience.edu
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The scrapbook committee creates an amazing scrapbook filled with all our memories from the Key Club year. At the Leadership Training Conference (LTC) at the end of every Key Club service year, the scrapbook is entered into a contest under Bronx Science Key Club's name in hopes of winning an award. The members of scrapbook committee are responsible for reaching out the members of the club to collect photos from various events. Committee Chairs Raina Wong: wongr5@bxscience.edu Sophia Yu: yus2@bxscience.edu
BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB newsletter
RECENT CLUB Multi-Cultural Night @ HSMSE Kenji Yeoh, Dedicated Member On the Friday of the second week of May, Herman, Timmy, and I headed towards HSMSE for the multi-cultural night. We were all talking about all the food that would be there. When we have arrived, the place was already filled with HSMSE Key Club members. We were anxiously waiting while we could see people moving tables and setting up the food trays like construction workers in a building. Herman went inside using his past-LTG powers and went to find Jeff. After about fifteen minutes, the doors were open and the whole group poured into the dining area. When Timmy and I went inside, Herman found us a nice table near the middle of the stage. The area was basically a large dance floor. Around the sides were tables of food with volunteers behind each table. In front of the food tables was a table that seated people. In the middle was an open space. After I placed my stuff down, I immediately headed for the food trays and got a plate. There was so much food. As I went through the tables, I kept on asking the volunteers for food and my plate quickly filled up to the brim. The volunteers were handing out samples of the most popular food and trying to give away all the food that wasn’t as appealing. Trays were already emptying out by the time I got there. As I sat down, Timmy, Herman and I started eating what we got. The food was really delicious. I still remember this sugary Indian pastry that had a bright orange color and was like a ball. Halfway through our meal, the performers started to perform. There was first a dancer from India that danced to the song of “Bollywood.” After that as an Asian boy who played a guitar solo and had a beautiful voice. The amazing thing was that, as a guitar player myself, I knew exactly what the boy was doing. After that performance, African dancers came with an extremely energizing dance. Amazingly, some of the audience members came on the dance floor and started dancing! Between the dances, I went over to the crepe table and the staff there had piles of orders. Crepes were the most popular dish of the night. After the night, I was full and sleepy. I had a whole weekend ahead of me full of events.
Egg Rolls and Egg Creams Festival Timmy Zhu, Dedicated Member It was 9:30 and it was on a Sunday. What else is better than going to a Key Club event under these circumstances? Now preparing egg creams and serving egg rolls doesn't seem appealing at first. However, once everything was set up and the festival began, the views changed. The most interesting part about this event was making the egg creams for the customers. The process wasn't difficult at all, but the unexpected amount of customers made the task harder. With all the people waiting line, mixing seltzer water, chocolate syrup, and milk all had to be rushed. With the help of a volunteer who "grew up with egg creams", the customers were able to get what they came for. According to her, the egg cream had to be made in a very specific way. A certain amount of chocolate syrup was poured into the cup. After that, the cup would be filled halfway with milk. To produce a sizzling feature, the seltzer water was poured over a spoon and into the cup. The outcome was a three dollar egg cream, or five dollars for an egg cream and an egg roll together. A Key Club event in Chinatown also resulted in a visit to Yaya's and that is exactly what happened on June 9th after the Egg Rolls and Egg Creams Festival. With special guests, District Webmaster, Jimmy Lin, and Division 11 Liutenant Governer, Lillian Xie. This was a remarkable experience as well. Overall, the day was made great because of this special event that can't be replaced by any other!
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Rain, Rain Go Away! NAMI Walk Amanda Tam, Immediate Past Outstanding President On May 11, 2013, many Bronx Science Key Clubbers traveled to the South Street Seaport to volunteer for the NAMI Walk, the Walk for the National Alliance of Mental Illnesses. When I was a freshman, I volunteered at this walk with three friends from my middle school, girls I felt comfortable with. It poured cats and dogs that day but we ran around in the rain and dried off in the sun. This year, I was volunteering with new friends, people who are more like family members than friends. The rain did not stop people from cheering thousands of walkers on. We wore the traditional bright yellow shirts and orange vests to signify us as course marshals. Some of us stayed under tents away from the rain at the registration area and checked eager walkers into the event. For some, this NAMI walk was their first, such as for Anjali and Anisha, freshman who joined Key Club. There were also non key clubbers who volunteered and students from Stuyvesant volunteering for their Red Cross club. One of the guys kept me company for a little because I was stationed by myself on the route. We talked about classical music and I tried to keep up with his vast knowledge of composers while cheering on walkers and welcoming them back, telling them that they only had to walk two more blocks. I snacked on freeze dried apples given at the tents and stood on a bench so walkers could see me. I screamed good morning and thank you and received a lot of heart warming and appreciative smiles. Last year, I was stationed with Ralph, a guy from the Army Reserve. His regiment volunteers at the walk every year. He was present this year too! When I saw him while grabbing a munchkin, we said hi and got excited because we both remembered each other! He said he enjoyed my bubbliness and crazy character and to not change because people need to be loud like me at walks. It was really great to see him and I hope to see him again next year. I know that some underclassmen befriended him and I am glad the initiative to make friends is not lost. The NAMI walk holds a pretty big place in my Key Club heart. There are so many memories from this walk and I hope everyone else can go to this walk next year. At the very end of the NAMI Walk, everyone speeds off to make it to the Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer and you can see in the picture Kenji changing like Superman, or maybe he’s just pulling a Jae.
Here’s to the Kids Angie Chen, Dedicated Member I’m not going to lie and say that the day for Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer was a beautiful and sunny day. May 19th was a Saturday that started out with light rain during the NAMI Walk that occurred earlier in the day. The Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer is student organized fourmile walk for supporting cancer research where all donations go to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. At the starting site of the walk, apples, bananas, bottled waters, tattoos and cookies with the Kids Walk logo were given out. Key Club all started walking on the four-mile walk when the sounds of thunder were suddenly heard about 3 miles into the walk. Most of us were prepared with our umbrellas out ready to fight against the rain. But suddenly, the ground around us had four inches of water. Everyone was completely soaked in several minutes and scrambling to protect all their belongings, especially their electronics, from the rain. People were saying words of encouragement and tried to stay positive. “We’re almost there!” “Half a mile to go!” “I can see the light!” Somehow, everyone made it back to the finish line where almost everyone who finished the walk had already left. Everything was covered in mud, rain or both. Volunteers gave out free ice cream and water as people were saying the park was being evacuated by park rangers due to lightning and unsafe conditions. In all the rain and mud, Key Club was separated but several people did end up going to Chipotle to eat. This walk goes out to all the kids with cancer, all the amazing volunteers and Key Clubbers that showed up and made it through the rain. It might not have been a beautiful day, but it sure will be beautiful and sunny day when cancer is gone. :)
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BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB newsletter
Great Strides Aaron Cheung, Division 11 Executive Assistant On June 2, 2013, Bronx Science Key Club members volunteered at the Great Strides for Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited chronic disorder that causes damage to the lungs and digestive system. It creates a sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and obstruct pancreatic fluids, causing frequent lung infections and breathing problems. However, with recent advances in medical research, doctors can now extend the lives of patients by 20 or 30 years. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is fundraising money in order to find better, more efficient long-term methods of treating patients. When our club arrived at 8:00 AM, we set up different tents, posted signs, and designated assignments for each member. Our club worked in many areas such as the food tents, t-shirt tents, and
registration tents. Many members were route marshals and directed participants in the appropriate directions. Other members were cheerleaders and encouraged participants to continue their long journey across lower Manhattan. I was not astounded by the multitude of walkers at the event, but by the effervescent and positive attitudes of the walkers. Watching several thousand people consolidate and walk together, united to fight a terrible disease, was extremely inspiring. At the end of the event, all volunteers were treated to a large meal, consisting of a wide hodgepodge of drinks and luscious wraps. The Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis was indubitably a fun and enjoyable event. I definitely encourage each one of you to participate in the walk next year!
A New Beginning, A Fresh Start. Melissa Lei, Secretary June 6 marked an important date, for both the school and its clubs, especially Key Club. This date symbolized a new kind of beginning for the incoming freshmen. It was the time of year to recruit new members into our club early as a way to prepare ourselves for the actual Club Fair in late September and to get the freshman involved in the club before school actually starts. As freshmen are making a big transition from middle school to high school, it was our job as Key Clubbers to welcome them and make them feel at home - just like how Key Club is, like a family. As members of the Big Sibs program directed their kids into the gym and introduced to them to many clubs, freshmen were able to see the various amount of high schoolers hungry to befriend the innocent freshmen, who did not know where to start to establish a place for themselves. One in particular, Bronx Science Key Club, showed never ending passion to introduce freshmen to Key Club. Occupying a table near the corner of the gym, Bronx Science Key Club was surrounded by a crowd of people, especially freshmen trying to understand what Key Club really is. “No, we do not make keys, if that’s what you’re thinking; KEY is actually an acronym meaning Kiwanis Educates Youth,” you can hear from afar from one of the members telling a group of freshmen. Myself as well, even though I brought Little Sibs to many different clubs, I found myself promoting Key Club actively...and loudly as well. “And here we are, my home club. Key Club!” I would say. With the help of two years worth of scrapbook and the promotional Key Club video, we successfully gathered tons of members - more than 100 freshmen signed up! :D When I asked one particular freshman what was it that made her sign up, she said, “The energy that was put in introducing the club was amazing - yes, community service is great, but making it fun is definitely a wonderful bonus! The scrapbooks that I looked through made events look exciting and not boring as I’d think it’d be, and it made me really want to be part of it too! Maybe if I join, I can found myself in the scrapbook, and eventually find myself encouraging freshmen in my junior year!” And it’s true, while what the freshman said made me so touched, it also made me look back at my freshman year when I first joined. Back then, I thought to myself, will I ever be the one to promote a club? And three years later, I found myself introducing a club, Key Club - something that I never thought I would do at all. Throughout this whole experience, not only was the mission to recruit new members successful, but it also made me understand why Key Club is so much fun and why we’re the biggest. It is because of the family that we all create, and the passion and the dedication that we all possess. With this being said, I’m looking forward to Club Fair! :D
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JCC Annual Spa Day Jasmine Quindala, Outreach Committee Co-head On June 22, 2013 five of us Key Clubbers went to the Jewish Community Center where we often go to volunteer, to help them set up for their Spa Day. Their Annual Spa Day was a day of relaxation for women who are battling Ovarian Cancer. Upon entering the room where the event was supposed to take place, the only thing that could be seen were several tables, chairs, plants, and spa massage tables. After four hours though, a major transformation occurred within the space, giving it a relaxing and soothing atmosphere. I can honestly say that this was one of my favorite events despite the small number of Key Clubbers present. This was due to the fact that the people that were volunteering and those who were in charge were so friendly, cheerful, and kind--genuinely caring about helping the women who the event was designed for. They wanted to make sure that these women would relax and take a day off to forget about all the treatment they had to do and the disease they were battling. However, I didn’t think it would be as hard and as tiring as it was. So many things needed to be done in order for the room to be ready for the Spa Day. We had to fold blankets, set up tables, arrange pillows, move around and count the bags that they would give away to the participants, arrange labels, and arrange flowers and candles on the tables. All of this was done meticulously; making sure every detail was perfectly in place. The women in charge taught us that day that every little detail can make a big difference. Not only did we learn about a bit about Ovarian Cancer and design, we also learned about how important it was to take care of ourselves. To sum it all up, the day was completely wonderful being able to do something so good and being able to meet incredible people. It was also inspiring, showing us that little things can mean quite a lot to other people. Lastly, it reminded us Key Clubbers that that is what we can do with our club--make a difference.
Time For Some Fun … Puppetry Fun at the Puppetry Arts Festival Natalie Qin, Dedicated Member The Puppetry Arts Festival of Brooklyn took place on June 15, 2013 in Park Slope, Brooklyn near the Old Stone House. Like many other Puppetry Arts events, there were many arts and crafts stations, food stations, and of course, the main part of the day: a puppet show. The Puppetry Arts organization is dedicated to utilizing visual and performing arts to promote creativity among kids. Although I only arrived for the second shift at 1:00pm, dedicated Key Clubbers Christine Lim and Kenji Yeoh were there since 8 a.m. to help set up the event and coordinate the activities. Although I was assigned to the food station at first, I was quickly moved over to the t-shirt designing station where kids could design their own t-shirt using the paints and stamps provided for only 3 tickets ($3). It was a pretty hot day so I was surprised at the huge number of visitors that came to the festival. Everyone, the kids and parents included, were all very excited to be at the festival and were willing to participate in all the activities they could. The table on which the kids were designing the t-shirts became dirty very fast due to all the drippings paints and used stamps yet somehow they all disregarded the mess and happily painted away on their shirts. The people who actually lived near the location of the event were not the only ones who came; I remember being visited by people from the West Coast and from England as well! At the end of the event, we all helped break down all the tents and tables, and put all the supplies away into boxes. There was so much food left over that the managers of the event were literally stopping people in the streets to give them bottles of Coke, lemonade, and popcorn. This event once again reminded me how innocent little kids are and how easily they can have fun by doing the simplest things. I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched them draw little figures or write their names and I grinned even more when some of them said that they were making shirts to give to their dads for Father’s Day (which was the very next day). Even though the festival itself was pretty long and tiring, the sounds of high pitched yells and squeals of little kids as they had fun while painting, listening to stories, and just spending the day outside made it all worth it.
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BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB newsletter
SERVICE EVENTS Beach Beavers Wilson Cho, Dedicated Member So on June 30, we had a beach hangout at Rockaway Beach and although it wasn’t the best weather for a Beach hangout, we still had lots and lots of fun just hanging out. We made sandcastles, buried people under the sand, and searched for muscles to eat for dinner. Unfortunately most of the muscles we found were already dead. After the beach hangout, a few of us decided to go eat at Queens Center Mall and hang out there. While we were eating, Mahamitra Aras decided to record me eating as many chicken nuggets as I possibly could in less than 5 minutes. Let me just say it was an extremely difficult task--eating chicken nuggets with Mahamitra Aras and former Lt. Gov. Herman Li screaming, “Chug Chug Chug!” After we ate, we decided to go shopping where somehow both Mahamitra and I ended wearing heels. However, after all the craziness that happened that day, I can say that this was definitely one of the best beach days I had with Key Club and it will be one that I will definitely never forgot.
River to River Festival Wendy Zhao, Division 11 Secretary June 29th was the day of an event for the River to River Festival. The event that day was a dance performance by the Stephen Petronio Company titled "Like Lazarus Did". The dance performance was a public event held at the St. Paul's Chapel located on Fulton St. in Lower Manhattan, right by the newly finished Freedom Tower. The event started at 7:00PM and ended till around 9:00PM. The day of the event, I met up with Katie to hangout and I decided I wanted to volunteer at the event despite not signing up. Let's first talk about the shirts they gave out, which were so pretty, because the shirts were pink (one of the first pink shirts I've received from volunteering as a Key Clubber). Aside from the really pretty shirts as seen in the pictures, we were given badges that said "Staff" to hang around our neck which not only were cool souvenirs, but made us feel super official. Now, let's talk about the performance itself. The event began promptly at 7:00PM as the people were let in. The venue, which was beautiful in itself with high ceilings, marble floors, and chandeliers, was super crowded because there was a limit of 72 chairs (most of which were reserved for V.I.P's to begin with). This left many people standing, giving us the crucial, not to mention hard, job of crowd controlling the different areas of the church. The wide open space was surrounded by the chairs in a big square. The performance started with a chorus singing, the Young People's Chorus (which Christine from our Key Club is part of!). I spotted a few people from our high school too. Their singing was so soothing and flawless. In addition to beautiful background music throughout the show, the dancers themselves were amazing. They were so flexible, especially the men, and even though they had no expression on their faces, their body movements expressed so much. I watched the performance while standing on a straw chair for two hours straight, but I have to say it was worth it. The company's founder, Stephen Petronio, also gave a moving speech about his father and dedicated the dance to his father. The dance ended with the lights darkening and candles as a solo dancer finished off the performance. Besides the performance itself, what was amazing, was the fact that there was a woman (who we later found out was a performance artist named Janine Antoni) was suspended up on the second floor (it was really an optical illusion with a mirror, she was actually laying down, Herman told me). She never moved during the performance because she was meditating throughout the two hour long show (talk about concentration!). We thought she wasn't going to move at all, but she later got up and we were stunned. After helping the company remove marking tape off the floor and ushering remaining people out, most of us who were there went home. Herman, Katie, and I stayed and went to go eat Chipotle nearby. We took the train home together after eating and took many, many selfies with Katie's camera. It was a good way to end the night! I'm really glad I went to the event after all because I have now found a new love for watching dance performances. :)
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Service Spotlight#1 Japan Day Kevin Chen, Dedicated Member
Walking Tea Bottles in Action!
Last year, Japan suffered a devastating earthquake and tsunami that caught the world’s attention. In May 2012, Japan Day Inc. continued their annual tradition of holding “Japan Day” at Central Park, but decided to donate its funds from the event to Japan’s recovery. A year later, the Bronx Science Key Club comes back to volunteer once again. We were split into two shifts, allowing some of us to enjoy the festival itself. I arrived early in the morning and got to see some fellow club members already helping out with the Tea Tent, which was encompassed by people continuously. After getting some free tea, I went around to see the various tents and attractions. There were face painting, Japanese yo-yo fishing, yukata fitting, and various food and drink sampling. At the center of the festival was the Bandshell, where the stage was set for dancers, singers, artists, and speakers. One artist took a giant mop-like brush and painted on a giant white canvas emphasizing Japanese and American unity as well as Mother’s Day. Some groups demonstrated the art of cultural dance and even invited the onlookers to dance with them right in front of the Bandshell. And others sung a mix of American songs and Japanese original soundtracks from the Studio Ghibli films. Japan Day really did a great job of showing Japanese culture for others to appreciate, but some people brought their love with them to the festival. With Japan being the home of anime and manga, some people decided to cosplay as characters or dress in traditional Japanese yukatas. I had the pleasure of taking photos of these cosplayers and even some volunteers wearing yukatas to attract people to the Yukata Fitting Tent. These Japanese culture enthusiasts were quite kind and excited, especially when they were the center of attention of official press photographers. A news crew also went around and asked a little girl to hold a sign displaying “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY”. Nonetheless, Japan Day is one of the most amazing annual events unique to New York City.
Christine Lim, Dedicated Member On Mother’s Day, May 12, 2013, Bronx Science Key Club volunteered at the annual Japan Day festival in Central Park. Japan Day is a day for people to learn more about the Japanese culture and to taste their food, tea, and even try on Japanese clothing called Yakuta. Over 70 volunteers from our club helped volunteer at food tents, registrations, site infos, yakuta tent, and other sites. I was volunteering in the tea tent and as you might’ve guessed, we handed out bottles of Tea’s Tea Plus to everyone. There were four flavors of green tea: Peach, Grape, Apple, and Lemon. Of course, lemon green tea was the all time favorite. Our jobs were just to hand them out and allow people to enjoy the different kinds of green tea. The volunteers were like walking tea bottles. I found it very interesting how they gave all the volunteers green hopis which had the label of the tea for us to wear. As we were serving tea and walking around, we looked like walking tea bottles! TImmy Zhu from Bronx Science Key Club enjoyed the event a lot and said, “ Japan Day gave many volunteers the opportunity to help others and learn about the culture of the Japanese at the same time”. It was so kawaii :D
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BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB newsletter
Japan Day Terrell Merritt, Dedicated Member On May 12, 2013, Bronx Science Key Clubbers flooded Central Park to volunteer for and enjoy the 7th Annual Japan Day Festival. The idea behind Japan Day is to both provide New Yorkers with an understanding of Japanese culture and to show how the local Japanese people appreciate New York. This is usually one of Bronx Science Key Club’s largest non-walk events and this year was no different, with around 40 of our members alone volunteering. From distributing bottles of tea, to helping little kids go yo-yo fishing, to encouraging people to try on traditional Japanese clothing and giving people general Japan Day information and directions, among other activities, many of our Key Clubbers were hard at work helping the festival to run smoothly. As the lines for the free food being offered were stretching so long that there was nearly a half-hour wait for food at the climax of the festival, the morning shift volunteers were switching out so the afternoon shift volunteers could start. As a Site Information volunteer, I was able to explore the entirety of Japan Day and really see the faces of those enjoying it. Many people at the festival were thrilled to try on the clothes at the Yukata tent and take pictures with the two models, none other than President Irena Chen and Kevin Chen. Little kids getting their faces painted and learning how to write their names in a new language were also frequent subjects in photographs being taken by various people at the event. At the end of the festival, as many people were running home to spend the rest of Mother’s Day at home or elsewhere with the women who gave birth to them, the Key Club volunteers who were still at the event were ready to go after a long day in the sun.
Why Japan Day is Such a Successful Event Melissa Lei, Secretary Japan Day has always been a popular event within our Key Clubbers - my first Japan Day was during my freshman year, and I’ve been attending it ever since. Every year is full of adventure - freshman year I went around Central Park asking if anybody wanted to try out tea, Jasmine Tea to Oolong Tea; sophomore year I stayed under the Udon tent, helping the udon staff cook udon, surprisingly, I didn’t poison anyone!; and junior year, I sat on a bench, hoping to direct walkers straight to the Japan Day festival. This year was full of many entertaining tents Tea, Ramen, Miso Soup, Okonomiyaki, YoYo Fishing, Yukata, Calligraphy, Snacks, Origami, Face Painting, and many more.Once it was over, we all received lunch, which were basically bento boxes with chicken, salmon, rice, shumai, and egg! (YUM! :D) But what’s amazing about Japan Day itself is the culture they provide - even though Japan did go through a period of turmoil during the mid-1900s, everybody still stayed united and showed great pride of their culture. Even when Japan had been hit by an unfortunate earthquake recently, many people today still appreciate Japanese culture and Bronx Science Key Club reached out and helped Japan as well by folding paper cranes and donating monetary sums to them. Japan Day Festival itself brings out a lot of their home favorites - anime, manga, technology, and piety. Cosplay was portrayed through the face painting, kabuki tent, and yukata tents; highly favored and respected Japanese technology was promoted through providing Nikon cameras as raffle gifts; piety was portrayed through dedicating banners with “Happy Mother’s Day” to mothers in respect to Mother’s Day, which happened to fall on the same day as well. With the high amount of Japanese pride and honor, Japan Day is indeed heavily appreciated by many, especially us Key Clubbers. Hopefully next year festival’s will be a blast as always, and many people will remain entertained during the festival and learn new things about the Japanese!!
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DIVISION 11 PANDAS AIDS Walk Wesley Li, Dedicated Member The Aids walk on May 29, 2013 was a annual walk that took place in Central Park to raise money to fund research in order to find a cure for this disease which millions of people have around the world. There were people who volunteered for the event and others who walked the 6.2 miles of the event. I walked for the reason that maybe somehow I would inspire people to donate even a dollar and that dollar may be the cause of finding the cure to AIDS, especially because if I were to get it, I wouldn’t be able to be I wouldn’t be as happy as I wanted to be.
Seniors posing with their surprise roses.
This walk wasn’t that bad despite the rain that may have made many of us annoyed but after that flash flood at Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer event, it wasn’t so bad. We all had each other as key clubbers to keep each other company. There were checkpoints along the walk where volunteers gave us food, drinks, and encouragement to encourage us as we walked. I also saw some of my middle school friends at the halfway mark checkpoint through the massive crowd of people but we never greeted each other which bothered me the entire second half of the walk. Towards the last 1/2 mile of the walk to the finish, there were many exhausted people asking the volunteers how much longer the walk would be and I remember him saying another mile to go which fooled some but lightened up the mood towards the end of the walk.
June Divisional Wendy Zhao, Division 11 Secretary On June 14th the June Divisional was held at Nest+M High School. This was a special divisional because it was not only the last divisional of the school year but it was also the last divisional for the seniors. The yucky weather that day made it difficult to get to the divisional for it was pouring on the way to Nest+M. However, this did not stop many people from attending this special divisional (yay!). The divisional went on as usual albeit Lillian, our lieutenant governor being slightly late. She had some occasional jokes such as her and her mini flag for the pledge of allegiance. We went over each club's updates on past and future events and LtG. Lillian updated us on new information and the usual stuff. What most people did not know was that there was a planned surprise for the seniors. Many people from our club, Bronx Science Key Club, had contributed money to buy roses to commemorate the seniors (by the way, thank you to everyone who helped make it successful especially Sophia and Raina who walked in the rain with me to buy the flowers!). All the seniors who were there were primarily from Bronx Science and it was not only special for them but us, the underclassmen, too. Lillian handed out a rose to each senior who was present and we had a round of applause for them. There were many funny photo ops as well (evident in the pictures). Overall, the June Divisional was successful and a good way to end the school year. Even though it was the last divisional of the school year and the weather was horrible (as in soaked socks and sneakers), there will still be more divisionals in the summer and in the upcoming school year. And to the seniors who are graduating, you will always be welcomed at divisionals (good luck to all of you!). :)
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BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB Newsletter
Divisional Barbeque Sabrina Chen, Dedicated Member Just recently on the 22nd of June, I attended Division's 11 BBQ. It was located within the vicinity of Corona Park, specifically Meadow Lake. The day was nice, the temperature was about 84 degrees. You could say it was hot, but I didn't feel that way until Timmy and I got lost as usual. "Going on an adventure" was pretty typical, considering the fact that we get lost at every Key Club event, but for this event, we got lost big time. Good thing we weren't the only ones though. We were about an hour late to the event but we didn't miss much. Why? Because plenty of other people got lost as well. It was pretty amusing watching Lillian try to direct people who were on the complete opposite side of the barbecue area. Where our little barbecue crew settled down was near the highway and bridge but luckily, we were in the shade; so nice after walking around sweating in the blazing sun for an hour. Despite getting lost and the formidable tropic-like weather, the aliment totally made up for it. There were hot dogs, hamburgers, blueberries, watermelon and even cake. The heavenly chocolate cake was amazing; it was a chocolate angel cake with a layer of fudge. Except, as I was enjoying my slice, an uninvited mosquito dove into chocolate cake heaven. It was a waste of a good slice of cake and maybe even some not-so-tasty protein, but there was still one food that made my day. It brought back my childhood memories; it was the Asian flavored icicle stick. Recalling my Asian-flavored-icicle-stick days brought back so many memories. After eating somewhat of an average teenager's fill, Aaron and I secretly walked to the water fountain near the parking lot to fill up water balloons. Strangely enough, I thought filling up the balloons with water was more fun than the actual water fight itself. Maybe it was because I kept making big pear-shaped balloons and "accidentally" poking holes in the balloon at Aaron's direction. So, while everyone else was either playing cards, grilling edible food, playing volleyball, badminton or any other net-court related sport, we were secretly filling up the water balloons. After filling about 2 bags worth of water balloons, we walked back and hid behind trees and launched our secret attack. It failed horribly though because from where we were hiding, the water balloons didn't even hit the people on court. Eventually, it wasn't really a secret attack but a typical water balloon fight. Soon afterwards, I had to leave because I needed to buy Parmesan Cheese and bread. Although I left early due to cheese and bread, it was still a memorable day with my key club friends.
Food, Fun and Friends, what more could you ask for? Aaron Cheung, Division 11 Executive Assistant On June 22nd, Division 11 hosted its Annual Divisional Barbecue Fundraiser in Meadow Lake Park. Although it was scorching and humid, I enjoyed the beautiful scenery. There was a wide hodgepodge of food, ranging from hot dogs and cheeseburgers to corn and chicken wings. Jimmy Lin, Daniel Ivan Lin, and Vinson Huang cooked up an amazing meal for the division to enjoy. Aside from the delectable food, there was a variety of activities to partake in. Many Key Clubbers enjoyed a game of volleyball or Frisbee. LTG Lillian Xie bought in water balloons
and other members bought in water guns. As an aggressor, I enjoyed pelting our LTG with water balloons and soaking her with water guns. By the end of the day, most people were soaked from head to toe, especially LaGuardia President Donna Youn. I definitely enjoyed the barbecue and would encourage members to attend the event in the future. Not only does it provide amazing food and activities, but also an opportunity to meet new members from other clubs and create new bonds.
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The Most Efficient Assembly Line Ever Seen Ya Ling Li, Dedicated Member On June 10, 2013 and June 11, 2013, the Bronx Science Key Club had the honor of helping The Challenged Athletes Foundation, CAF, prepare for their 2013 A Celebration of Heroes, Heart and Hope gala. On the first day our main job was to pack the gift bags with magazines, caps, snacks, bags, goggles, and action wipes. What would seem like a simple job turned out to need a whole human moving assembly line. This assembly line started with people unpacking the Nike sports bags from their boxes and then other people would put a copy of a men’s magazine inside. The bags would then be moved to the floor where it is passed along as the CAF hats, Lifeproof bags, a small snack, TYR goggles, and an action wipe are placed inside. Then it is off to be stacked and counted. Thanks to the great human assembly line, the job was finished within an hour and a half and then it was off to eat dinner. While enjoying dinner we also got to meet a father of a challenged athlete and got to hear his stories. The next day was a lot more hectic. The second day had a lot more jobs and took all three hours to finish. Our first job was to put the stickers of the guest of the gala on envelopes and stuff them with a piece of paper with corresponding sticker. The next job would be to place stickers with corresponding numbers on the auction cards for the guest. These cards were then to be organized into tables the guest choose and labeled with the tables’ names. This was pretty hectic at first, but we managed to get the job done. Our last job of the day was to do more packing of gift bags. We got a last minute shipment of TYR Endurance Sports Drinks and Dylan’s Candy Bar Hot Chocolate mixes. This again took another human moving assembly line to finish the job. It was a hectic night, but when the job was done we were all satisfied.
Where is card #365? Here. Sticker Please! Mahamitra Jagadheshkumar, Dedicated Member On Tuesday June, 11th Key Club went to the Waldorf Astoria to volunteer with the Challenged Athletes Foundation. We volunteered by organizing over 700 number cards and filling gift bags for an auction CAF was having at their gala the next day. We had two teams to organize the cards. One person in each team read off the numbers for each table and the rest of the team looked for the cards with that number. Once a table was completed we handed the pile of cards to another person who wrote down the table name, number, and made sure the table had all its cards. Then we had to sticker each card with its specific auction participant and number. It was a lot of work, but we, as key clubbers are up for any challenge. Once we completed organizing the cards, one team moved on to fill gift bags and the others stayed behind to check for any mistakes that were made when organizing the cards, and oh man there were a lot. We tackled the bag filling part by using an assembly line structure. We split our group into three parts and there were six items to place in each bag. The first group moved the bags off of a table and put in three items and passed the bag to a team on the floor. The team on the floor filled the bag with three items and piled the bags behind them. The last team took the bags and made sure all items were inside and piled them in one corner of the room. This entire process had to be done twice since we had to add another item in the end. The assembly line was not as efficient as you may think. One part was slow at times, another was too fast, and some bags weren’t filled. However thanks to Amanda’s loud voice and support we stopped when things got out of hand and brought ourselves back together to make sure everything went well. The day ended with delicious pizza and a gift bag for each volunteer. It was a big job to organize all those cards and bags but we pulled through and enjoyed every moment.
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BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB Newsletter
Service Spotlight#2 A Celebration of Heroes, Hearts, and Hope Gala Kevin Chen, Dedicated Member On June 12th, Thomas and I had some heck of an adventure. The Monday and Tuesday prior, the Bronx Science Key Club volunteered to assemble swag bags and auctioneer documents. This was all for the upcoming Challenged Athletes Foundation "A Celebration of Heroes, Hearts, and Hope" gala. The others didn't sign up for the actual gala, but Thomas and I were going to experience this event firsthand. We arrived at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel around 4PM and we changed into our formal attire. Thomas brought a bow tie that he had no idea how to put on unfortunately, but what the heck, we looked ready for the event. We were appointed to the check-in area and to help other volunteers give guests their documents. There weren't a lot of guests waiting at a time, so the pace throughout the day was steady and efficient. The other volunteers were especially kind and we cracked some jokes and comments. One, well two, things stood out was that Thomas and I were the only male, high school student volunteers; guess that means something. Not even near the end, my feet were hurting and I was so relieved to finally take a break after cleaning up the whole registration with Thomas and the Waldorf Astoria staff. The coordinators even insisted for the last time that we go up to eat dinner and observe the event. Nonetheless, Thomas and I rushed upstairs and were so glad there were still plates leftover. We grabbed whatever and went to the OTHER side of the ballroom because the dining tables were occupied. Either way, we got a nice view of the event, which was just magnificent. At this gala, CAF had victims and first
responders of the Boston Marathon, and some inspiring athletic amputees speak. I won't get into names sadly, but they absolutely have been through a lot. The survivors had at least one limb amputated and a traumatic event to remember. The respondents having seen the damage and horror were moved by the audience's appraisal for their aid. Of course, CAF's athletes whom they have aided with prostheses and training were there to support and welcome the auctioneers and Boston Strong survivors. Particular items were auctioned and there was an open fundraiser. Some instances were two passes to the IRONMAN US Championships that were auctioned for $45,000 each, and a lot of funds produced for the purchase of pairs of prosthetic legs and sports chairs. In the end, $1.3 million was raised. With the event coming to a close, we went back to the entrance area only to be told we weren’t needed for the second part of our assignment, which was to hand out swag bags. With that not under our control, we explored the dining floor as everybody left. There were a lot of unfinished desserts so I pressured Thomas to join me and dine on “some” chocolate, fruity cheesecakes. Having exhausted ourselves with volunteering, watching, photographing, and eating, we finally left the hotel at 11:30PM. Overall, it was an amazing event, especially because of its different environment and responsibilities at hand. Here, Thomas and I were out late in a place, with adults and some children, trying our best to serve CAF and the community we respect.
Fancy Volunteering Herman Li, Dedicated Member Bright chandeliers and an ocean of men in suits were just the beginning of the CAF Heroes, Hearts and Hope Gala on June 10th and 11th. The CAF focuses their efforts in helping the disabled to be able to still pursue an athletic life. Through the maze of the of the many rooms in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, not located in Astoria Queens like many might think but rather in the heart of Manhattan. On the 10th floor of this hotel in one of the many rooms is where the preparation for the CAF Heroes, Hearts and Hope Gala started. In this room volunteering started off simple; organizing cards into the according envelopes and organizing bid numbers into tables. The highlight of the night was filling the walls of Nike bags with energy drinks, hand wipes, magazines, and hot cocoa powder. Within a time of about an hour 20 of the Bronx Science Key Clubbers amazingly filled over 600 Nike Bags. By working in stations these Key Clubbers used the power of the assembly line to fill each bag one item at a time. One team passes the bags to the fillers and from there it goes to the stackers. When asked about how these Key Clubbers have so much energy, one Key Clubber casually replied we’re always like this. The CAF Heroes, Hearts and Hope Gala preparation gave us a bit of an insight on how big organizations still depend a lot on volunteers like us to help give them the man power for their projects.
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FUN & GAMES Facts you probably didn’t know about Key Club 1. The first Key Club was created at Sacramento High School in 1925. 2. What does the KEY in Key Club stand for? The “Key Boys” were the popular boys at Sacramento High School who started the first Key Club to give back to their community. 3. The then future U.S. president John F. Kennedy was present at the 1956 convention in Washington D.C.. 4. Females were not allowed in Key Club until 1976. 5. Past Key Club members include- Bill Clinton, Elvis Presley, and Brad Pitt. And.... the question of the day is: Who wore the yukata better? Our lovely President Irena Our lovely District Webmaster Jimmy Or the lovely unknown Kimmy? (all three of them are wearing yukatas for females)
6. There are close to 300,000 members!
Who is that baby?
8. Current Florida senator Bill Nelson is a past Key Club International President.
7. Every Key Club official color has a meaning- Blue stands for unwavering character, gold stands for service, and white stands for purity.
Here are the wackiest baby pictures of the current board. Can you identify who is who?
9. As of 2010, Key Club has 30 member nations, and clubs exist on every continent except Antarctica. 10. Originally, Key Club adopted the Kiwanis International motto “We Build” as it’s own. However, the motto was changed in 1978 to “Caring - Our Way of Life,” because it was thought that this motto better reflected the passion the Key Clubbers have for serving the world. Source: Rocky Mountain Key Club
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BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB Newsletter
Key Club Word Search
Drawing courtesy to Mahamitra Jagadhesh Kumar
Summer. Longer Days. More events.
Words: Key Club Volunteer Service Leadership Eliminate Community
Goodwill Students Change Kiwanis International Character
Answer Key here.
ELIMINATE Week To kick off Eliminate Week, Bronx Science Key Club sold pens labeled with the words #Elimin8, I’m an Eliminator, and The ELIMINATE Project to raise awareness and money to eliminate Maternal Neonatal Tetnus. Pens were sold 1 for $1 or 2 for $1.50.
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT monthly recognition to Key Club Extraordinaires
In a club as large as our own, it is important to recognize those who are dedicated, and those who go above and beyond the call and role of a member. That is why it is vital we recognize a familiar face in the crowd during various Key Club meetings and events.
For the Month of June: Lawrence Chen ‘13
Connie Liang: Lawrence is a very friendly person who always smile. Even when something bad happens, he would smile. I really look up to him because he dedicates so much time to Key Club. He's also so caring and genuinely nice. He is super smart and I wish him the best of luck in Cooper! Roxanne Chu: Lawrence has always been an active member since freshmen year. He is always being silly and has a great sense of humor; always knows how to make you laugh. He is always underestimating himself though. But I hope cooper and getting the distinguished secretary award will prove to him his real capabilities!
Melissa Lei: Lawrence is someone I've known since freshman year. Even though I came to his existence "out of nowhere", to me he is someone I really cherish, someone I look up to, someone I call my friend, and someone I call my grandpapa. He's one of the members who are truly defined as dedicated members, going to many events and socializing with others. As a secretary, "secreepertary" he has done an extraordinary job with his work, even being recognized as distinguished secretary in the NY district. As a secretary myself, this is an achievement that I really look up to and respect. As a friend and family Grandpapa Chen is a trustworthy, reliable and dependable person who really respects filial piety and his friends. Whatever troubles come through him he never stops smiling and takes down whatever is thrown at him. His dedication and personality make him someone who truly deserves this spotlight. He will be missed by many once he leaves for not only his job as a dedicated member, but also as a friend and family. (Grandpapa, if you're reading this, please don't choke me for calling you by your name!)
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Amanda Tam: Lawrence Chen couldn’t believe he won distinguished secretary at LTC even though maybe ten of us told him. He doesn’t think he deserves it but he definitely does, for knowing many members names, trying to please not only members but me, and devoting himself to service by taking initiative and devoting endless hours of his time to different organizations and charities. Lawrence also never faltered under challenges that were thrown at him. He kept on a happy face and used his hulk like body to battle anything and rise above everything. Thomas Chan: Lawrence is a dark skinned boy who began his life in Key Club in freshman year. His unwavering perseverance and determination has allowed him to go very far and to be as dedicated as he is now.
BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB Newsletter
For the Month of June: Mahamitra Jagadhesh Kumar ‘13
"Mahamitra Jagadhesh Kumar is an aspiring artist and inventor who finds time to contribute to his school and our Key Club. He's always there to take the train home with and I'm glad he jumps into our shenanigans." ~Kevin Chen
“Mahamitra is such a talented guy. His passion for volunteering comes straight from the heart and he really enjoys being with his friends. He is so chill and goes along with any plans and ever fails to give a helping hand.” ~Amanda Tam
“Maha is very quiet but is definitely one of the gems of key club. He's at many of the events and is always involved. He's an amazing artist! Good luck in nyu poly Maha!” ~Roxanne Chu
"Mahamitra's dedication at the events he attends is only topped by the closeted comedian within him. He's a very approachable person who, once you get to know, you coud never possibly regret meeting. He will definitely be great at whatever he does and he will be greatly missed.” ~ Terrell Merritt
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May Overview
Who is that baby Answer Key:
Sophia Yu, Dedicated Member
Warning: Answer may cause fits of giggles and gags. Don’t be surprised. 1. Lisa Liu 2. Irena Chen 3. Katie Xue 4. Melissa Lei 5. Vincent Colicchio
Mini Letter from the Editor: Thank you for checking out the newsletter for the months of May and June. It has been a pleasure again to read everyone’s experience at recent key club events. The Outreach Committee has definitely helped tremendously in gathering articles to fill the newsletter. Due to the lack of events in both months, the articles for those months were combined to create this larger-than-usual issue. I hoped you enjoyed reading each article and may it inspire you to attend events as well! Continue attending events and write your experience which will be published in future newsletters. Until the next newsletter! Also, seeing as this is the last page, it seems fitting to say: Congratulations to the Key Club Seniors to graduating high school. May you continue your services in Circle K. You will be dearly missed and I hope you visit!
The Newsletter Staff Katie Xue Editor
BOARD 2013-2014 IRENA CHEN Club President VINCENT COLICCHIO Vice President
Qing Lin Outreach Relations Committee Chair
MELISSA LEI Secretary
Jasmine Quindala Outreach Relations Committee Chair
LISA LIU Treasurer
Valued Contributors: Kenji Yeoh, Amanda Tam, Terrell Merritt, Aaron Cheung, Herman Li, Wendy Zhao, Timmy Zhu, Kevin Chen, Natalie Qin, Sophia Yu, Angie Chen, Sabrina Chen Thank you so much for submitting to the newsletter. Do not think I did not appreciate your work if it did not appear in this issue. All other articles have been submitted to the divisional or district newsletter. It has gone on, so look out for when those are released!
Email us @ bxsciencekeyclub@gmail.com
Visit us!: bxscikeyclub.weebly.com
KATIE XUE Editor