Cy Woods Key Club April Newsletter

April 2015

The official newsletter of the Cypress Woods High School Key Club.

KEY FACTS

DCON 2K15: The Memories We Made

IN THIS ISSUE

6

A Rep’s Revelation The significant bond between clubbers and their officers.

8

A Different Perspective An older member shares her DCON experience.

9

A Dream Come True A junior’s magical experience at DCON 2015.

Volume 4, Issue 1 May 5, 2015

Contributions Articles Matthew Trinh Shivam Shah Gina Zhang Sharon Zhou Will Cowden

President’s Letter Leia George Photos Arti Solanki Jordan Miller

IN THIS ISSUE...

3 Contributions 4 President’s Letter 5 May at a Glance 6 Our Key Club Family 7 Key Events from DCON 8 A Life Changing Experience 9 Defining DCON: Part 2 10 What You Missed at 11 DCON 2015

2

Contact Information Cy Woods Key Club Officers PRESIDENT

HISTORIAN

REPRESENTATIVE COORDINATOR

Leia George leiageorge10@gmail. com 832-515-6928

Gina Zhang gina_zhang2008@ hotmail.com 832-773-3228

Kishan Solanki kishan.sol99@gmail. com 281-904-8652

TREASURER VICE PRESIDENT Abhinav Ashar abhinav.ashar@ hotmail.com 713474-3494

BUILDER’S CLUB REPRESENTATIVE James Keiser jamesdkeiser@ gmail.com 832-622-7413

SECRETARY

JUNIOR SECRETARY

Sharon Zhou happysharonzh@ yahoo.com 281-346-9218

Jocelyn Yao

EDITOR

Jordan Miller jmiller290@gmail. com 281-733-7616

Ashley Kawakubo akawakubo98@ hotmail.com 281-733-0959

WEBMASTER

Joshua Goodwin 713-252-9943 joshua.goodwin98@ gmail.com

Texas-Oklahoma District Governor Rachel Iselin Rachel Iselin from Cypress Ranch High School in District 3W has been elected as ou new District Governor for thd 2015-2016 year. She has introduced a new governor’s project called K-Family Connections, which focuses on connections between clubs and their local Kiwanis families, while also making emergency backpacks for children.

Texas-Oklahoma District Staff Governor Secretary Treasurer Editor Convention Liason Trustee

Rachel Iselin Crystal Loh Emily Zhao To Be Determined To Be Determined

Governor@tokeyclub.com Secretary@tokeyclub.com Treasurer@tokeyclub.com To Be Determined To Be Determined

To Be Determined

To Be Determined

3

A letter from your

Club President D

ear fellow Key Clubbers, Happy New Key Club year! The New Year of service has officially begun. As many of you may have heard, the officer team and a few members have just returned from Jurassic Park where we went on a Service Adventure. Actually, this adventure to Jurassic Park was held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel and was hosted by the Texas-Oklahoma Key Club District Board.

The adventure lasted four days, and everyone had a terrific time. However, we didn’t only have fun and socialize for four days; we also learned many ways to make our club better: through increasing the number of service projects, having more interclubs with our other schools in the 3N division, and also getting better connected with our own members and officers. I also want to share with you exactly how large Key Club is, because to my complete shock and surprise Key Club is not only a Texas activity- it’s a worldwide organization and with many different layers. Circle K is Key Club on Photo by Jordan Miller the collegiate level, Key Club is on the high school level, and on a middle school level is Builder’s Club. It ranges from millions of people to only a few, but the goal is same everywhere: to serve our communities.

We only have one general meeting left this year, which is bittersweet for me. That means that the seniors are on their way to a new journey, one that many of us will not be a part of. I thank all seniors who have been with Key Club for the last four years and I want to let you know that your service has not gone unrecognized; we appreciate everything you have done for us and for Key Club. We wish you all good luck on your life ahead, and hope that you have the best years of your life at whatever college you will be attending. It also means for the rest of us that summer is quickly approaching; while that means flip flops, beaches, and tanning it also means AP testing and finals. Before you mentally check out for the rest of the summer and leave for summer vacation, complete your 25 hours for this final semester. If you have stuck with it and done all your hours for the first semester, just pull through and finish as soon as possible.

Thanks for everything you do, Clubbers. See you at our next general meeting May 20th.

Yours in Service,

4

Leia George Cy-Woods Key Club President

May at a Glance Event Schedule Saturday, May 2nd: community Shred at 23800 Northwest Freeway Cypress, TX 77429 (Coldwell’s Banker United’s Cy-Fair Office) from 8:30AM1:30PM. All proceeds will benefit breast cancer research.

SATURDAY,MAY 2nd: Boys and Guirls Country Spring Festival from 4PM5:30PM. MONDAY,MAY 4th: Clubwide meeting at 6:45AM or after school at 2:30PM in the Teaching Theater.

SUNDAY,MAY 24th: Representative and officer articles due at 10PM to the club gmail, cywoodskeyclub@gmail.com SATURDAY, MAY 30th: 6SMA Concert at Trinity Vineyard Church, 17150 Spring Cypress Rd, Cypress Tx. 77429 from 9AM-5PM.

MAY REMINDERS

Reps and Officers- Remember, articles are due on the 24th at 10PM to the gmail (cywoodskeyclub@gmail.com).

Members- Finish up getting your 25 hours this semester.

Members- Last meeting date to be announced, keep your eyes peeled on the Facebook Page.

5

Our Key Club Family A Sophomore Rep. Discovers the True Meaning of Service. volunteers said, “This is the way Key As the Club should be.” Through Key Club school year ends, and serving the community, we find friends, and we find ourselves. we often When people hear Key Club, look back upon what they either have no clue what Key Club is or they automatically think we did that Key Club is a ‘student-led that year; Matthew Trinh all the late volunteer organization’, which is Sophomore Representative nights true, but Key Club is so much more.

Yes, Key Club gives its members studying for tests, all the service opportunities to volunteer; but what events we went to, all the tears, all some may not realize, Key Club also the joys. And as we reminisce over gives its members the opportunity what we do, what we did right, to bond. Not everyone realizes what we did wrong, and, most importantly, what we can improve on, we sometimes forget to look towards tomorrow. The year is not over; we still have time to learn more, to serve more. Just as I was reminded today -when volunteeringof what I want Key Club to be and sometime I would like to stress to everyone; Key Club should not be just a club where people go to and from volunteer opportunities with their friends, but rather Key Club is more. Key Club is a family; brought together through the bond of service.

Recently, I volunteered at the Regional UIL Academic Competition and was working concessions most of the time; but the thing is, when everyone is in their rooms competing, the other volunteers and I had nothing to do which eventually led us to talk.

Through the many hours we were there, we got to know each othernot like when people meet when doing something fun, but through just talking and getting to know each other. Towards the end of our Isabelle Myers. Shivam Shah, and Ashley Kawakubo volunteering session, one of the at the Service Fair.Photo by Arti Solanki.

6

this incredible part of Key Club and some just keep to themselves; however, when there is a bond, there is a friendship, a family waiting to happen. We are Key Club, not just a service organization, but a family bonded by serving. We cannot force others to be friends, but we can certainly give them the chance to; not only through volunteer opportunities, but through socials. Socials are one of many opportunities to discover what Key Club can be – a family.

Key Events From DCON A Representative’s Account from District Convention.

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending my first TexasOklahoma District Convention.

Shivam Shah In addition Freshman Representative to meeting Key Clubbers from all over Texas and Oklahoma, I also had the opportunity to get to know my fellow Cypress Woods Key Clubbers better. After a 4 hour bus ride filled with laughter and ice-breaker games, we arrived at the Dallas Sheraton Hotel for DCON; a convention that would open my eyes to the world of service.

One of my favorite parts of DCON was the awards ceremony.

It was fun to watch clubs celebrate a year’s worth of hard work by achieving recognition at DCON. I was truly blown away by the

Cy Woods Key Club at the Service Fair.Photo

by Arti Solanki.

quality of the projects that were submitted by the school. The whole atmosphere of the awards ceremony was homey and warm, with Key Clubbers from clubs all over the district chatting away like they’d been friends for years. Key Clubs from Texas and Oklahoma were reunited to just celebrate and reflect back on the work we’d put in to serve our schools and communities. I thought there was a lot to be learned from the awards ceremony and it also served as a bit of a reality check. We as a whole were able to see where we stood in terms of club prestige.

Despite a somewhat disappointing awards total (according to the upperclassmen) I feel that we were able to learn a lot of new tips that we can use to improve in our officer positions. As a club, we were not in the top 25 club category for the first time ever, something that we are using as motivation this year to work twice as hard to attain that number-

one rating.

Another aspect of DCON that I thoroughly enjoyed was the talent show. I admired the guts and courage displayed by the finalists to go up on stage and display their talent in front hundreds of people. I also enjoyed the openness shown by both the performers and the audience. The finalists’ performances ranged from traditional Indian dances to a Karate display. Personally, I was able to take a lot away from my first DCON experience. I got to see the level of competition among the Key Clubs and became aware of how hard I needed to work to make my project a winner for next year.

Overall, I had a fantastic time learning new things, meeting new people, and having fun at my very first Texas-Oklahoma District Convention; something that I hope to go to every year I’m in Key Club.

7

A Life Changing Experience DCON Through The Eyes of a Seasoned Member.

My first year of DCON was filled with exhilarating moments, inspiring Gina Zhang moments, Historian leadership moments, and life-changing moments.

Being that it was my first year, I had no idea exactly how my expectations would line up with the real thing.

But after attending, I realized many of the realities of DCON exceeded what I was prepared for, and it left me with a new sense of confidence and belonging in my Key Club.

Listening to the Key Note speaker, Alan Faulk, at the opening session was definitely an eye opener.

Through various hand motions that corresponded with words, Alan Faulk taught us the five things that make someone an ‘awesome’ leader:

8

self-awareness, mental agility, people agility, change agility, and results agility. The one characteristic out of all five that fascinated me the most was ‘mental agility’, something that people do not usually think about in a leader. Alan explained that in order to be a respected leader, it is important that one can be able to “get into the deep water of complexity and ambiguity”. To me, that meant in tough situations, a leader has to figure out the simplest and most un-biased solution. This spoke to me because sometimes leaders can get so caught up with something else, that they become unfocused on what really needs to be done.

Handling many situations at once also falls into the ‘complexity’ part of possessing ‘mental agility’. I really liked how Alan Faulk pointed out not the most obvious things that one sees in a leader. His speech was inspirational to me not only as a leader, but also as a person.

The most exhilarating event and my favorite moment at DCON was definitely the Governor’s Ball. Although a bunch of high school teens were jam packed together with sweat floating around in a tiny ballroom, it was a great break from everything professional about Key Club. It was easy to make a lot of new friends in this causal and relaxed atmosphere as opposed to the formality of the awards ceremony.

The Governor’s Ball is only one of my many favorite things that we did there. I also enjoyed watching someone play a song by my favorite violinist, Lindsey Sterling, on the violin at the Talent Show, the showdown between Texas and Oklahoma at the Quiz Bowl, and the intense Super Smash Brothers video game contest. DCON was definitely an unforgettable highlight of my junior year, and look forward with enthusiasm and anticipation to attending next year’s convention!

Defining DCON: Part 2 The Impact of DCON 2015 on a Veteran Attendee.

Two weeks later, and I’m still reeling from all the exciting Sharon Zhou things Secretary that happened at DCON. DCON has completely rejuvenated my servant leader heart, and I am absolutely ecstatic for the new Key Club year! I’ve learned so many things and taken so many notes about what I can do to help my club improve, and I’m ready to apply what I’ve learned in this upcoming year of service.

After actually attending DCON, I can definitely see what all the hype is about. For last month’s article,

I could only speculate about what DCON would bring. Well, here was my experience at the 2015 TexasOklahoma District Convention. : Dinosaurs- Well, I definitely was not disappointed here.

The moment I stepped into the convention, I saw Key Clubbers embracing this year’s dinosaur DCON. All the Lieutenant Governors were wearing safari hats and khakis to go along with the Jurassic Park theme. The stage decorations were amazing; with amazing lights and special effects.

They looked like a lot of work was put into designing them and how they would be displayed, and I definitely was amazed by them.

I was thoroughly impressed with how the theme was incorporated into all the decorations and forums,

D

and couldn’t believe someone my age with all the stresses from high school could’ve planned all of it. : Contests- Where to even start? I absolutely loved the contests and award ceremony.

I really enjoyed the feeling of collectiveness that filled the room during the Smash Brothers Brawl tournament as everyone cheered for the exciting moves… and then the immediate feeling of rivalry right after during the highly-anticipated Quiz Bowl (Yet another win for Texas, yay!). The award ceremony Saturday night was also another highlight. It was great to see so many clubs get recognized for their hard work through service and bettering their communities. : Opportunities- As I’ve mentioned already, there were so many opportunities to learn more about Key Club. I definitely tried to take advantage of as many of them as I could. I loved the forums; they were information packed, and I now have many new tips and tools to help me in my position this upcoming year. : New People- Well, what they say is true. Key Clubbers really are some of the nicest people out there. The moment I stepped into the service fair, I automatically felt welcomed by the many smiles and grins that greeted me. Everyone made sure everyone felt included, and this lasted throughout the weekend. I’m so glad I got to meet so many Key Clubbers from around the district, and I can’t wait to see them all next year.

C

O

N

Members of Cy Woods Key Club at the Service Fair. Photo by Arti Solanki.

9

What you missed at DCON 2015 A Freshman Rep.’s First DCON.

The DCON Governor’s Ball. Photo by Arti Solanki.

Being an incoming freshman, I am new to the fascinating world of Key Club; Will Cowden I had Freshman Representative no idea what DCON had in store for me.

I was anxious in both excited and nervous ways. While at DCON, I explored the jungle of service and had fun adventuring in my first, but certainly not last, year at the Texas-Oklahoma District Convention at Dallas.

As we arrived at the breathtak-

10

ing hotel/convention center, I was amazed at the location and couldn’t help but just look around and take in the beauty. Day after day, the excitement and enjoyment refused to end until the final breakfast and adieus.

From the Super Smash Bros tournament, to the formal suppers and caucuses, this adventure along with the fondness of my Key Club years is something I will remember for decades to come.

The 4-day event was not only a great place to meet new people and get to know them, but also to learn and expand our knowledge on ways to assist our community and give back. I learned many new and creative ideas where the other Key

Clubs of the Texas-Oklahoma district fabricated a successful plan in which high schools were able to set some time out of the bussing schedule to help others who required their assistance. As well as these unique ideas, the convention also taught me important values which I will cherish my entire Kiwanis career. DCON encouraged leadership, teamwork, and many more socially desired traits. These traits can help me persevere and thrive in the crowded and dense jungle which is high school; where the competition is intense and only the strongest can get to the top.

These traits were taught in the dozen or so various forums where experts talk about their field and

give knowledge to the officers to transfer to the everyday Key Club member. These forums reached from helping expand your bubble and meeting new people to learning more icebreakers to be used as a fun, hype- creating method to kick off meetings and other social gatherings.

As well as useful traits, there were also forums depicting the different officers of Key Club, so the successors of the current presidents and officers can learn the ropes of the job they were nominated and chosen to lead in their respective clubs.

Jurassic Park themed DCON 2015 was a tremendous success in my eyes and hyped me up for a year of learning, growing, and service. This convention definitely showed me that Key Club isn’t just about volunteering; it’s about making an impact.

Happy Couples Bonded by Service

Photo by Arti Solanki

Photo by Arti Solanki

Photo by Arti Solanki

Photo by Arti Solanki

Photo by Arti Solanki

Photo by Arti Solanki

11

Photo by Arti Solanki

KEY FACTS

CYPRESS WOODS HIGH SCHOOL MAY 2015

Photo by Arti Solanki