Narwhal News | D42E September 2013

3 1 0 2 r e b Septem

l a h w r a N s w e N st’s

a E 2 4 Division r e t t e l s w e N l a i c i Off Issue 4 n

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Newbury Park | Oak Park | Royal | Santa Susana | Simi Valley | Thousand Oaks |Westlake

Table of Contents

A Message from your LTG 2013-2014 Secretary Biographies Division 42 East Car Wash Past Events - Newbury Park - Oak Park - Royal - Santa Susana - Simi Valley Division Recognition Current Division Points Fall Rally Upcoming Events Contact Information

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Editor’s Note Hey Narwhals!

I hope all of you had a great summer now that school has resumed. Keep sending in those articles and visuals! It’s an easy way to earn hours plus your articles are being read by other Key Clubbers around the world! I appreciate each and every one of you for your submissions and I want to keep encouraging everyone to submit! Let’s make this Key Club year a GOLDEN year!

Swimming in service,

Mindy Nguyen Division 42 East 2013-2014 News Editor

A Message from Your LTG Hello, Narwhals!

The new school year is FINALLY here! I wish all of you the best of luck in this school year. Make it memorable, make it fun and make it worthwhile! A new school year comes with new students. Make sure to utilize the great member recruitment and retention tips that you have gained at the August DCM or at our Officer Training Conference back in June. Whether you’re a member or officer, be sure to recruit members to the organization. Tell them about the GOLDEN service we partake in as well as the crazy spirit that we exert.

For me, Key Club changed my life! When I first joined Key Club during my freshman year, I did not expect it to become a huge part of my life. Key Club is probably the first thing I’ve ever been passionate about! To the potential members currently reading this, I encourage you to join this organization. When I attended my first club meeting, I had no idea that I would learn so much about leadership, the benefits of service and the amount of people that share then same passion as myself: service. This organization is the best thing that happened to me during my high school years and I am sure that it will impact you in some special way. I hope you all had a great summer and I hope to see YOU soon!

Swimming in service,

Paolo Recto Division 42 East 2013-2014 Lieutenant Governor

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Get to Know Diana Tai

Newbury Park

My name is Diana Tai and I am the secretary of the NPHS Key Club for this coming 2013-14 school year. I feel very honored and privileged to be able to serve for such a meaningful club. Since I have joined Key Club in my freshman year, I have learned the importance of being involved in the bigger community as well as how to become a better leader. I met many new friends and expanded my interests. My goals this year as a secretary are to maintain organized club records, assist other board members to run smooth meetings, and share Key Club's passion and enthusiasm for community service with the rest of the NPHS campus. I wish to also help increase overall activity in our club by finding more events to participate in and making weekly meetings more exciting so as to give our members more motivation to be engaged. In my spare time I enjoy watching Korean dramas. In all, I look forward to a successful year for Newbury Park’s Key Club.

Irena Yang

Oak Park

Hey everyone! My name is Irena Yang and I am so excited to be secretary for Oak Park’s Key Club. I want to bring even more fun-filled events and fundraisers this year that will help make Key Club an even bigger and better part of Oak Park. I am grateful to be working alongside other amazing officers in hopes of creating a livelier, more spirited group of Key Clubbers. In addition to Key Club, I also love drawing and painting, playing tennis, volunteering at a local elementary school, and hanging out with friends. I look forward to another amazing year!

Royal

Anupama Gupta

My name is Anupama Gupta and I'm going to be a junior this year at Royal High. I like to play tennis and soccer and I was on Royal's varsity tennis team two years in a row. I'm also very active in school, being part of the mock trial team, key club of course, French club, NHS, CSF, and the SAT Prep Club. I founded the SAT Prep Club last year and I am currently president of Mock Trial; I love being a leader and helping out other students, especially when it comes to academics. I want to go to UCLA or UC Berkeley and major in political science to eventually become a corporate lawyer. Hopefully I can live somewhere in Washington DC when I'm older!

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Your Secretaries!

Simi Valley

Juliana Nghiem

Hi everyone! My name is Juliana Nghiem and I am Simi High's Secretary. I was on the Simi High's soccer team and now play for the tennis team. I love eating food, especially anything with chocolate. Music is a big part of my life: I sing, dance, and play the violin whenever I have free time. My goals for this year are to make sure to submit all of my MRFs in on time to best represent Simi High Key Club as well as keep our club as organized as possible. I also want to be more involved this year and get to know more members within the division. I hope we all can make this 2013-2014 term successful and filled with worthwhile memories!

Thank you for all your hard work at filling out MRFs! We’ve had 100% MRF submission so far because of you!

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D42E Car Wash @ Rock n Roll Café

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Division 42 East’s first car wash for the 2013-2014 year was a success! Although the day started off a little slow, everyone was busy washing cars throughout the day. Joining with Rock n Roll Café for the second time proved to be worthwhile as customers getting their car washed could also enjoy a free burger from the café. Free food anyone? Way to get your car squeaky clean for only $7 while munching on a delicious burger! With a successful outcome, Division 42 East is looking forward to more car washes in the future.

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Newbury iCan Shine Bike Camp

Melissa and another volunteer help a girl learn to ride a bike.

MELISSA GRENNAN Doing the iCan Shine bike camp was a really great experience because at the end of the week long camp you could see the improvement not just in their biking skills but in their confidence as well. Before the camp we were told that our rider, Abby, had previously tried to learn how to ride a bike but had gotten extremely frustrated because she wasn’t able to catch on. From this camp Abby not only got to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels but she also gained some confidence that she can do more then she thinks and that was really awesome to see. It also fun working with Abby throughout the week because she was a very funny person and loved dancing to her favorite songs. Overall it was an amazing experience and I hope I can do it again!

Maya watches the boy’s progress as he rides his bike.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk ANDREA LIU On August 10th, I attended the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event as a part of the NPHS Key Club team. The entire walk was, to put it simply, inspirational. There were so many people who had gathered to show their support to loved ones and new faces who have bravely fought breast cancer and survived. Walking down Thousand Oaks Boulevard by the Civics Art Plaza was great exercise and a nice opportunity for social interactions. I am very glad I decided to go and would definitely recommend that everyone try it out!

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Andrea gets ready to walk after fundraising for American Cancer Society’s fight against breast cancer.

Feeding the Homeless CELESTINE SUN The Homeless Meals Program takes place each Sunday evening, and is a great opportunity to contribute to the church and community by helping set up the hall, prepares lunches, and serves the meal. This program is beneficial to the individuals that attend the dinners, as well as a volunteer because we are able learn from those who are already making a difference. Overall, the Homeless Meals Program is a great way to help those that are without the basic benefits that many of us take for granted.

ELIZABETH ZHANG "Feeding the Homeless" was one of my first volunteering experiences. This interaction with less-fortunate people opened my eyes to the world. Things that I take for granted - such as food and shelter - other people struggle for. I now feel an even deeper sense of gratitude towards my parents.

Overall, "Feeding the Homeless" is a community service activity that I highly suggest participating in.

Julianna helps serve salad to a homeless man at the beginning of dinner service.

Melissa serves couscous salad to a homeless person.

Park

Elizabeth helps wash dishes in the church’s kitchen during dinner service.

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Volunteering at the Thrift Store CATHERINE SHI Nestled next to a sports lounge, right in front of a home hair salon, is the Assistance League Thrift Store where I often find myself volunteering on Saturday mornings. The store carries the quiet charm of a quaint little town store. As a volunteer, I help sort through donations, stock the racks, clean the store, work the register, steam clothes, and price the merchandise. I love volunteering at the thrift store because I get to see people and things from all walks of life come in.

To me, every item that is sold within a thrift store carries a back story, a history. A plain white linen sleeveless collared shirt was actually brought in from Italy after a woman bought it to help her tolerate the hot Mediterranean sun. An old book might have been the first one that a student purchased upon entering college. An intricate, hand- embroidered jacket that was all the rage in the 70s. The best part of working (and shopping) at the thrift store, though? Knowing that all the proceeds of the store benefit different philanthropic projects in Conejo Valley.

L.I.F.E Animal Rescue: An Amazing Place to Volunteer At

TYLER SMITH This summer, many kids, teens, and adults volunteered for L.I.F.E. Animal Rescue, a non-profit pet adoption shelter that helps fight pet overpopulation and finds cats and dogs a new loving home. The program conducts Saturday pet adoptions at Petsmart, with opportunities to walk dogs and clean the animals’ living arrangements other days of the week. L.I.F.E. Animal Rescue’s motto is: “Living is For Everyone”, illustrated by their dedication to being a no-kill shelter that will keep an animal until it gets adopted. This noble cause has encouraged people in the surrounding communities to volunteer to help these animals.

Over the summer, I, Tyler Smith for Oak Park’s Key Club, also volunteered for this organization. I specifically helped out on Saturday for the Pet Adoptions at the Petsmart in Westlake with many other members of the Oak Park Key Club. Each Saturday, from 10 am to 5 pm, L.I.F.E. Animal Rescue volunteer leaders work at Petsmart to get dogs a new home. Volunteers hold the dogs and provide basic information about the dogs to people who are looking to adopt, and also help keep order between the dogs and give them love and company for the day.

L.I.F.E. Animal Rescue encourages people to volunteer not just for hours, but to be part of something that changes peoples’ lives. Pets have the incredible power to bring happiness and change peoples’ lives, giving families a new friend that will always be there for them. This organization allows me to help in the adoption process, improving the lives of the owners and the animals. L.I.F.E. Animal Rescue is a lifechanging opportunity to all those who volunteer there.

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Oak Park

Division Car Wash DANG TRI NGUYEN The August Car Wash started by Key Clubs of Division 42 East was a BIG success. I didn’t expect that we did much at all because it was a washing all done by children, not by professional competition across the street. I fret out at the lack of cars at first, but with the other 14 kids helping out next to me, I soon realize that I was just worrying too much. Not only did we raised a decent amount of money, we did have a swell time hanging out with our key club buddies who make it a time worth-while. As much as it can be tiresome, but once the rush is at sight, everyone immediately got to their station and work without being told of what to do. The sight of our narwhales getting to work, having fun and supporting our community warm my heart and I'm looking forward to the next car wash in September.

ZURRIAT HAIDER In the beginning of the day there weren’t that many but as we had little time left for our fundraiser event, everybody decided to come and that’s when things became really fun. Nobody was assigned to any certain task and it left everybody to pick their own task to do. Picking our task was awesome because it worked out perfectly fine and made it enjoyable. For a nice hot day it was a perfect day for a car wash and I loved how Keila was splashing water on everyone here and there. It felt great since the water was cold and made everyone smile.

Royal

Pop Concert

ZURRIAT HAIDER On August 9th, we helped set up for a pop concert that was going to happen the following day. We got there a little after 5 and got started with helping set up the tables, flyers, and settings things in order. Even though we were sweating and tired as we did have to go back and forth to get the stuff, the day turned out to be pretty nice. Also, working at a fast pace and getting things done an hour early, made everyone really happy. Shortly afterwards we were rewarded with food which was really good and Friday night couldn’t get any better.

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The Simi Valley Library CHANAL NUALSUMLEE As some of you may know, the Simi Valley Library is no longer part of the Ventura County Library. They have transitioned to the Municipal City Library, run by a subcontractor.

Thus, the whole Simi Valley Library system is completely new and different. They now offer programs and activities that are well suited for children, teens, and adults. Volunteers can help with events the library accommodates, summer reading programs, or simply with shelving books. There aren’t many social interactions going on between people, so I find this job pretty relaxing and simple. I encourage volunteers who possess patience, enjoy peace and quietness, and would like to work at the library sign up and explore the volunteer positions they offer. The work isn’t difficult, but the help is very much appreciated. The staff is all amazing, so I have come to love their company and I really enjoy working with all of them. The library has provided so much fun for us students, and this is definitely one way to give back!

Santa Susana

Scallop Search: Save the Bay

KAILA MATTERA Summer time is a time that I treasure spending with my family on the east coast, and being away from home made it harder to find volunteer opportunities, but I found it easier than I thought, as help is always needed somewhere. On June 27th, I had the opportunity to volunteer with an organization called Save the Bay. This nonprofit is working to restore and maintain the ecosystems that thrive along the coast in Narragansett, Rhode Island. On this particular day, I went to help them with their scallop restoration project. They had pulled out several bags from the bay, called spat, and the other volunteers and I had to use our fingers to go through these spat bags and look and feel them for baby scallops. The purpose of this is to see where in the bay the scallops are reproducing the best and to discover the conditions that are best for their return. It was really quite fun and I felt like a scientific detective trying to find these baby scallops that would have been smaller than your pinky nail. It was fascinating because, even though we did not find any scallops, there were so many different tiny sea creatures that I had never seen before, like skeleton shrimp, attached to the bags and as you found them the Save the Bay guys would tell you what they were and all about them. Even though it was a cloudy, drizzly day, I had a great time, and knowing that I was helping to save the bay made it even better.

Kiwanis Bunco Night BREANNA SCRANTON This event held by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Susana was a Bunco game, raffles, and a buffet to raise money for our Key Club’s scholarships. I helped set up the whole event by putting the tables and chairs out, putting the food out, and decorating. Volunteers also stayed during the event to help run it. Setting up the event was enjoyable and I hope that I can volunteer for the whole time next year!

Members enjoying their time helping set up for a Bunco Night hosted by the Kiwanis.

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Members decorating the buffet table creatively for the Kiwanis Bunco Night.

Division Car Wash GRACE PONCE On Saturday, August 10th, Key Club (sponsored by Kiwanis Club) held a car wash to raise money for the Pediatric Trauma Program. Since this was held in Simi Valley, most of the volunteers were from Simi Valley High School, Santa Susana High School, Royal High School, and a few people from other schools in our division. We all joined forces to volunteer for this great cause. Students from these high schools gathered up near Rock 'N Roll Cafe from ten in the morning to about two in the afternoon. Volunteers held up posters to advertise the schools' event. Being a volunteer myself, I can personally say it was a very rewarding experience. Not only did students wash cars for such an important cause, but they were able to bond as a family, which is an essential factor in Key Club success!

RYAN LUONG As the summer is winding down and the school year is about to start, our division definitely wanted to end the summer with a splash. This car wash was a chance to bond as a division as well as raise money for PTP. On August 10th, our division held a car wash from 10-2pm at the Rock n’ Roll Café in Simi Valley. At this point in the summer, both service and morale are low, so having an event like this is just a great chance to begin this school year with a great start. This car wash was a just a great event because for 4 hours it was just Key Clubbers joining together to have fun while washing cars. And while we were at it, it was a nice surprise to have some returning past members to come out and support us. Overall, this car wash was just an amazing event and hopefully it’s an indication of the success we will have this year.

GINA APINYAVAT On August 10th I had the pleasure of attending our division car wash. From 10 AM to 2 PM we washed several cars for only $7 at the Rock N' Roll Cafe. For every car that came we gave them a coupon for a free burger at the restaurant. I had really enjoyed this event because I was gone for the whole month of July and I missed my narwhal family. This was the perfect service project to bond with our division and to raise money for Pediatric Trauma Program. On top of that, as rush hour came it was amazing seeing everyone working well together and helping each other out. I'm very excited for our next car wash and to see or division team up once again to raise money for the Pediatric Trauma Program.

Simi Valley

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Officer of the Month

Member of the Month

Zurriat Haider

Jessica Ji

Division Royal

Oak Park

Club of the Month

Royal Congratulations!

YOU might just be recognized next month!

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Current Division Points Newbury Park Oak Park Royal Santa Susana Simi Valley Thousand Oaks Westlake

181 131 169 250 202 47 42 15

Fall Rally !

GET READY D42E! FALL RALLY IS ONLY 2 MONTHS AWAY! (Official flyer will be posted up later!)

When: November 9th Time: 9AM-8PM Where: Six Flags Magic Mountain How much: $30 Pre-order $34 On-site

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Upcoming Events Be sure to save these dates on your calendar!

September 28 Division Council Meeting Location TBA

October 12 Region 10 Training Conference Alpha Resource Center Santa Barbara, CA More info to come soon!

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Contact Information 18

Paolo Recto Lieutenant Governor d42e.cnhkc.ltg@gmail.com

Joseph Ko Executive Assistant d42e.cnhkc.ea@gmail.com

Daniel Lee Executive Assistant d42e.cnhkc.exec@gmail.com

Mindy Nguyen News Editor d42e.cnhkc.tech@gmail.com

Donna Rahgoshay Spirit Coordinator d42e.cnhkc.spirit@gmail.com

Spirit Coordinator nathaniel.valence@yahoo.com

Lorraine Dionisio Spirit Coordinator younna_in_pink@yahoo.com

Serena Lee Fundraising Chair serenaisgood@gmail.com

Ryan Luong Fundraising Chair ryan.a.luong@gmail.com

Jessica Ji Member Outreach jessicaji123@gmail.com

Contact Information

Nathan Valencerina

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“We may look small but that’s okay!

We are louder anyways!

Our horns are high!

And our fins are low!

This is how us narwhals roll!

Watch out world here we come!

Forty Two E is number one!”

Thanks for reading!