Volume II Issue IV | November 2020 | Lamar High School
GNIKIV
THE
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
HEY EVERYBODY! First off, a HUGE thank you to everybody who showed up to our social! It was fun playing among us and breaking trust between all of us (I’m looking at you Daz McGinnis!). Make sure to join our discord for more fun events like this, and we’ll for sure have many more planned for the coming months. Second, I, along with the team, are excited to present our first in-person event. We will be partnering with the Salvation Army to participate in the annual Bell ringing event for the holidays. We will be at 5330 S Cooper St. Arlington, Tx, 76017, ringing the Salvation Army Bell. Come out and bring your talents! Last year, we had a variety of instruments there, so let’s see that again! Besides that, we also have exciting, new events planned for the end of winter and the spring semester, so be ready to get your volunteering game on and show off your volunteering spirit!
President's Letter | 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Letter
1
Table of Contents
2
November Calendar
3
December Calendar
4
November Recap
5
December & Upcoming Opportunities
6
Service Alters Perspective - article by Haley Wehr
7
Adapting to COVID-19 - article by Emily Wilson
9
Changes I want to See - article by Brett Green
11
Friendships through Service - article by Sara Lim
13
Holiday Volunteering - article by Madison Harris
15
Crossword
17
Get to Know your Officers - President Edition
18
Humans of Texas Oklahoma - by Cleo Chiu
19
Club Officers
21
District Officers
23
District News and Important Links
24
KC International's Partners
15
Table of Contents | 2
NOVEMBER CALENDAR
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KEY CLUB WEEK!!!
25th
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LAST
UNICEF TRIVIA
9th MISSION
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ARLINGTON
THANKSGIVING DRIVE
November Calendar | 3
DAY
FOOD
TO
SIGN
THE
NOVEMBER
HOTO
20st AMONG
UP
NOVEMBER GENRAL
MEETING
24th
US
THANKSGIVING SOCIAL
NEW
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DECEMBER CALENDAR
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9th 5th SALVATION BELL
DECEMBER
ARMY
GENRAL
RINGING
MEETING
17th 18th
LAST
DAY
OF
SCHOOL!!
ARLINGTON LIBRARY
PUBLIC
SURVEYS
DUE
WINTER
BREAK
December Calendar | 4
NOVEMBER
RECAP NEW CAP ON HOURS Our club recently established a cap on hours that members can earn while volunteering on FreeRice and Johnson&Johnson. There is now a 5 hour cap on FreeRice - which is 2500 grains- and a 10 hr cap - which is a 7 week streak - on Johnson and Johnson.
CANCELED EVENTS
M.A. THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE
Sadly we had to cancel our annual Little Viking Angel project where we send Christmas gifts to a young student in a feeder school and Operation Christmas Child because there were too many complications.
Mission Arlington had a food drive from November 9th to the 20th. Thank you to every member who donated food! Our club will be responsible for the LHS Food Pantry in January, we hope we'll have more canned goods then!
AMONG US THANKSGIVING SOCIAL We had the honor to host our first social of the year this November the Saturday before thanksgiving break. It was our honor to have around 10 people there including the Summit Prep KC's Secretary. We had lots of fun and everyone was laughing and trying to find out what to do. There were some first-time players, but it was very fun trying to figure out who were the imposters while some people had no idea what they were doing. November Recap | 5
DECEMBER & ONGOING
OPPORTUNITIES UPCOMING EVENTS December 5th: Salvation Army Bell Ringing 10am - 12pm Join us at the Kroger on Lamar Blvd.! Donations earned will be given to Salvation Army to help those in need!
ARLINGTON PUBLIC LIBRABRY
FREE RICE& JOHNSON& JOHNSON
Help out the APL by reading the presentation and watching the video before you take the 2 surveys! They are worth 2 hours each, and are due on the 18th of December!
FreeRice and Johnson&Johnson are still on the list of volunteering opportunities! Your winter break is an excellent time to catch up on your hours!
YOF GRANT & FOOD PANTRY The LHS Key Club has applied for the YOF Grant to help us do more for our community! Since our time for the Food Pantry has come, we are also using this opportunity to gather winter coats and gear to help people stay warm in the freezing months. Get ready for some serious donating! December Opportunities | 6
Article by Haley Wehr
Service Alters Perspective
Haley Wehr talks about how serving her community helped change her world
Service Alters Perspective | 7
As Autumn descends upon the world and the greenery of the trees slowly transforms into auburn and hues of gold, it’s an astounding reminder that change is a beautiful thing. Oftentimes, inevitable forces can seem unsettling, daunting even, but ultimately, they have precious endings. Just as Autumn takes our breath away each September with its array of changes, volunteering can have the same effect. Through participating in service events that forced me to step outside of my comfort zones, my horizons have been expanded, and I have experienced a massive change in perspective. For many volunteers, participating in service projects reveals a new understanding of what it means to be fortunate. For example, as a first-time volunteer at Mission Arlington at the age of seven, I saw firsthand how desperate living conditions could be. Never before had I imagined a life without a mattress, a dry roof above my head, or a healthy meal I could count on each evening. Yet, for the people who came to Mission Arlington, all of these things I could rely on daily were considered luxuries. Through serving, I quickly observed my privilege and made it a priority to help in every way I could. Service, however, did not cease to expand my understanding there. This past summer, I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer behind the scenes at the Fort Worth Animal Care Center. Before that day, my vision of shelter animals was heavily impacted by horrifying tales of attacks and vicious outlashings that had been cast out by the media, and I viewed the inhabitants of these locations as dangerous, unlovable, and deserving of their restricted living conditions. Of course, I was terrified to step foot into the building, and every bark that resounded across its halls sent my heart racing. After nearly an hour of avoiding the cages at all costs, I set out to fulfill my next task of escorting some of the dogs out into the courtyard for a walk. In an instant, all of my fear subsided as I was introduced to a sweet, hazelnut-colored pit bull named Hercules. My heart went out to him, and I couldn’t believe that I had ever pictured such a sweet creature as harmful, let alone fear-inducing. After skipping through the courtyard together and petting Hercules a thousand times, my heart ached as I finally had to return him to his kennel. What started out as a shaking girl who refused to step foot near the shelter transformed into a compassionate being who couldn’t stand to say goodbye. Just as change leaps around the corner with the color of leaves each Autumn, our perspectives can be altered through the presence of service. By participating in an event that I was uncomfortable with at first, my mindset toward the inhabitants of FWACC made a full 180° turnaround. From that experience, I learned that service has the potential to captivate us and transform us for the better just as long as we make the effort to incorporate it into our lives and take those leaps.
Service Alters Perspective | 8
ADAPTING TO COVID-19 BY EMILY WILSON
CHANGE IS ESSENTIAL TO GROWTH
I think it’s needless to say, this year has been different. Due to COVID-19 regulations, our club has had to adapt in many ways to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our members. Despite the difficulties, I think challenge is essential to growth, and the times we feel the most struggle are the times when we learn the most. Our club has certainly experienced that, and we’ve learned so much this year about effective communication with our members and initiatives we can bring in the following years. Due to the inability to gather in-person, communicating with the general body is very different this year. Rather than meetings after school in class, we have meetings after school over zoom.
Adapting to COVID - 19 | 9
Instead of pasting flyers throughout the campus, we have to focus on displaying promotions on our social media. At the moment, we’re learning so much about what platforms our members best respond to, and what methods are the most efficient to distribute information. For example, although we send stuff on the Remind app, not everyone is receiving our messages, and even though we release graphics on Instagram, the news seems to spread to very few. Crucial information seems to spread the most when we have larger coverage from different accounts over social media such as when we have our officer team post information individually. Another thing we’re doing is trying to use the social media platform Discord more, which other clubs have been using effectively to communicate with members. One of the things we’ve realized as a club is that online initiatives are actually a very effective way for Key clubbers to get hours. In fact, members are enjoying them so much that our officer team is considering keeping them in future years when we’re not COVID-19 restricted. These volunteer opportunities like having members donate photos through Johnson and Johnson or answer trivia questions using Free Rice are simple to moderate and control while being easily accessible. Members don’t have to rely on a specific availability of opportunities at certain times and can volunteer wherever or whenever. This is something we believe is certainly
This year has actually been an intriguing growth opportunity for our club with all it’s difficulties. I think it’s safe to say no one expected this is what 2020 would’ve looked like, and so we’ve had to adapt so much as a result. Especially as our current Vice President, it’s very fascinating to see what new features we could implement and encourage the use of next year. I just can’t wait to see what the future has to come for the growth of our Key Club.
encouraging for members to continually volunteer and talk with their peers about joining Key Club. Adapting to COVID - 19 | 10
CHANGES I WANT TO SEE
BY BRETT GREEN
I believe spending more time as a club will build relationships and
Key Club is an organization that serves our community in many forms and in any way that fits the criteria. With this being said, Key Club is a proactive club that seeks service and time with the community. This year we as a whole have faced many challenges and have come in touch with our worst selves, but next semester I am hoping for a bit of sunlight and rising spirits.
Next semester I would like to be able to participate in more events that Key Club couldn’t participate in due to Covid. Another thing I would like to see is officer training and more gatherings/socials if possible.
Changes I want to See | 11
enhance productivity due to stronger
THINGS THAT BRETT WANTS TO SEE
bonds and efficiency. The years I’ve been in Key Club have been really
A bit of sunlight and
fun and active as far as events and service opportunities, but including
rising spirits
learning more about the club and learning more about positions in Key Club, I feel that improvement is needed and would be beneficial for
Attend service events that weren't available
everyone. The participation in the club could
More gatherings and
also improve, and even though this
Socials
year has been rough on everyone, I hope that there is more participation next semester. Key Club looks good on resumes and makes a person look
Intrinsic motivation and desire to help the community
better but I would love to see intrinsic motivation and desire to
Capturing the Crossroads
serve the community for the betterment of society. If everyone shows up just for the required hours and only for status, then the purpose of Key Club will become degraded and will have lost one of its purposes.
Something else I want to see different is the selection of events and I would like to see team projects. Over the years I haven’t seen a lot of team projects or group works which could be very beneficial to Key Club and help the idea of leadership and working together to achieve a goal. Goals are always healthy and it guides/motivates people or a group to accomplish more. Setting goals and achieving them is something that could be seen more throughout the club.
The last thing that we can act on next semester is encouragement. The world needs more encouragement and uplifting but it starts with an individual or a group. If we could encourage our members, classmates, faculty, and community, then we can improve in ethics and scholarship and leadership and service. Encouragement can come in many forms such as posting notes and pictures on the walls and on social media, having weeks or months of encouragement, or even helping each other out with homework or like tutoring and study sessions. Lamar Key Club is a great organization that I feel honored to be a part of, and even though there are improvements that can be made, the pros heavily outweigh the cons. Can’t wait to embark on next semester’s journey!
Changes I want to See | 12
NOVEMBER 2020
FRIENDSHIPS THROUGH SERVICE By Sara Lim
A time that formed and strengthened my bonds with other Key Club members was a marathon that Lamar Key Club hosted in November of last year. To start off, we had to be there extremely early that Saturday morning. If I remember correctly, I woke
Sara shares what she loved most at a service event:
up at 5:30 am - on a Saturday! To add to the list, it was also super cold that day. We were all dressed in layers upon layers of coats and jackets trying to keep warm. But despite all the reasons not to go, this was my most memorable service event and the one that helped me get to know other clubbers too through the fun we shared.
Leadership, character building, caring, and inclusiveness are Key Club’s core values. The value that stood out to me during this whole event and the value that I grew the most in was: inclusiveness.
Friendships Through Service | 13
THE VALUE THAT STOOD OUT TO ME DURING THIS WHOLE EVENT AND THE VALUE THAT I GREW THE MOST IN WAS: INCLUSIVENESS.
NOVEMBER 2020
Being left out is a huge problem and fear
Inclusiveness is a problem we all struggle
that everyone struggles with nowadays. At
with, but on that day a year ago at the
parties, at school, youth groups,
marathon, I’d say no one even thought
sleepovers, family reunions, and even Key
about being left out because of all the fun
Club there are always some people that
we were having.
get ignored or isolated. And there’s always that popular clique of friends that
Since everyone was interacting with each
sometimes leave out others even though
other I got to meet new members and
they sometimes don’t mean too. But, on
strengthen and form bonds with a lot of
that Saturday morning, it felt like everyone
them. Together, we got to prepare water
had a part to play. No one was getting left
and snacks for the runners as they
out, and everyone was having so much fun
completed their 5k marathons. This is why
even though it was freezing and early.
the marathon of last November was my most memorable because of the bonds
This is Key Club, we try our best to include
between clubbers that I got to make and
everyone so no one gets left out.
grow. A quote that I found on the internet was “inclusion is a way of thinking, a way
This is Key Club, we try our best to include everyone so no one gets left out.
of being, and a way of making decisions about helping everyone belong.” This is what all the clubbers did that made us grow and make relationships and bonds at the marathon.
Friendships Through Service | 14
Holiday Volunteering By Madison Harris
THERE IS A HOLIDAY EVENT MY CLUB IS DOING. THIS EVENT WE ARE HELPING A GROUP THAT YOU SEE EVERYDAY AT STORES AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME. YES ! YOU GUESSED IT, WE ARE HELPING OUT THE SALVATION ARMY !
The Salvation Army is an international charitable organization with many members, over 1.5 million. They meet the human needs about discrimination and make anybody feel like they’re enough. The Salvation Army is all about helping and giving back to the people. So the Lamar key club is trying to do as much as that. We are joining the Salvation Army at Kroger and helping them ring the bell to raise money. We are also competing with other high schools of who can raise the most money. The Lamar Key Club did the salvation army bell ringing event last year and it was very successful and they had so much fun. We are hoping we can have the same fun and success day that we had last year but even better. Holiday Volunteering | 15
The Salvation Army bell ring brings us key club members together in person and has us do what we are really about, helping people. The salvation army is raising money for kids and families in hunger and that has nowhere to go for the holidays. Christmas or even other holidays are not about the presents ,food, and fun stuff. The holidays are about coming together and giving back. Apart from the bell ringing itself, this event always allowed for our members to show off their talents.
This year, we’ll also be rolling out a new project, one that’s funded by a sponsor this year. We’re excited to roll out our Youth Opportunity fund project (YOF), where we can donate canned food and winter clothes to help our own Lamar Pantry. These donations are helpful to help our fellow Lamar students, and is something the pantry could really use during this time of year. Members will have until late January to finish collecting, and will have a fun time for sure!
Last year, watching our officers Haley and Jade sing and show off their vocal talents to Christmas songs really helped to bring in lots of attention and donations. Patrick, our president, also brought out his violin and showcased what he claims that was all rehearsed, but we all know he’s a bit too lazy to actually practice. We all had lots of fun seeing each other and competing against Arlington High, the school at the other entrance of Walmart. This year will be a little different, because we won’t be able to have as many people help out, and we’ll all be wearing masks, but we still will be bringing out our talents to have lots of fun volunteering for a great cause.
Holiday Volunteering | 16
TAKE A BREAK, DO A
Crossword!
Down 1. _____________ is the new Freshman Representative 2. Haley has a _______(Hint: look back at Haley's article) 4. @_______________ is our Instagram
Across 3. Our club is going to look for winter _________ to donate 5. We had an ___________ Social last month 6. the ___________ Army Bell Ringing is on December 5th 7. Brett wants more ________/gatherings 8. You can volunteer by taking the Arlington Public Library ___________
Come back next month for the answers! Crossword | 17
GET
TO
KNOW
YOUR
PRESIDENT MY FAVORITES COLOR: Def Blue. navy works, but cerulean is hard to beat FRUIT: Mango CANDY: Twix
Something important to me is CHIPOTLE Chipotle is important to me because it’s literally so good. However, it manages to taste different every single time I get it, even though I get it exactly the same every time I go.
EXTRACURRICULARS Bell Internship Key Club Orchestra National Honor Society
PATRICK CHANG Hey Y’all! I’m Patrick, your 2020-21 Key Club President! I love to eat, sleep, and volunteer! As part of the officer team, I get to help create service opportunities for y’all! We’re about to head into the second semester, and great things await us there. I’m excited to help roll out new projects and service opportunities fit for people with different strong points. Stay tuned to find out what they are!
Get to Know your Officers | 18
HUMANS OF TEXAS OKLAHOMA
Humans of Texas Oklahoma | 19
CLEO CHIU LHS CLASS OF 2021
I remember why I first got into Key
When I first joined Lamar, not only
Club. I had just moved to Arlington,
was I not familiar with the school, I
TX from Taiwan, and it was my
knew no one, I wasn’t familiar with
Freshman year. My Aunt told me of
the city, and I haven’t even had
this event called VikingFest, where
Chipotle. Key Club brought me out
all the clubs would have booths and
of my bubble of fear and let me
I could decide what club I wanted
know what jewels that Arlington had
to join. It was chaotic, and I don’t
to offer and what I could give to
really remember much about it
Arlington. It was last year when we
except for the long line for Key
went to Mission Arlington’s Fall
Club. Looking back at that time now
Festival. I really understood the
I feel like time has passed so fast;
feeling of joy there. We were
now I am a senior, and I had already
helping kids get over walls in the
helped man the Key Club booth
bounce house - because it had
twice.
been put together the wrong way and I realized there was so much I
I remember the mint green shirts
could do. My dreams were to
that they made that year, the
change the world, but as I heaved
process of signing up. Key Club was
surprisingly heavy children dressed
the only club that attracted me,
in the cutest costumes ever from
except for Robotics that I already
wall to wall, I found that I could
signed up for, and so I followed the
change the world by influencing my
long line of people, and met some
community right there. I was
of the people I’d be friends with
changing a kid’s day that was their
until today. I think that I pretty much
everything. Later on that year, I
love key club, and it’s really a
attended so many more service
community. Our officers, especially
events that made me understand
as the years passed, we got closer
that volunteering is irreplaceable.
and worked even better together. My first year as an officer was my
Key Club is not only an organization
sophomore year. I have to admit, I
that helps the community, it is the
had no idea what I was doing. The
community itself. Key Club gave me
second year, our team got closer
the confidence to reach out to an
and we attended lots of events. This
unfamiliar world. I know it will
year, I think is a special one. My first
continue inspiring me, and I hope it
meeting in freshman year was
will inspire more and more students
horrible because there were so
everywhere to be the force that
many people, I was intimidated, and
makes the world a better place.
Humans of Texas Oklahoma | 20
P R E S I D E N T Patrick Chang S E C R E T A R Y Jade Ha
kc.lamar.president @gmail.com
V I C E - P R E Z Emily Wilson
CLUB OFFICERS
kc.lamar.secretary @gmail.com
kc.lamar.treasurer @gmail.com Club Officers | 21
E D I T O R Cleo Chiu
T R E A S U R E R Razan Shakoor
kc.lamar.vicepresident @gmail.com
kc.lamar.editor @gmail.com
H I S T O R I A N Brett Green
W E B M A S T E R Haley Wehr
J U N I O R R E P Daz McGinnis
kc.lamar.historian @gmail.com
S E N I O R R E P Joshua Chang
kc.lamar.juniorrep @gmail.com
kc.lamar.sophrep @gmail.com
S O P H O M O R E Sara Lim
R E P
kc.lamar.seniorrep @gmail.com
kc.lamar.freshrep @gmail.com
F R E S H M A N R E P Madison Harris
kc.lamar.editor @gmail.com
Club Officers | 22
DISTRICT GOVERNOR Kareena Patel
district officers
governor@tokeyclub.com
District Officers | 23
DISTRICT SECRETARY
Vivian Thai
secretary@tokeyclub.com
DISTRICT TREASURER
Raj Patel
treasurer@tokeyclub.com
DISTRICT EDITOR
Katelyn Tran
editor@tokeyclub.com
CONVENTION LIASON
Kaitlyn Roehr
cl@tokeyclub.com
TECHNOLOGY PRODUCER Alina Dam
techproducer @tokeyclub.com
INTERNATIONAL TRUSTEE Salma Eldeeb
salma.eldeeb @tokeyclub.com
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Valerie Hennessee
ltg39n@tokeyclub.com
REGION 7 ADVISOR
Melissa Greene
region7@tokeyclub.com
district news US! CLUB LINKS keyclub.lamar @gmail.com
@lamarkeyclub
@vfndkey1
https://keyclublamar.wixsite.com/lhskey Log your Hours: https://tinyurl.com/lhskcloghours Free Rice APP: https://freerice.com/
Donate a Photo APP: www.donateaphoto.com Pay your Dues: https://tinyurl.com/lhskcdues
OUR SPONSORS Ms. Robbins erobbins @aisd.net
Ms. Chamberlain echamber @aisd.net
District News | 24
WANT TO DO MORE?
HERE ARE KEY CLUB INTERNATION PARTNERS AND COLLABORATIVE P
Landscape Structures (LSI) has joined Kiwanis International as a vision partner to bring play to communities across the globe. LSI is proud to provide highquality commercial playground equipment and planning consultation services that reflect the high degree of integrity that Kiwanis clubs expect.
Thirst Project is a nonprofit organization that works with the support of young people to END the global water crisis by building freshwater wells in developing communities that need safe, clean drinking water. By providing a community with safe drinking water, disease rates can drop by up to 88% virtually overnight! Child mortality rates can drop up to 90%- overnight! Clean water also plays an incredibly critical role in effectively treating and managing HIV/AIDS in rural communities.
KC International's Partners | 25
Nickelodeon currently presents two major campaigns year round that encourage action in kids globally. Worldwide Day of Play reinforces Nickelodeon’s mission to make the world a more playful place by leading Play events across the country. Nickelodeon’s Get Dirty campaign seeks to educate kids, families, and teachers about what they can do to help protect the planet in a way that is mindful and fun.
TeleSquads provide Key Club members with affordable opportunities to complete community service hours while gaining hands-ons international experience implementing projects that improve health and education outcomes for in-need communities. Each TeleSquad is a customized 1-9 week online course for groups of 8 or more Key Club members to build knowledge through skill-based volunteering, build cultural competency through virtual immersion, and deliver real impact through our local team by participating in live community and professional exchanges.
NAL'S SERVICE PARTNERS The Army strives to strengthen local communities through service and to build character and leadership among youth such as Key Club members. Through the Kiwanis Speakers Army personnel can connect with Kiwanisfamily clubs at club meetings, raising awareness of what today’s Army can provide and offer access to local Army support and resources. The Army also gives exceptional opportunities in higher education that can help young people throughout their lives.
Since 2014, Up with People and Kiwanis International members have teamed up to serve our communities, inspire youth and expand our impact in the world. that’s what Kiwanis International and Up with People share. Up with People programs open a door to service and intercultural understanding—whether it’s through a local show, leadership, and cultural workshops or providing service and travel experiences for young adults. Both organizations strive to ‘serve the children of the world’ and ‘empower youth to take action’ through our partnership.
COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS
Register for one month of fitness, reach your health goals, and change lives. Join individually or create a team. Your involvement creates community, and it helps Project Happiness educate youth and people of all ages—by providing proven tools for greater happiness and well-being.
K Corps is Kiwanis International’s youth exchange program for Key Clubbers and Kiwanis-family teens. It’s a great opportunity for youth connected with Kiwanis—and for families and Kiwanis clubs as well.Through the program, clubs, families and youth develop strong global relationships and intercultural communication skills by —attending meetings, experiencing fellowship, raising funds for various causes and participating in service projects. KC International's Partners | 26
Thank you for reading our November Newsletter! Happy Holidays!
Lamar Key Club is part of Region 7 Division 39N of the Texas-Oklahoma Key Club District