WHITNEY KEY CLUB | DIVISION 30 SOUTH | REGION 3
What’s the Latest Buzz?
february 2021
VOLUME 5
ISSUE 11
EDITOR’S NOTE in this issue… february
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EDITOR’S NOTE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE SUNNY SNAPSHOTS PROGRESS TRACKER FEBRUARY DCM: TO ALL THE SUNS I’VE LOVED BEFORE THE PINNACLE OF PALOOZAS PALOOZA PALOOZA PALOOZA GENERAL MEETING: SPREADING LOVE SPREADING LOVE AND LAUGHTER WHAT I LOVE ABOUT KEY CLUB ONE TERM DOWN, MOVING ON… LOOKING GREAT TO ELIMINATE! KEEPING UP WITH TECH ETHAN’S KEY CLUB JOURNEY THANK YOU ’20-’21 CABINET A LOOK BEE-HIND US FEBRUARY RECOGNITION KEEP UP WITH THE HIVE CONTACT US BEE GREEN
WHAT’S POPPIN’ WHITNEY!!
WOW! My second to last newsletter. It feels very crazy to think this is my now 11th issue of “What’s the Latest Buzz?” As Whitney Key Club’s Bulletin Editor and Division 30 South’s Executive Assistant, I was able to grow so much even though the term was online. Thanks to you guys, I have grown creatively, became a better writer and a public speaker. As you read this issue I hope you can see my growth creatively. Thanks to creating over 10 issues of newsletters, I felt my creativeness had grown much more. I’ve worked hard on every single one them and I hope you have also read and loved every single one of them just as much. In the February issue of “What’s the Latest Buzz?”, the article topics ranged from old business and events to thank you’s and goodbye’s in advance. I hope you guys give this issue lots of love! I’m looking forward to see my successors on both club and division level, so be sure to attend both Whitney Key Club’s Banquet on March 19th @5-7 PM and Division 30 South’s Banquet/DCM on March 20th @6-7 PM. Don’t forget to RSVP and stay safe suns!! SUN-cerely,
mich e kim
’20-’21 bulletin editor
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
What a term it has been….hey guys….how are you? Oh me, I’m fine. I'm just thinking about how bizarre this term has been. To think that just a year ago we all had some sense of normalcy, whatever that may be, to now being completely virtual, isolated, and out of the loop. March 13, 2020. I remember this day so vividly, I was devastated because the District Convention had been canceled. I was looking forward to the bus ride to Nevada with everyone. I was looking forward to getting my dance on at Governors Ball. I was looking forward to just having a weekend close to my KC Family. For those of you who know m, I was really excited for this DCON specifically because I applied for the Distinguished Secretary Award. Which I got by the way, but instead of walking across the DCON stage, which is something that I've always dreamed of, I saw my name flash across the virtual Zoom.... It was an honor nonetheless, but this very feeling has captured the year of 2020 in its entirety. With Key Club there comes so many events that I was looking forward to, and as a Senior, events that I'll never be able to experience. Beach Boomba, Fall Rally, banquet, and of course any in-person event with other members of the Division. With banquet being just a week later, and DCON supposed to have been on Saturday, March 14th everything was just wiped away. One email. One message over the intercom and little did we know that a year later we would still be in a virtual setting. Friday the 13th, oh how I wish I knew that you would be the last “normal” day. But you know what, even with all of these incredible events being stripped away, tell me how Whitney Key Club was able to reign supreme regardless? We have served nearly 10,000 hours by this point, fund-raised for the Pediatric Trauma Program, Operation Christmas, and Maternal Neonatal Tetanus. Not only have we made it through this pandemic, but we were able to turn this negative into something positive. Yes, last year was a lot more social and interactive because we actually got to do things in person, but we still try to maintain this through constant Zoom calls, General Meetings, Division Council Meetings, etc. Your devotion towards this club and ability to continue to give your all, even with the feeling that you are getting nothing in return, is extraordinary. If I'm being honest, I had not anticipated our entire term being online. Prior to even being elected I had so many goals and visions that I wanted to accomplish, some of which were even achieved online but of course there were others that had to be erased. By erasing some of my obsolete goals I was able to write in some new ones. I created Maya’s Makes, a sticker business that otherwise would have never been started had it not been due to the difficulties of fundraising. I was able to attend so many more events because I did not have to worry about time conflicts nor transportation. As a club we were able to take on a lot more than could have ever been anticipated. This term has brought so many roadblocks, but we were able to have a Lock-In, we were able to have a Conclave, we were able to have all Division Council Meetings. We did not let a global pandemic stop us. 10,000 service hours later. Nearly $5,000 later. One year later. What a term it has been….and thank you all for making this term what it was. Extraordinary.
maya v ez-h mon
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ar
al
’20-’21 whitney kc president
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SUNNY SNAPSHOTS
2/20 FEBRUARY DCM: TO ALL THE SUNS I’VE LOVED BEFORE
2/16 - FEBRUARY GENERAL MEETING
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PROGRESS TRACKER
fundraising
THIS MONTH $106.85
PTP GOAL SURPASSED: $1545.91/$1,300 $3,406.67
service
THIS MONTH
TOTAL
982.5
GOAL SURPASSED: 10,360.5/8000 10,360.5
TOTAL
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Elizabeth Hoang | ’20-’21 Historian/Tech Editor
HEY MY LITTLE BUZZING BEES! It’s February! We’ve made it through the first two months of the new year. I hope you all have been taking care of yourselves, especially since it’s the so-called month of love, and it’s important that we’re not only giving love to others but also giving love to ourselves. You guys know what February means, Valentine’s Day! February DCM was, of course, the perfect time for us to spread some love and make the most out of this exciting time of year. On February 20th, we had our Valentine’s themed joint DCM with Division 4 West and Division 30 North, called To All The Suns I’ve Loved Before. We started off with an icebreaker with all three divisions, playing soulmate, and it was so fun. We had people from different divisions answer this or that questions and we would turn off our cameras if we disagreed with their choice and the last person with their camera on, who agreed with all their choices, would be the soulmate. I thought it was a cute little icebreaker and so fitting for Valentine’s! After that, we went into our separate breakout rooms for each division to do the usual. Our new LTG, Christina Nguyen, was able to lead her first DCM and she did great! Our LTG and other DLT members talked about old business, like Conclave and Division Contests, and then went into updates on new business, like Club and Division fundraisers and our division goal updates. We had our president, Maya, talk about her sticker business which you should definitely go check out if you haven’t yet @mayas.makes on Instagram! All proceeds go to PTP! Our division has also passed our service hours goal for the term and currently holds the title of the most service hours in our region! We also did our club, member, and advisor of the month recognition. Whitney Key Club placed third shining club of the month and I’m so proud of all the hard work that both our members and officers have put in! When we went back to the main room, that’s when all the fun started. We watched To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before while doing service projects. For our service project, we made cheer cards for children at the Children’s Hospital in Colorado. I had already watched the movie multiple times but watching it with so many other people and being able to bond with the rest of Key Club cabinet while watching it was such a nice experience. We were in both the meeting and a separate video call on Messenger to talk with each other while we watched it! This was our first DCM where we watched a movie and I don’t think that we could have chosen a better movie for our Valentine’s Day theme. A movie night type DCM was very cute, it was kind of like a date night with all three divisions! This DCM was rather interesting because I was in the car for almost the entirety of the meeting but all the bumps and sudden stops just added to the experience! When the movie was almost finished, we took a break to read the notes that members sent in the lovebox. We usually have loveboxes at every DCM, but it was perfect to have it at this one especially because of our love theme going on. There were so many people who sent pickup lines and Valentine’s Day puns and it was so funny to hear them. They were definitely very cute. All two hours of the DCM was just full of fun and I would definitely say that if you haven’t come to a DCM yet, you need to come to the next one. I promise it is such a fun experience even if we are online and you get to bond with members from other schools in our division!
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Ashlyn Wong| ’20-’21 Division Historian
What’s poppin’ Whitney Key Club! I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s day with your loved ones, even if it couldn’t be in person. Please continue to stay safe, happy, and healthy until the next time we can meet! This month we continued to have a variety of service events with service month, our first annual palooza with Oxford Academy Key Club, as well as February DCM! On February 20 from 3-5pm, we held February DCM with two other divisions in our region, D04W Dragons and D30N Rhinos! After everyone arrived, the LTGs and LTG elects for each division introduced themselves and students participated in the “Soulmate” icebreaker. We were then split into our respective division breakout rooms, where we received updates on the division’s overall funds raised as well as service hours for this term from our division EAs and LTG, as well as upcoming fundraisers from several clubs in the division. This includes our president’s sticker fundraiser for PTP, which is still happening so be sure to check it out and support the cause on Instagram at @mayas.makes! Next, some fellow club members and officers were recognized for division member of the month, officer of the month, secretary of the month, and so on. Our own home club was even recognized as the third shining club of the month, so congratulations and keep working hard Whitney! After the DCM, we were also able to participate in card-making service events provided by our wonderful Division Service Project Coordinators while one of the LTGs streamed a movie for us to watch together on Zoom. We watched “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, which the name and theme of the DCM was inspired by, and we were also able to send in Lovebox notes to each other during intermission toward the end of the movie. The service project we participated in allowed us to navigate a website online to send in virtual Valentine’s day notes to children at the Anschutz Medical Campus. Since not everyone was fortunate enough to spend time with their loved ones on Valentine’s day or in general, it was a very nice gesture and idea to be able to send heartfelt notes to these children. Personally, this was a really fun and memorable event for me because our cabinet was able to video call throughout the DCM, mirroring the in-person events we sadly cannot attend. We talked throughout the movie, sharing our experiences and thoughts of either reading the book or our opinions on the characters and so on. Since we are not able to physically attend DCMs and bond with one another, this was a great way to still be able to communicate without feeling awkward on Zoom on mute the whole time. I would highly recommend calling a friend to Facetime to anyone who is missing our in-person events because it really helps you feel more connected! If you weren’t able to attend this month’s DCM, be sure to keep a lookout for the division recap video on our Instagram as well as the recognition story posts! We hope to see you all at the next DCM or club event, stay shinin’ suns!
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Jerrick Wu | ’20-’21 Director of Activities The Pinnacle of Service and Spirit: The First Annual Palooza, a name that truly stood for itself. The event was held on Saturday, February 6th from 3-5 PM featuring Key Clubbers from Whitney High School and Oxford Academy. Filled with laughs, affection, and passion, love was truly in the air during the entire event. Icebreaker! To start off the palooza, we had a quick few rounds of Soulmate. With everyone’s cameras on, a chosen person chose between two given categories and all participants who disagreed, turned their cameras off. This was repeated until there was one person left with their camera on, which was their ultimate ‘soulmate’. Bonding Games! Now, with everyone settled in, we quickly broke off into breakout rooms and played our very first game which was a Valentine’s Day themed mad libs. With a given template, everyone's breakout room came up with words that would ultimately make their story the funniest. When we came back, we all shared, filling the air with cries of laughter. Our second bonding game was a Valentine’s themed scavenger hunt. These were all household items where participants rushed around their homes to try to get a hold of these items the fastest. Lastly, our final game was a game of scattergories themed around love. Each breakout room came up with a list of words which we all read out. Each repeated word was crossed out leaving each group with only their own unique words. The winner came down to the wire as the winning breakout room only came up with TWO more unique words. With a fun 40 minutes of games, it was topped off with a small break where love-box notes we read off. These were filled volunteers showing love to one-another and even asking each other out! Service! Lastly, what better way to end off the event than with some service. In the spirit of love, we visited the St. Jude’s hospital website where we were able to send virtual cards to hospitalized kids while we jammed to some music. The overall vibe and spirit during this entire palooza (even through zoom), was through our computer screens. Being able to meet other Oxford volunteers through playing games and completing service is the best it gets. Beyond all, we were also able to raise funds for PTP through a Cane’s Giveaway basket! Being a part of the amazing event the palooza was, I am sure looking forward to the next one. As stated, this was the first annual palooza so make sure to keep an eye open for the next one in February 2022!
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Emily Thang | ’20-’21 Secretary It all started on January 1st at 7:07 PM. On that fateful day, Treasurer Saadhvi and I were vigorously texting each other, discussing new ways to boost our club’s “Annual Achievement Report” in the desperate hopes of achieving the prestigious Diamond Distinguished Club status. After a long series of texts regarding hosting events like a “Serve-A-Thon,” we finally settled on a final decision: to host the first-ever “Palooza” interclub, a fun mix of service, fundraising, and socializing. This event would later be formally named “The Pinnacle of Service and Spirit: 1st Annual Palooza” and hosted alongside Oxford Academy in an early celebration of Valentine’s Day. Of course, the Palooza would not have been possible without hours of planning and the collective collaboration of several Whitney and Oxford Key Club cabinet members. Here’s a recap below of everything Palooza-related, starting from the very beginning: 1.
Planning - Before we could move forward, we needed to figure out the logistics of the event in order to ensure that it would be a smooth, successful interclub; thus, we created an “Action Plan”, outlining every single detail from hosting games to creating a slideshow to curating a playlist. While it was a lot of work and back-and-forth communication, it was all worth it in the end! Executing - I personally had the pleasure of serving as the host for our Palooza, tasked with introducing and closing the Palooza’s lineup of guests and fun bonding activities. However, it was a team effort from everyone involved: Saadhvi Narayanan flexed her amazing breakout room abilities; Timmy Bui and Maya AlvarezHarmon spiced things up with the classic “Soulmate” icebreaker; Christina Nguyen and Michelle Kim produced a stunning slideshow; and Kenny Le, Jerrick Wu, Ayush Shah, Ethan Hong, Ayaan Ekram, and Katie Phail stepped up to help lead the breakout rooms. Games - The games we decided to host were Mad Libs, a Scavenger Hunt, and Scattergories—all of which were incredibly fun to play! The Mad Libs definitely had some very interesting stories that were borderline questionable and revealed Whitney and Oxford Key Club’s inexplicable obsession with toes. This is extremely odd and even a little concerning, but hey, I don’t judge. Following this activity, we participated in a Valentine’s themed Scavenger Hunt and Scattergories in breakout rooms, where we were all able to talk and bond. Fun fact: We originally planned to play a game of Poncho, but then replaced it with the more popular option, “brokenpicturephone.” Either way, we unfortunately ran out of time and could not play a fourth game. Love Box - Through the Love Box, members were able to send shoutouts and safekey messages of love to any recipient of their choice. This was led by Kenny Le and I, as we read out messages during the 10-minute break. At one point, I could not stop laughing while I attempted to read a message that repeated someone’s name over and over again, more than a dozen times. Sorry for laughing... I can’t help it :’)) Service Activity - For the final hour of our Palooza, we participated in a service activity led by our Directors of Activities Jerrick Wu and Ayush Shah, in which we sent positive digital cards to hospital patients. During this time, we played a Valentine’s themed music playlist and in the end, we announced the winner of our Raising Canes Giveaway: Ayaan Ekram!
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Fast forward a few weeks later after February 6th, and Whitney Key Club is eligible for Diamond Distinguished recognition at the CNH level—for the second year in a row, an incredible feat! Beyond club recognition, however, the Palooza was truly a memorable experience, giving everyone the opportunity to bond and spread the love. Overall, it was an absolute blast to be able to meet new people and engage in fun games! See you at next year’s 2nd Annual Palooza ;) <3
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Itzel Huerta| ’20-’21 Historian/Tech Editor
Hello buzzing bees! Hopefully everyone has had an amazing day so far and a really good Valentine’s Day as well. During this month we come together with our loved ones so we can express and share our love and appreciation with others, no matter if they are blood related or not. So with that being said, we also recently had our Valentine’s Day General Meeting! As we’re nearing the end of the term, it gives us a nice opportunity to show our appreciation to all of our friends in Key Club and prepare for a new beginning that’ll be coming soon. This month we talked about some old news like the Palooza and some upcoming updates like the Panda Express Fundraiser and February DCM. We also recognized the Member of the month: Chari Irava and the Officers of the month: the DOA’s Jerrick Wu and Ayush Shah so congratulations to all of them :) After that discussion, we were able to join different break out rooms to start on the origami service activity for seniors. There were two options people could choose from, either making origami hearts or origami roses. This gave people an opportunity to try something they felt more comfortable with since the rose was a bit more challenging. Soon after everyone choose their breakout room, we all got settled down and started the tutorial videos. This is where the fun began, no matter the amount of experience you had everyone can have fun whether you’re a master at origami or if you have never even tried it before. Among several people there were either struggles or success through out the whole time. There were lots of funny moments from those whose origami might have ended up looking half normal mid way through the process and kind commentary from those whose pieces were turning out beyond amazing in efforts to help out each other. After a series of slowing down the video to get the step right or going back 30 seconds, the end of lunch was coming closer than we expected and the meeting was close to its end. Everyone jumped back into the main room to finish up the final ends of the meeting and to show off their origami final results. Whether or not your origami did or didn’t turned out how you would of liked in the end, there is always more than enough room and time for practice. But in the end, everybody had a lot of fun and enjoyed this service activity all together. Hopefully we will see you all again at our next general meeting and keep serving everyone!
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Ayush Shah | ’20-’21 Director of Activities
What’s poppin Whitney Key Club? As many of you know, this month, February, is known as the month of love. So what better way to celebrate this month than showing appreciation and love to the ones who have been supporting you! Even though the pandemic has affected us all and we haven’t been able to see a variety of our friends, it is still important to show how much we care for others. So here are ways to spread love in Key Club and why it is important to keep spreading laughter in your daily lives! Key Club: Key Club is such an easy and amazing way to spread love to others since there are so many opportunities for you all to participate in. Even with the pandemic, we continue to hold monthly service events where you can make cards to support others or write messages to first-responders, donate to preferred charities, and so much more! During this past month, we had several service events where you were able to spread love to children affected by pediatric cancer and those who are stuck in hospitals, you were able to donate to the Pediatric Trauma Program just by attending our Panda Express fundraiser, and you were able to write love notes during our 1st Annual Palooza Event. These were simple acts of kindness that were able to go a long way. All of these opportunities throughout February were able to make the days of so many people, and it just shows your appreciation to the people around us. Just like this, you can spread kindness and warmth by simply participating in future service events and fundraisers. Even though doing service and being active in Key Club takes time, you might be affecting someone’s life immensely just with a simple card or message you write. Daily Lives: Showing appreciation to others in your daily lives is also KEY. This pandemic has affected us all in numerous ways, but there have still been people supporting you and making sure you are doing great. Therefore, a short message or just calling someone and telling them how important they are can mean a lot! Plus, we have been missing out on a lot of social aspects of our lives since we can’t go outside, so checking in on your friends and family members would be wonderful! Even though things might not be the same with the coronavirus still affecting our lives immensely, I hope you all continue to spread love and laughter to those around you! Supporting each other is one of the most impactful things you can do right now, and sooner or later, we will get through this pandemic together!
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February is the month of love, and so what’s a better topic than talking about why I love Key Club? On top of that, it’s my last article of the term, so it is pretty bittersweet, but I feel that it’s a great way to end it. Without further ado, let’s get started! FAMILY. Key Club really feels like a family when you get involved. Though it may take some time to get comfortable in such a sociable environment, it’ll come with time. Here, I have formed new relationships that are irreplaceable. Being in a club that is in a division, that is part of a region, and a part of a whole international organization allows for so many opportunities to expand your bubble. If I could, I wish I made this step to reach out to others sooner. EXPERIENCES. If you’ve been to a Key Club event, I’m sure you know how much fun you can have. All of the events that are planned, getting to hang out with friends in general, participating in games, helping others in the community and seeing their appreciation, etc. make this club one like no other. I have learned so much about life in general, and skills that I wouldn’t have not being here. For example, how to make wreaths, how to communicate with others, and hear stories from some of the elderly that we have served in events. The competence to acquire leadership abilities is also notable in this sense. Learning valuable life skills really comes with all of these experiences. SERVICE. This is such a big factor alone. The rewarding experience that comes with serving makes all the difference. So many activities, and so many chances. Almost everyday, there are things to be done and new ways to volunteer. I greatly miss the weekly emails that gave information about new service projects and seeing how I can contribute to the community. I love opening my email to be welcomed with a list of new opportunities, interested in what I can do. Being at an event is one thing, but working on the behind-thescenes and mechanics is another. SPIRIT. Have you ever gone to a spirit event, maybe in the form of a spirit night or Fall Rally? Hearing the cheers being repeated at the top of our lungs, competing to be the loudest, is such a key component. Connecting with others and expressing ourselves through our clothes (spirit gear!) and yells in an environment with such great energy is not something you can do everywhere. And even if there is, there isn’t always the plentiful participation that there is like here. Before I end this off, I hope that you yourself are able to recognize what you love about Key Club, or maybe just reflect on the things in your life, whatever they might be. You might also find the things that you love, and use those things to motivate you and continue to do what you want to do in your passions. Happy February Suns!
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Alanna Chan | ’20-’21 Historian/Tech Editor
Eileen Rodriguez | ’20-’21 Director of Publicity
This year could not have been predicted by anyone. The pandemic, the online aspect of everything, not seeing people for months, it was all so unforeseeable and sudden. Though Key Club was not used to a virtual environment at all, we have all made it work! Finding ways to publicize, to do service events and projects, and to connect with each other has been a challenge, but we have done all this and more this past term. As this term comes to a close we need to reflect on all the things we’ve accomplished and decide what things we want to bring into the next term. Service events were always creative and well thought out by our Directors of Activities. Some common monthly events were Exercise your Influence, Math Mania, Food Bank, Environmental Engines, Pause For Goodness and Appreciation. Exercise your Influence was a service event where you could go for a run, a walk, or go biking and have it tracked so that trees could get planted or money could be donated and math mania was a website to answer math problems and get money donated for child education. Food Bank was either freerice or beanbeanbean which were yet more fun websites where you can donate. These were all enjoyable yet impactful ways to volunteer completely online and in the case that we are still only virtual next year, these would be the perfect service events to bring into our new term. We also had to find new ways to publicize for events and raise money especially during events such as ptp week and eliminate week. We had a Venmo for people to donate to and we also set up a way to donate on the Whitney Webstore. We even found different ways to publicize such events, with Remind, Google Classroom, and Instagram, so though publicizing and donating was not as easy as it would have been in person, we found a way to make it work. Many of us have not seen many of our friends and many of each other in months, nearly a year now, and it has been so hard to find ways to socialize and bond with fellow members. This year we’ve had socials, general meetings, and DCMs, all online, but we still found ways for us to share things with each other and spend overall quality time with one another. This year has been difficult but looking ahead we now know how to adapt to our environment and do all we can virtually. My fingers are crossed that next term will not all be online because I yearn to have our in-person key club experience back, but even if it is, we’ll be ready!
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Saadhvi Narayanan | ’20-’21 Treasurer
From January 25th to February 5th, Whitney High School Key Club and UNICEF Club conducted their annual Eliminate Week, fundraising and completing service projects to spread awareness regarding Maternal Neonatal Tetanus. Despite the pandemic, the two weeks dedicated to the UNICEF and Key Club Eliminate Project were a success, raising a total of $75.00. What is the Eliminate Project and Maternal Neonatal Tetanus? The Eliminate Project is a joint project between UNICEF and Kiwanis International to help raise money to eliminate Maternal Neonatal Tetanus in every country in the world. Maternal Neonatal Tetanus, more commonly known as MNT, is the leading cause of death in newborn children. It is transmitted during birth when a baby is born in unsanitary conditions. As of now, MNT has been eliminated in several countries, however it is yet to be eliminated in 12. The disease can be eliminated with three doses of a vaccine, costing only $1.80 per vaccine. Through hosting Eliminate Weeks and fundraisers, Whitney Key Club is able to support this cause and help a mother and her future children be free of this deadly disease. What did we do in our Eliminate Week to help eliminate MNT? For our Eliminate weeks, Whitney Key Club and UNICEF Club adopted the theme “Look Great and Eliminate!” to spread awareness and spirit for eliminating MNT. While holding a giveaway to fundraise for vaccines in the 12 countries, the two clubs held service projects relating to spreading more information on the Eliminate Project and MNT and hosted spirit days where people could dress nicely to show that they were part of the battle against MNT. The clubs also posted daily fact graphics throughout the two weeks to inform the general public about the project, which they may not have heard of before. How can you help? Joining the fight to eliminate MNT would mean the world to several mothers and their children. You can make your donation today and save a life by contributing through UNICEF’s or the Kiwanis International’s website. On these websites, you can find more details about the Eliminate Project, its goals, and what it has achieved so far. Eliminate Week was a success and helped save many young lives. On behalf of both Whitney Key Club and UNICEF Club, I thank everyone who participated in our Eliminate week and for looking great to eliminate!
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Technology has always been a way for society to advance and reach heights once thought to be unattainable. It is practically everywhere around us and is especially significant in our current situation. In fact, without technology to make up for the lack of communication, education, and a thriving economy, life as we know it would have been so different and difficult for us. Ten years ago, a virtual society would have been something to laugh at, but now it is such a sensible and apparent part of our lives. Likewise, technology and gadgets created today could be a backbone of the future. Thus, it is important that we recognize and take note of some of these impressive products: Ottebox’s Mobile Gaming Clip: This product is sure to reach great heights in the future. Otterbox recently announced this ◦ new product that connects your phone to your xbox controller, so instead of having to turn on your pc or tv, you can just plug your phone in and game! Such a product is incredibly appealing, as you can game at any time wherever you are! Razer Project Brooklyn This product is at this point merely a concept. It may have already been manufactured, ◦ but if it has, it may not be released to the public anytime soon. This concept is essentially a gaming chair with a retractable 60-inch OLED screen that displays a panoramic view. A slim table is also attached to the chair. Gaming on this “chair” is said to be almost identical, if not better, than a ride at an amusement park. The vibrations provided by the chair make your gaming experience feel real. Ampere Shower Power This product is a bluetooth speaker connected to your shower head. Singing in the shower ◦ is something many many people do every single day, so this eco-friendly speaker made from recycled materials can be used to sing along to any song you want. Furthermore, the speaker uses the water flow from the shower head as energy so there is not even a need to charge it! TCL Wearable Display This product is essentially a pair of glasses with two OLED screens that appear to be 4 ◦ meters away. It is as if you are in a movie theater. These glasses are not at all like virtual reality headsets and simply give customers the feeling of watching anything on a large screen anywhere at any time. LG Transparent OLED TV This product is exactly what it says it is: a transparent tv. Although it is still in the works and ◦ may actually never be manufactured in the near future, experts have come up with detailed plans to make this concept a reality. Who knows? This could be the new normal once it is out in the market.
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These products are just some of the many wonders out there. These may soon become our reality, so it is always a great idea to learn about new technology that is being created.
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Anika Kasula | ’20-’21 Director of Fundraising
Ethan Hong | ’20-’21 Director of Kiwanis and Member Relations Hello all! We are nearing the end of the 2020-2021 term, and I have had a lot of things to reflect on. Since Valentine’s Day, I have been thinking about the things I love to do – primarily what I do in Key Club. As a senior, I have served a leadership position for three consecutive terms (note: each term is 12 months, typically from April of one year to the next). This is hardly bothersome for me; I love serving Key Club, and I continue to serve a leadership position so that I may help inspire other Key Club members to serve their community and club. I know many members are applying for cabinet positions and I could not be more joyed! If you are a younger reader than myself, allow me to assure you that holding a leadership position is a highly memorable experience – and I would have the experience to say so! Let me tell you my own “Key Club journey” regarding my leadership roles: In the autumn of 2017, when I was a freshman at Whitney, I would occasionally eat lunch in Mr. Moreno’s classroom. He was the French and Spanish foreign language teacher at the time, as well as Chess Club’s Advisor, as well as Key Club’s Faculty Advisor. I would come into his classroom at lunch sometimes in order to play chess with friends. However, sometimes, when I entered the classroom before remembering it was Tuesday, I did not find students playing chess, but instead a group of high-schoolers conducting a meeting. This was none other than the Whitney Key Club Cabinet at the time, and the person leading the meeting was President Sara Ryave. I knew some cabinet members which I became friends with by talking with them at service events, and after stumbling in a few times, was a period where I would come in on Tuesdays purposefully with one of my best friends to listen in on their meetings. One of the reasons was because I had nowhere else to sit during lunch, but another was because their meetings were interesting and insightful. It was inspiring as well to listen to these older high-schoolers making decisions and planning events that would help so many people. It was this and a combination of other reasons why I wanted to be a part of Key Club Cabinet. I had never been in a club cabinet before, and I had never filled out a cabinet application, nor had a cabinet interview. Everything was new to me, but I knew that I wanted to be a part of Cabinet – to contribute to something greater than myself. The ‘18-’19 Appointed Cabinet was announced at Banquet 2018. I applied to be a Club Director of Publicity, but I was not chosen to be a part of Whitney Key Club Cabinet that term. I thought that this ended my pursuits of holding a position in Key Club, but I was quite incorrect. At that same Banquet, the 2018-2019 Division 30 South Lieutenant Governor (D30S LTG), Anjika Morari, approached me and encouraged me to apply for the Division Leadership Team (DLT). I had not considered applying for a Division Leadership Role, but as I considered serving the division, I recalled division events: how much fun Division Council Meetings (DCMs) were, how I was able to bond with so many members from different schools, and what an impact it made on my confidence and personality. It was because of these good memories that I applied and found myself as one of the Division Fundraising Coordinators for the 2018-2019 term. As a Division Leadership Team member, I was able to get closer with other officers from around the division as well as meet many of the division members that I served. Not only did I serve the division, but I was invited to be a part of the club cabinet and participate in cabinet meetings. Although I did not become an appointed club officer, I was able to become a part of the cabinet and serve Whitney Key Club.
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It was a short timeframe at the end of 2019 when I attempted great leaps in my leadership role. Due to the nature of the 2019-2020 term, major events shifted back by a month, causing events to be quite closer together than usual. The week after Fall Rally South was Candidate Training Conference, where members interested in running for Lieutenant Governor came to learn more about the role. The following week, I would present a speech and caucus in front of a small group of my home club cabinet to gain their endorsement for my candidacy against a rival Whitney candidate. In short, I did not receive endorsement to be a Division 30 South LTG Candidate and I did not perform a speech and caucus at Conclave, three weeks after that day. It was that day in December 2019 when Jennifer Vo was elected as the 2020-2021 Lieutenant Governor. If Anjika Morari taught me anything, though, it was that I should not be so quick to end pursuit of a goal. The week after Conclave was Whitney’s Executive Board Interest Meeting, and I attended and decided to run a candidacy to be the Vice President of Whitney Key Club for the 2020-2021 term. Three weeks after that, I was flying in a frenzy of elections, speeches, and caucuses. I was running against four other Vice President candidates, but I was quite confident in my abilities and I felt ready to take on this position. It was nearly to my surprise, though I use that term lightly, that I did not win the election. However, I am very glad that Ayaan Ekram was elected as Whitney’s Vice President for the 2020-2021 term. I observed his growth in Whitney Cabinet over the years and I knew he would (and he did) perform an excellent job as Vice President. Now, as for myself? Despite my shortcomings as D30S LTG and Whitney Vice President, I was still devoutly interested in serving a leadership position. Serving my club, division, and community was an unforgettable experience and emotion in my heart. I yearned to serve one last time; I yearned to be a part of the Division Leadership Team for the third and final time, and perhaps even a club officer for the first time. And that, I did. I applied to be a club officer and to be a part of DLT and became both the Club Director of Kiwanis and Member/Community Relations and one of the Division 30 South Service Project Coordinators. Despite the strange situation of 2020, I found comfort in serving Key Club one final time. Soon I will come to close my great Key Club journey. It was a great chapter in my life and one that I will not forget. After all, I have spent nearly a quarter of my life in Key Club. As my story closes, however, yours may still be underway or just beginning! If you have any interest in serving a leadership position, I recommend that you go for it! I had no thoughts as a freshman as to how far I would have come, perhaps your next step is the start of something great! As for now though, allow me to serve you for just another month or two, as I wrap up my own journey. See you later!
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Due to my joy of serving on the Division Leadership Team, I yearned to apply again for the 2019-2020 term, and that I did. I was appointed Executive Assistant (EA) and Division Secretary under the ‘19-’20 Lieutenant Governor, Ali Al-Saleem. I met Ali when he served as Western Key Club President and was part of the ‘18-’19 DLT. As an Executive Assistant, I worked closely with Ali to plan and operate division events and gained the opportunity to represent the division and meet even more division members. And, of course, I was still able to serve my home club. Serving as an EA, I gained a close connection to the Lieutenant Governor and what they do to serve their division. I was unsure of what next term would bring for me in terms of leadership, but during my term as EA/Division Secretary I decided that I wanted to run to be the next Lieutenant Governor.
Ayaan Ekram | ’20-’21 Vice President This past year, Key Club has been more difficult than ever. Having to convert a hands-on service club to the online world has been a struggle. Nevertheless, Whitney Key Club was able to do it successfully. This year would definitely not have been possible without a lot of the work from our club cabinet. I want to say thank you to my club cabinet for all of your hard work and dedication to this club. Maya-Alvarez Harmon: Thank you Maya! My Key Club buddy for life. From our first HOPE Food Bank to Key Club cabinet and executive board, we have truly done a lot together. I can’t thank you enough for the past four years of friendship and your constant effort to make Key Club a better place. I know I will never forget all the DCMs, the Fall Rally lines, and the meetings where we not only became Key Club buddies but amazing and close friends. Thank you! Saadhvi Narayanan: Thank you for everything you have done for Key Club. You were one of the most dedicated members I have known. You were always there for me as my Director of Fundraising, and you have done an AMAZING job as Treasurer. I am so proud of all the work you have done this past year and excited to pass my Vice President mantle off to you. I know you will do amazing things for our club and hope I get the chance to visit and see. Emily Thang: Thank you Emily for all of your hard work! These past few years, you have truly worked extremely hard. You not only served as our Key Club Secretary, but you served as a representation of a Key Club member. You continue to volunteer, aid other cabinet members, and complete your responsibilities, many of which were never expected of you. I can think of no one better to lead our club in the next term. Michelle Kim: Thank you Michelle! This past year you took on two of the hardest jobs in Key Club: Club Bulletin Editor and Executive Assistant. You are one of the most dedicated and hardworking people I know. Your service to our division and our club has been instrumental in making Whitney Key Club as successful as it is. I know that we are a better club because of your passion for Key Club. Also, your newsletters are some of the most amazing I have ever seen. You put in so much time and effort. For all your work I want to say Thank You! Jerrick Wu and Ayush Shah: Thank you our amazing Directors of Activities. Each and every month the two of you show a great passion for our club and work your hardest to make the club better. You continuously looked for ways to keep our members engaged, and ways to keep our meetings interesting. I know the two of you are going to do great things as Secretary and Treasurer! You have already done great things in your past two years in the club. I am very proud of the Key Clubbers you have become!
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Itzel Huerta and Eileen Rodriguez: Thank you my Game Night Buddies! I would have never guessed that the Game Night we planned would be one of the most fun experiences of my year. You two are some of the kindest people I know and your contributions to this club have been immense. Throughout my time planning Operation Christmas, you both were more than willing to help make flyers and videos, despite the short amount of time given. Thank you for everything! Anika Kasula: Thank you Anika! I know first-hand how hard fundraising is, and you have made it look so easy this past year. You have been diligent with all your work and helpful in every way imaginable. During every meeting or fundraiser, you have given your all to push for our preferred charities and the overall success of the club. I know for a fact you will go far in Key Club and make a true impact on Whitney Key Club. Thank you! Ashlyn Wong: Thank you Ashlyn for all your hard work this past year. As a Division Leader, you were never required to be a part of our club board. Nevertheless, you jumped right in and made yourself available for any event or social you could aid with. You continued to serve our home club by working hard, not only as a Division Historian, but as a Whitney Key Club cabinet member. Thank you for helping to make our club the most successful it could be. Alanna Chan and Elizabeth Hoang: Alanna and Elizabeth. Your jobs this year have been anything but easy. Almost every week this year, you have had to create multiple graphics, photograph multiple events, and regularly update our club website. You both have continuously accepted the challenge of taking on so much work during this difficult year. Without your amazing work, our events would not have been nearly as successful as they were this past year. Thank you so much! Elu Loquias ana Anastasia Estrella: My two spirit buddies. You two are truly some of the most spirited and outgoing Key Clubbers I have ever met. You both have never failed to make members feel included and embody the inviting spirit of a Key Club member. I am extremely grateful to have you both as fellow Spirit Chairs and was amazed by the work you both have done. This past year, you have both continued to serve our division and home club in every way possible. I cannot thank you both enough for, not only making our club a better place but my experience in Key Club that much more fun. Ethan Hong: I don’t think there is a single person who doesn’t see Ethan Hong and think Key Club. Thank you Ethan for making these past four years in Key Club so much fun. I will never forget the memories we made at DCON as roommates, at DCMs, and at the many events we attended together. I wish we could have had the opportunity to make more Key Club memories this year, but I will forever remember the ones we did make. Not only has your work as a cabinet member been essential to making our club run, but it has made Whitney Key Club more inviting, friendly, and fun. Thank you! Katherine Phail: Last, but certainly not least, Katie. No, I did not forget you. This past year has been one of the most fun years of my Key Club journey, and you were a big part of it. Despite the pandemic, you were always there to cheer up a breakout room with your humor and joy. I am so happy you decided to join cabinet this year. Your work as a Director of Fundraising has been amazing. I know how nervous you were when you first received the role, but you truly exceeded my expectations. I am so amazed by the work you have done and the dedication you have shown this club. Since I don’t have pages that I can fill, I’ll just say thank you for the years of friendship!
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Katie Phail | ’20-’21 Director of Fundraising HEY KEY-UTIESSSS!!!! With the term quickly coming to an end, I wanted to take this opportunity to just look back and reflect on everything that has happened this past year. I know that for myself personally, I have become much more closely involved with the club and volunteering in general, which is partially due to the fact that I was in cabinet. I went to my first online DCM, got my first cabinet recognition, surpassed my first goal for total hours served, helped organize our first online fundraiser, and attended my first online LockIn. This year has been a number of firsts for me even though we were in a less-than-ideal environment. While there were many other service opportunities that I couldn’t attend because we had to stay at home, especially the Rose Float Decorating event which I had participated in since my freshman year, I was still able to make the most of the opportunities that we had. I saw the work that went on behind the scenes where other cabinet members did their best to accommodate everyone with online service events, different eye-catching graphics, and ideas to help bring in fundraising. This year was a struggle for everyone, and not being able to spend time in person with other people at different events was what was probably the most difficult to deal with. Key Club has such a welcoming and caring atmosphere, and not being able to soak in those vibes in person was saddening. However, I was still able to get a sense of that at DCMs, where all of the division officials worked their butts off to try and make them interesting and interactive. From playing Among Us to Skribblio together, we were still able to make fun memories together despite not being able to meet up in person. We were able to listen to funny Love Notes, vibe to different songs from the safekey playlist, and laugh alongside our cabinet members in our own separate call while the DCM was taking place. We roasted each other, roasted the movies we were watching, and laughed together until some of us started crying. This year has been an unforgettable one when it comes to memories made, despite not doing anything in person. As much as I wish everything could have been in person my senior year, I wouldn’t trade the memories I made and accomplishments I’ve achieved this year for anything in the world. Hopefully with the next term starting soon, Key Club will be able to start hosting more in person events, but no matter what, there will always be good memories made in Key Club.
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FEBRUARY
recognition CLUB RECOGNITION MEMBER OF THE MONTH:
CHARVI IRVA
OFFICERS OF THE MONTH:
JERRICK WU &
AYUSH SHAH
DIVISION RECOGNITION
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Keep up with the Hive! linktr.ees
https://linktr.ee/whitneykeyclub https://linktr.ee/d30ssuns
upcoming dates!
WHS KC BANQUET MARCH 19 | 5-7 PM| ZOOM
MARCH DCM MARCH 20 | 6-7 PM| ZOOM
D30S BANQUET MARCH 20 |6-7 PM | ZOOM
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social media whitneyhigh_keyclub Whitney Key Club! whitney_keyclub
cabinet President | Maya Alvarez-Harmon mayaharmon2003@gmail.com Vice-President | Ayaan Ekram ayaanekram@gmail.com Secretary | Emily Thang emsunnysunshine@gmail.com Treasurer | Saadhvi Narayanan saadhstar@gmail.com Bulletin Editor | Michelle Kim michellemkim6@gmail.com Director of Activities | Jerrick Wu jerrickwu7@gmail.com Director of Activities | Ayush Shah ayush98365@gmail.com Director of Publicity | Itzel Huerta itzel.huerta1510@gmail.com Director of Publicity | Eileen Rodriguez eileen.rodriguezsalehi@gmail.com Director of Fundraising | Anika Kasula anikakasula@gmail.com Director of Fundraising | Katherine Phail katherinephail@yahoo.com
Director of Kiwanis and Community Relations | Ethan Hong ethanhong2003@gmail.com Spirit Coordinator | Anastasia Estrella asia.estrella.3@gmail.com Historian/Tech Editor | Alanna Chan alannamchan@gmail.com Historian/Tech Editor | Elizabeth Hoang elizabeth.hoang8@gmail.com
division leadership team Executive Assistant | Michelle Kim michellemkim6@gmail.com Service Project Coordinator | Ethan Hong ethanhong2003@gmail.com Fundraising Task Coordinator | Elu Loquias eluloquias@gmail.com Division Historian | Ashlyn Wong ashlynwong01@gmail.com Division Spirit Coordinator | Anastasia Estrella asia.estrella.3@gmail.com
advisors Kiwanis | Ms. Jan Jensen sokkerjan@gmail.com Club |Mrs. Stacy Palmer stacy.palmer@abcusd.us
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CONTACT US
thank you for reading! BEE GREEN AND DO NOT PRINT!
GRETCHEN WHITNEY HIGH SCHOOL 16800 SHOEMAKER AVE. CERRITOS, CA 90703 UNITED STATES
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