the
METRO MINUTE
ISIO IONN MEETTRRO DIV M
VOLUME III, ISSUE I
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CONTENTS Messages
03 Ahoy from Allen!
Get your first Metro Minute update from Lt. Govenor Allen and find out what he has in store over the next few months.
04 Editor’s Note 05 DLT: An Introduction
Meet your presidents and division level coordinators, and find out what their goals are for the term
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Recap Recaps
Focus Focus
08 Club Event Recaps
22 Monsters on the District
Pictured above: CSULB brings energy and excitement to a worthy cause at Relay for Life
14 Division Event Recaps
Get a recap of the heartfelt farewells at the Greek themed Metro Banquet and the information and bonding shared at Metro Trainer
18 District Event Recaps
Read the Metro Monster take on recent District events: District Convention and Spring Training Conference
Level
Find out which of our very own Metro Monsters will be serving on district committees for the 20162017 term.
24 Metro by the Numbers
You don’t have to be a mathematician to take a look at the latest totals for service hours, fundraising and more
25 Upcoming Events
UPDATES // LTG
Hiya Metro and friends!
My name is Allen Pham and I have the honor of serving as your Metro Division Lt. Governor for the 2016-17 year. For those of you who stumbled into this newsletter by chance, I’m glad you’re reading. Whether you’re a member of Circle K International or an incoming college freshman looking to continue their time in the Kiwanis family, I hope you enjoy learning more about this amazing division and its amazing members. In all honesty, it’s crazy that a quarter of this term has already gone by so quickly. It seems like last weekend when I was elected at District Convention. Three months, two board meetings, and four DCMs. Although we’ve still got nine more months to go, I can honestly say that I’ve already learned and grown so much from having this opportunity to serve you. Since April, Metro has grown to be a very close-knit division. At every DCM or division event, I always take some time to stand back and make observations about the members. “Are they enjoying the event? Are they interacting with others outside of their clubs? Was this experience worthwhile for them?” When tasked with asking myself these questions every month, I began to notice that things aren’t quite the same as they were in April. CSULB and CSUDH members are playing basketball with each other on random nights. USC is making a stronger presence at DCMs. CSUN and UCLA are continuing to invite the rest of the division to their events. These changes, though small, are just the budding seeds of what is going to be an amazing year for our division — and you made this possible. With that, I have full confidence that Metro will continue to grow and do many more amazing things. As the term continues, the Division Leadership Team and I hope to make your Metro experience the best that it can be, packed with service, leadership, and fellowship. This year is our frontier, and we’ve got so much more exploring to do. So follow me on that big blue bus because our adventure is just about to start.
ALLEN PHAM 3
Although it’s only been three months into the Circle K term, it’s easy to be amazed by how much we’ve accomplished so far. We’ve performed countless hours of service, built lasting connections with new and returning members, as well as developed our leadership skills. The recaps in this issue will give you an idea of what the division has been up to - whether it’s been dancing the night away to support the education and treatment of pediatric HIV/AIDS, or enjoying an end of the year bonfire. I hope that you’ve all personally been enjoying your summers so far. We’ve all worked hard over the school year - and deserve some much needed rest and relaxation. That said - summer is also a perfect time to serve the community and those around you. Many of your clubs will have opportunties for summer service. Additionally, Allen and the DLT have been planning service and social events to go to throughout the summer. Finally, remember that summer is a time to explore. Go forward and discover new passions, pursue your interests, and make sure that you start the school year with no regrets.
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FROM THE EDITOR
Hey Metro Monsters!
UPDATES // DLT CARLOS ONG // EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Hello everyone! My name is Carlos Ong and I’m humbled to serve as your Executive Assistant this term! About me, I am currently an incoming third year student at Cal State Dominguez Hills, majoring in Biochemistry. I was also previously the secretary for CSUDH Circle K. What I’m looking forward to Metro Division is, well, an increased sense of unity. I’m very pleased to see how well the division is working together so far, even without divisional events. I’m hoping to help continue that unison by contributing the very best I can as Executive Assistant! That being said, I look forward to a term of lots of great challenges, whether it be improving aspects of Metro or getting to know more about you all or creating new ideas for Metro to flourish! I’m prepared for the many trials and tribulations Metro will have this year, and I’ll do my best to help all of you along the way! It’s going to be a monstrous adventure, everyone! Let’s go forward!
ANDY KIM // MEDIA Hello Metro Monsters! My name is Andy Kim and I am super honored and excited to be serving as your Media and Tech Coordinator! I am an incoming Sophomore attending CSULB, majoring in Graphic Design! I love photography and videography, soccer, watching Kdramas, and Most importantly, being with my CIRCLE K FAMBAM! I have been with the KIWANIS Family for about 5 years now, and yes, I have done both Key Club and KIWIN’S, but I didn’t have the best experience there. Sure, there were good moments but those clubs really didn’t show me what Fellowship and Leadership and what being in a family is like, until Circle K came in and rescued me! Ever since joining Circle K, I’ve found myself a special group of people I can truly call “Family.” I couldn’t believe how Circle K, my home club, the division, and district just blew my expectations. What I am looking forward to in my time in Metro is to make sure my division has the best Media coverage as possible, and have my fellow members looking through social media just to look at the photos of events and just smile and laugh at the memories they made at the events. Even looking at the recap videos, I want my fellow members to be able to always looking forward to them and have a great time watching them!
MICHAEL ZHANG // PUBLIC RELATIONS Hey Metro! My name is Michael Zhang, and I’m excited to be serving as your Public Relations Coordinator. I’m orginally from San Diego, California and I will be a second year studying Computer Science & Engineering at UCLA this fall. Some things that you should know about me? Mac n cheese is probably one of my biggest weaknesses, my favorite type of dog is a beagle and, yes, I’m that one guy whose favorite color is orange. My goal as PR coordinator this year is to make sure that information is spread through as many avenues as possible, whether its to members inside or outside of the division. As you can see, we’ve already bolstered our social media presence with the launch of Metro Division Media. Andy and I will be working on creating new and engaging features for the page. Also be on the look out for the quarterly Metro Minute, as well as a new biweekly email digest that we will be launching this fall. I’m excited to make sure that the accomplishments of all our Monsters will be broadcasted and recognized!
nick stringfellow // spirit + fellowship Hey yo Metro! I’m Nick Stringfellow, a rising 3rd year Cognitive Science major at UCLA, and i’m humbled and excited to serve y’all as your Metro Spirit & Fellowship Coordinator! I love corgis, long walks on the beach, and anything all-you-can-eat (college budgets ya know). When I first got involved with Metro, the one thing that stuck out to me right away was how easy it was to bond with our division and the tight-knit community that any member can create. This year is going to be full of more socials, new division-wide programs specifically for fellowship, and lots of spirit and energy that will bring our division closer than ever before. If you have any ideas for fellowship activities, let me know; spirit and fellowship are beautifully flexible, and any suggestions can and will be used to help Metro grow closer and closer! I can’t wait for all the #(string)fellowship that awaits this term, I love y’all and i’ll see you soon! Adventures await!
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UPDATES // DLT fredrich gallevo // csudh Hello my fellow Metro Monsters! My name is Fredrich V. Gallevo and I am a 5th Year Anthropology major, and I am very excited to be serving as the President of CSU Dominguez Hills Circle K for the 2016-2017 term. My goals for the upcoming term is to gain more Circle K experience. With fall semester coming up, I want my members to grow more in the club. By going to different events, meeting other people in the club and to see the amount of members increase by joining Metro. I’m looking forward to see how much we gain new members from my home club and to be able to join the Metro family. I’m excited for this term because Circle K has been my life. I cannot wait for what’s to come in the future. And to passionate the three tenets of service, leadership, and fellowship. I hope to meet new members in the future. Let’s take Metro to the next level because adventure is out there!
ETHAN WYNNE // csuLB Hi there Metro family! My name is Ethan Wynne and I am humbled to serve as President of CSULB CKI for the 2016-2017 term! So here’s a little about me! I am a 2nd year Psychology major with a minor in Child Development! I really enjoy working with children with autism, and hope to make a career out of it in the future! For now, I intern at an autism clinic, absolutely love playing soccer every day I can, and live on In N Out! Our goals for the 2016-2017 term is to turn last terms explosive growth into sustainable membership by creating an atmosphere that brings out the best of Circle K! This term we are focused on developing the three tenets of CKI; Service, Leadership, and Fellowship! For service projects, we want to provide a variety of meaningful service events that truly make an impact not only in our community, but ourselves. For leadership, we plan to expand our leadership opportunities through the development of committees! For fellowship we are redesigning and improving our family system to foster and grow the genuine family atmosphere we already embrace!
issac miller // csun Hey y’all! Isaac Lawrence Miller here serving as the ‘16-’17 President of CSU Northridge! A little bit about myself, I am a 6th year Television Production transfer student! (Yay for super senior-dom!) I really like the colors maroon and burgundy, and my favorite food is tasty. I’m an Uber driver and I’m from Rancho Cucamonga, just north of the CNH District Office :D Honestly, I might forget your name, but I’ll still remember you for you! Our club this year has some serious goals: reach 80 dues paid members, 1,500 total services hours, and $2,100 raised for our DFIs. It’s ambitious, but, with the Metro Monster Pham by our side, we can do nothing but succeed! I cannot wait to get into the meat of this CKI year, because I feel we are going to enter into a new era of Metro Division!
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UPDATES // DLT KARINA PEREZ // ECC Heyaaaa Metro Fam! I’m Karina from El Camino College and I am the 2016-17 Presidente! A little something something about myself: I am in my last semester at ECC getting ready to transfer to a CSU! (TBD) to achieve my dream of becoming a teacher for elementary school. Fun fact: I love karaoke and singing is fun! Our goals for this year revolve around maintaining our beautiful tiny club! Our main focuses will be on polish the quality members we have so they can bring in more members with their love and passion for CKI. Best way to make quality members is through education! Our focus will be with our MD&E chair. The goal is to make sure members learn all about CKI! ECC tends to be small but it’s filled with love we look forward to being on new members and and sharing our CKI experience with them! We also plan to maintain and increase our bridge that has been built with our Hermosa Beach kiwanis for the past couple of years. We have many fun events planned for th upcoming semester and we already have summer events booked with them! I along with the rest of ECC’S board members are excited for this amazing year that is to come!
ALBERT TRUONG // UCLA Hello Metro! My name is Albert and I am a 4th year biochemistry major, but more importantly I will be serving as the President of UCLA Circle K for the 2016-2017 term! In my free time I love to watch TV shows and listen to music. On a normal day you can find me either napping or exploring LA. I am a really big fan of astrology and I like walking at night and star gazing. All of my goals for the upcoming term can be summarized into one word: growth! I want to create an environment that promotes the growth of both my members and the members across the division/district. I hope that I can achieve this by inspiring members through meaningful service, developing members through leadership and connecting members through fellowship. I am really excited for the upcoming term and what the future has in store for myself, my wonderful home club and Metro Division. I hope to meet all of you in the near future. If you see me around at an event, say “hi” because I always enjoy meeting new people!
CRYSTIL QUIROZ// USC Hello Metro Monsters! My name is Crystil and I will be serving as the USC Circle K President for the 2016-2017 term! With the new fall semester quickly approaching, it is my goal to create the best Circle K best experience ever! From employing new and refreshing ideas behindthe-scenes, to increasing our visibility in the division/district, I hope that by staying active and innovative, our passion for service, fellowship, and leadership will reach new levels. By organizing meaningful events, I also hope that everyone will have the chance to build personal relationships others and create unforgettable memories. I am so excited to serve in this new adventure with each and every one of you and to see our Metro Family grow to new heights. Fun facts about me: I’m a business/accounting major; I have a giant sweet tooth; I love Disney; I can burp pretty loudly; I like chocolate milk
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recaps // club BEACH SERVICE SOCIAL BY SAMUEL ONG | CSUDH CSUDH Circle K helped clean the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, then headed to Huntington Beach for a Beach Bonfire Bonanza! On Sunday, June 5th CSUDH Circle K took part in the Bolsa Chica Lowlands Restoration Project, located on the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach, CA. Along with CSUDH, CSULB and CSUN joined us to remove invasive plants that were harmful to the Wetlands. The gloomy morning began at in a parking lot in front of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands office, where a site leader from the Restoration Project briefed us on the task at hand. Members received gloves and began the strenuous, mile-long walk to the site. Once we were at the site, the leads gave members mini shovels and mattocks so it was easier to extract these red, gooey invasive plants from the dry dirt and placed them in trash bags. The back-breaking labor was not all so bad, as this turned out into a great bonding experience. Members were actively conversing with each other and took this opportunity to get to know one another. This was the main routine for two and a half hours, picking our plants and picking each-others brains until the site lead informed us that our work was done. We packed up all the trash bags on a rickety wagon and headed back to the Wetlands office. After the Wetlands, members from CSUDH, CSUN, and Pierce College headed to nearby Huntington Beach for a day of fun. There were many activities for members to partake in; such as football, volleyball, getting in the refreshing beach water, or just relaxing under the tent. As the sun went down and the temperature started to drop, members played intense games of UNO and Cards against Humanity.
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Following this, we started the bonfire; roasting weenies and marshmallows while conversing happily with each other. Out of tune Campfire songs and a game of “Never Have I Ever� concluded the feelgood night. That feel-good feeling took a hit when we all realized that one of our members; Kei Miyamoto, a foreign exchange student from Japan would go back home the next day. Nonetheless, we all had a great time building new relationships, making great memories, and surrounding ourselves with the love of the Metro family. What better way to kick off the summer?
Find CSUDH at csudhcki.weebly.com. The club meets Tuesdays at 5:30PM.
RELAY FOR LIFE BY SEAN VILLAVERDE | CSULB On average, there’s nearly thirty thousand days lived in a typical life. Cancer can reduce that number significantly. That’s why we believe that sacrificing a single day of our lives is worth saving tens of thousands of those days in the life of someone fighting cancer. That’s the reason CSULB Circle K endeavored to spend twenty-four hours walking/ running/dancing around a sports track for Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society from April 9th to 10th. Really though, it wasn’t much of a sacrifice. We had the opportunity to bond intimately with our CKI family for twenty-four hours of Hollywood themed laps, carnival games, camping out in tents, snacks, and card games, all for the best of causes. Unfortunately, our time to bond while fighting cancer was tragically cut short. Not only did most of our time that day have to be spent at our end of the year banquet, which ran from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, but once we returned from the banquet we discovered that Relay for Life was ending twelve hours sooner due to unexpected weather conditions. Naturally, many of us were disappointed by the missed opportunity to help in the fight against cancer and bond late into the night. Relay for Life was still an enriching experience especially for those attending it for the first time. Many of us arrived early in the morning on the ninth and helped prepared our site for the event. We set-up a camping tent and an EZ-up at a nice spot along the track, along with the carnival game we designed as a fundraiser for the event. The carnival game we had was as ostentatiously golden as the common perception of Hollywood glamour, with a myriad of former soda bottles painted a shiny, metallic gold acting as trophy awards that participants in the game would have to throw glow-in-the-
dark rings on to win handmade cancer ribbons as prizes. After setup was over, we congregated in the center of the track to witness the opening ceremony. It was a really touching affair where we honored cancer survivors and listened to one of their heartfelt stories. When the ceremony was over, the laps began. The first two laps were reserved for cancer survivors and then their caretakers, whom we cheered on from the sidelines, but by the third lap we were allowed to join them. We spent the next couple hours taking turns walking the track together, passing footballs and soccer balls to each other, walking in step to the music that was playing, reading interesting facts about cancer on signs surrounding the area, and a lot of other activities that helped us bond as we walked the track. At some point it started to rain, but we kept on walking. Cancer did not rest, rain or shine, and neither did we. That’s another reason why we were disappointed to return to Relay for Life after our banquet only to find that it had been truncated because of bad weather. Nevertheless, we all still had an amazing time with what we had, and we made the most of this opportunity when many of our members moved to the dorms to have a late game night that lasted early into the morning. We were part of an event that raised thousands of dollars for cancer patients. With less than half a day in our lives spent as payment, we were able to win thousands of days in thousands of lives in the fight against cancer.
Find CSULB at csulbcki.org. The club meets on Wednesdays. 9
recaps // club ADOPT A PET
BY KARINA PEREZ | ECC Since the beginning of the 2016-2017 term, we at El Camino College have held several fun events. Some of which include TV tapings for some of my favorite TV shows. But if I had to pick just one, I’d say that my top favorite would have to be hands down the Pet’s in The Park event which we attended with our Kiwanis and special volunteer guests from USC! The President of USC, Crystil and 5 other wonderful members joined all of us at Hermosa Beach Valley Park for the Pet Adoption Fair! We met up early morning to have breakfast with our Kiwanis before setting up all the booths for the fair. I remember I worked specifically at the popcorn booth with two other members while Crystil and Rocio and a couple more members we’re helping at the registration booth! The pet fair had offered face painting and I remember how Crystil got her face painted in black and white - it was adorable! 10
The Pet Adoption Fair was successful thanks to all of our teamwork and help throughout the event. Some of my favorite tasks included keeping the doggies hydrated, directing people to the Blessing of the Animals, and also helping to put the bunnies back in their cages. Also, Lisa (the Kiwanis President was very happy that we were able to stay and help take down the booths as well. After a job well done, ECC and USC headed out to socialize and eat! We had yummy burgers and chicken tenders at Supreme Burger Grill where we joked and got to know each other more! This event was unforgettable and amazing, and we couldn’t have done a fantastic job without the help of USC! I look forward to more joint events with the rest of the Metro Fam! Find ECC at elcaminocki.weebly.com. The club meets on Tuesdays at 1 PM.
A CSUN REFLECTION BY TYLER TRAN | CSUN Hi! I’m Tyler and I’m the secretary at CSUN Circle K International. This is going to be a reflection of the club’s activity in the month of April. April was an incredibly stressful month for us as a club. In the first week of April, our newly elected secretary and treasurer both stepped down from their positions, and E-Board had to reopen elections for the two positions. I was nominated for the position of secretary and Cesar Giovanni Zanelli was elected for the position of treasurer and won the elections due to having no competitors and having won a unanimous vote. After successfully acquiring a full elected board, we now had to advance to the next issue, appointed board. For a two weeks, our appointed board applications were open, however, nobody was applying to any of the positions and we began to panic. Finally, towards the final days of the application process, we had 3 applicants who all eventually were appointed to their respective chairs. Although our appointed board consists of only 3 chairs, we are committed to opening A-Board once the Fall semester begins to allow new members a chance to hold a leadership position. Aside from the whole board scenario, we had other issues to deal with. We noticed that after DCON, several members stopped showing up to the meetings. We realized that most of our members were graduating and we were left with roughly 15 members who were not graduating. This opened up our eyes towards the fact that we had to establish how we were going to successfully recruit member
Towards the end of April, we came across another road bump. Our faculty advisor, Anne Smith, sent us an email stating that she was going to resign as our faculty advisor due to personal reasons. We appreciate the work that she has done for us, and we are now searching for a new faculty advisor before the end of the school year. Enough of the sad stories, we also had a lot of fun during the first of month of our 2016-17 term. We were lucky enough to establish a fundraising deal with Audiences Unlimited in which we were guaranteed at least $12 per person who attended a TV taping. Additionally, we had the chance to bond with our Kiwanis Family at Kiwanis One Day and Everybody Reads. Everybody Reads is an event where we go to Noble Elementary School and read books to children and teach them how to enjoy reading. Overall, I felt that we spent the month of April figuring out how to get the club back on track. We acknowledged that a lot of our members were going to be leaving either because they were graduating or because they had to focus more on their academic studies. We respect their decisions to leave and hope that they are successful with their future endeavors. We also acknowledged that we would have to improve our recruitment process when by the time the fall semester starts. Find CSUN at facebook.com/csun.cki.13. The club meets on Tuesdays at 4:30 PM. 11
recaps // club
SPARKIN’ UP the DANCE FLOOR BY JACOB VIRTUSIO | UCLA On April 2nd at 11:00 am to April 3rd at 1:00 pm, the UCLA CKI Dancing TurKeys hit the dance floor for another weekend of full of excitement, education, and experiences. This weekend’s event was called Dance Marathon, a 26-hour period of standing, dancing, leaning, and, on rare occasion, sleeping. The Dancing TurKeys stayed strong throughout the event being able to withstand the entire 26 hours without a single drop. People were shuffling to the Cupid Shuffle, learning to Hula Dance, screaming for our Color Team, Silver, to win the Color Wars Competition, and pumping up for the base, but more importantly we were all learning to struggle and stand for a fight against Pediatric AIDS, one that many children endure for their entire lifetime.
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During the event, DJ’s brought out their basedropping sounds, Disney played for a half-hour to rejuvenate us in the early morning, and lives affected and infected by HIV/AIDS were told through children, mothers, and researchers. Dancers were invited to an hour of “Camp Corner,” where they partook in activities, including playing
with the camp ambassadors, whom this year was Kira, and learning more about them and what Camp Kindle, one of the beneficiaries of the event, does and how it affects their lives. There was also an hour of dedication called “Vigil,” which is a ceremony for those affected and infected by HIV/ AIDS. With these experiences, the Dancing TurKeys learned more about what HIV/AIDS is and how it has impacted the lives of many. Through this event, we bonded through our dance circles, our loud karaoke sessions, and most importantly, through our support of one another in being able to experience what it means to be a part of something greater. This event is emotionally provocative and should be experienced at least once during your time here at UCLA. It is 10/10, highly recommend, and I hope to see you all there next year sharing that dance floor and experience with me one last time. Find UCLA at uclacki.org. The club meets Thursdays at 6:30 PM.
LOS ANGELES HEALTHY KIDS FAIR BY CRYSTIL QUIROZ | USC Early morning, on April 17th, USC Circle K members headed to their main school campus to volunteer at the first ever L.A. Healthy Kids Fair. Hosted by USC’s WorldMed and sponsored by the Keck School of Medicine, the event was created with the hope of providing children in the community an opportunity to learn more about how they can live healthier lifestyles. The fair had a variety of booths – from dental care to athleticism, diet/nutrition to understanding vitals - each station was carefully pre-planned to feature an interactive activity and a lesson plan for kids.
The LA Healthy Kids Fair allowed children from different schools around the area to come and learn together about the importance of being and staying healthy, and we as volunteers were honored to be a part of it. Find USC on Facebook. The club meets on Thursdays at 7:30 PM.
This was the inaugural Los Angeles Healthy Kids Fair. It was hosted by USC’s WorldMed + Keck School of Medicine. As volunteers, it was incredible seeing the fair come to life. We first helped with set up, where we assisted with the creation of each and every booth. All the materials for each activity had to be set just right, and all of the lesson plans had to be in order. Once everything was prepared, each volunteer was stationed at each booth and was given specific instructions accordingly. I was stationed at the mental health booth, and I was in charge of the creative and artistic activity. Children were to combine glue, water, and glitter to create a colorful substance intended to soothe the mind during stressful times. Some of the other booths activities included understanding the food pyramid, learning about diabetes, learning how to properly brush your teeth, getting your vitals examined, and having an awesome dance party. For us, the best part of this event was seeing how it helped bring the community together. All the children, parents, and volunteers had a lot of fun. 13
recaps // division EOTY BANQUET CSULB
METRO EOTY BANQUET BY RAY ROMAN | UCLA Nothing bolsters a community of hardworking individuals like dressing up all fancy and feasting with one another to commemorate a fun year of experiences! Enter the “Metro End of the Year Banquet,” this past Friday, April 29, in the Bruin Reception Room. Our theme for the event was “Greek Gods and Goddesses,” a fitting theme to celebrate the legendary warriors and unforgettable heroes of our Metro family. Several other schools, from USC to CSU Northridge, joined us at this year’s divisional Banquet. The sense of togetherness was strong— everyone was commingling, dressed to the nines, and full of laughter. This Banquet was the place to be for dining on a quirky (yet delicious) mix of Mexican and Greek food. Unfortunately for us, there was a slight mishap with catering and most of our food had to be served outside the banquet room. Thankfully that didn’t stop us from chowing down on the Mexican–Greek fusion. I, of course, filled my plate with as many kebabs and tzatziki-covered tortillas as I could stack. Later on after dinner, we took our 14
repast onto the Ackerman Patio. The atmosphere became a bit more relaxed and chilly as the sun set, but overall it was alive with an air of indescribable nostalgia. It was clear everyone was having a really great time. After our meal, awards were given out to those who had exemplified the ebullience, fortitude, and dedication in the Circle K tenets. As awards ceremony continued, many seasoned members became misty-eyed as they reminisced on the amazing year. Several members were able to give speeches, including a few from our club. They were optimistic in their articulation of the past year, but were even more excited to move forward and encounter new challenges, hopefully adding more legendary feats to our CKI anthology. The air continued to swell in passion and happiness, with more and more members exhibiting teary cheeks. Overall however, the Metro banquet was a nice break from Midterms and an incredibly festive, emotional pow-wow that served to celebrate a truly productive year of service, leadership, and fellowship.”
METRO TRAINER BY EMILY SUN | USC On April 17th, the Metro April DCM and the Metro Trainer were held in conjunction at the University of Southern California. The USC Circle K Club had the honor of hosting the two events, which were the first divisional events of the 2016-2017 Circle K year. The Metro Trainer was composed of a multitude of workshops that were run by a handful of members of the Metro Division, ranging from officer-specific workshops to ones that focused on certain aspects of Circle K, such as working with other branches of the Kiwanis Family. They were helpful in starting off
the new year strong, especially for smaller schools who do not have as many resources to utilize and schools who are working on chartering a Circle K Club in their respective school. Throughout the day, members of the division had the opportunity to work with and get to know their fellow Metro Circle K members during workshops, icebreakers, and casual conversations. Many members of the Metro Circle K Clubs collaborated with each other in order to make this training event an overall success for all of the attendees.
APRIL DCM The Metro April DCM was held right after the Metro Trainer concluded and was filled with updates from each club within the Metro Division. Clubs spoke about the various service, leadership, and fellowship events that had occurred throughout the month of March and the first half of April, giving ideas and sparking motivation within their peers to reach farther heights within Circle K. The Metro Lieutenant Governor, Allen Pham, also began a new tradition of recognizing three clubs every month
that have gone above and beyond in exhibiting the tenets of service, leadership, and fellowship, as well as awarding one member of the division for exemplary conduct each month. This day marked a great beginning for the Metro Division as dozens of members came together to learn more about what it means to be in the Circle K organization and to celebrate the great accomplishments we all have already made so far, while preparing to do much more in the future. 15
recaps // division JUNE DCM
BY MICHAEL ZHANG | UCLA On the afternoon of June 18th, Metro Monsters descended upon CSU Long Beach to attend the June DCM. Members had taken time out of their summers to come and attend the CSULB hosted event. The event began with the DCM, where Metro Lieutenant Governor Allen Pham took the (metaphorical) stage to disseminate club, division and district updates. Some highlights included: the recognition of Metro Monsters appointed to district committees, the presentation of clubs of the month, as well as the introduction of a new segment in the DCM, Good Feelings. Acting as a spiritual successor to the previous term’s Snap Jar, this new activity allowed for each member at the DCM to participate by telling the room one thing that made them happy. 16
With the DCM portion of the day complete, it was time to being the service portion of the event. Prior to the event, members had generously donated bread, peanut butter and jam in order to make sandwiches for the Long Beach Rescue Mission. Monsters gathered in groups of four and proceeded to make sandwiches while bonding with one another. The process was mostly smooth, though it did hit a small bump when the jam supply ran out. After an hour and a half of sandwich making, members were amazed to learn that they had put together 400 sandwiches for the Mission. In order to celebrate and relax after their long session of work, members settled down to enjoy a showing of the summer hit Zootopia. All in all, the June DCM turned out to be a successful summer event - combining all three tenets of Circle K into one delightful event.
recaps // division METRO DIVISION MEDIA + JUNE DCM PHOTO | ANDY KIM
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recaps // district
DISTRICT CONVENTION A LONG BEACH PERSPECTIVE BY CINDY BUI | CSULB CKI’s 2016 District Convention started off with a surge of explosive cheers, spirit and smiles. Despite the fact that no one in CSULB had gotten their hotel rooms yet, the opening general session made up for that. Circle K members from all over the California-Nevada-Hawaii District were gathered together in a single room and bombarded the entire room with deafening roars of cheers. To my right, Magic Kingdom was stomping away. Behind me and to my left, more incomprehensive screaming. I literally had to scream in order to communicate with the rest of my members. It was chaos - a beautiful chaos. After the opening general session, we attended one workshop and then shifted immediately to caucus. During caucus, we listened to the district governor, district treasurer, district secretary, and Metro LTG candidates. Lasting from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM, the caucus session had many of us dozing off in our seats. We were all exhausted from a long day, but we put in our best effort to give our full attention to the potential leaders of the 2016-2017 term. After finishing up candidate discussions at 2:00 AM, many of us had completely knocked out while those still awake went to Denny’s to grab dinner. Our second day at DCON consisted of a long series of workshops. Out of all of the workshops I attended, my personal favorite was the Resume/Interview Skills workshop hosted by Chris Tung and Jerry Bao. Although the workshop itself sounds tedious and mundane, the workshop chairs were very entertaining and extremely informative! I learned about things that should be included in a resume, and how to customize or personalize it to show character, to make it stand above and beyond other candidates’ resumes. Not 18
only did the workshop chairs discuss interview skills, they had us interact with one another and practice the skills. I definitely enjoyed how interactive the workshop was. I came out of this workshop with knowledge on the professional world, and being one step closer to adulthood and the real world. On the night of our second day at DCON, tears were shed, hugs were exchanged, and several amazing people received the recognition they so deserved. Love was definitely in the air during awards night. Everyone in the room was anxiously anticipating every time an awards recipient was to be announced. A bundle of emotions overcame everyone all at once; there was anxiety, there was pride, there was sheer happiness, and there was love. You would see awards recipients shedding a trail of tears as they climb up the stage to receive their award, and you would see members shoot straight up from their seats once their home club’s name was mentioned for an award. I remember crying for Richelle when she got up to claim the secretary award, and for Natalie when she claimed the president’s award. To be honest I was emotional for everyone. That night I was a major crybaby. That night I loved my Circle K club more than anything else in the world. I wish I was able to put what I felt that night into better words, but I can vouch that my heart hurt during awards night from too much feels. Although I slept for only 4 hours during my entire stay at DCON, it was definitely worth losing sleep for. 19
recaps // district
SPRING TRAINING CONFERENCE BY JESSICA PHAM | USC On Saturday, May 7, Circle K members from all over the district gathered at California State University, Fullerton to participate in Spring Training Conference South. For members, this district event provided the opportunity to see old friends, make new ones, and come together to prepare for the new term. The event holds a special place in my heart, as USC Circle K was able to reflect on the growth the club had over the past year. The morning started with an introduction of the lieutenant governors, who promptly led their respective divisions in cheers to get the blood flowing and get everyone excited for the rest of the day. We transitioned into workshops after the opening session. Board members were able to attend workshops tailored to their needs, while general members were able to attend workshops to learn more about the organization. There was a wide range of workshops, from professional development to service projects, ensuring that there was something for everyone! My favorite workshop was Battle of the Sexes, hosted for the third (and sadly the final) time by CSUF’s Karl Yabes and Whitney Tang. In this fun, eye-opening workshop, members fight it out to see which gender dominates while simultaneously learning about societal issues and discussing ways to remedy the issues. After the morning workshops, the divisions split up in order to hold their Divisional Council Meetings. The Metro DCM was a unique one, to say the least. Though our LTG, Allen, had a 2:00PM final, he showed his dedication by staying to lead the 12:00PM DCM. He challenged the division to hold the meeting quickly 20
while still being thorough. Luckily, Metro successfully finished with time to spare and our LTG made it back in time! While Allen booked it back to USC, the rest of the attendees were able to eat lunch and socialize with one another.
METRO DIVISION MEDIA
In addition to the workshops, there was an onsite service project. Members got into groups of six to eight, giving them the opportunity to meet new people. After groups became acquainted, they were taught how to make no sew blankets and scarves to donate to those in need. The project was unique and easy to do. This allowed members to interact as they worked on the project together. Overall, it was a well-planned project for a good cause! In the end, the district wide event gave members a day filled with leadership, fellowship, and service! Not only were we able to prepare ourselves for the upcoming year, but we were able to give back to our community and make new friends as well! The day-long event was well worth the time, allowing members to develop themselves professionally and personally.
Find photos from Spring Training Conference as well as member features, division highlights and more on the Metro Division Media page on Facebook. Click here to like us! 21
FOCUS
MONSTERS ON THE DISTRICT LEVEL Congratulations to all the Metro Monsters appointed to a district committee!
7 committees. 13 monsters. 1 district.
finance & fundraising
UNICEF AMBASSADOR Alondra Covarrubias UCLA
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membership development & education
Communications & marketing
WEBINAR Marcela Caldera UCLA
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kristi Parada CSULB
Member recognition
CHAIR Natalie Mann CSULB
SERVICE
CREATIVE ASSISTANT Paula Le CSULB
DLSSP SOUTH Lily Lequang UCLA
DONATIONS Jong Choi UCLA
FALL TRAINING CONFERENCE
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Lindon Tran UCLA
A/V TECH Michael Zhang UCLA
BACKDROPS Jezekiel Mark Apelar CSULB
KIWANIS FAMILY & FOUNDATION
CHAIR Josef Madrigal UCLA
RESOURCES Lindon Tran UCLA
WEBINARS + RESOURCES
Nick Stringfellow UCLA
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FOCUS // BY THE #s as of July 2016
517 4 4688.43 2782.07 5417.89 $878.63 MEMBERS
METRO EVENTS
SERVICE HOURS
ADMIN HOURS
FELLOWSHIP HOURS
$ RAISED FOR DFIS 24
FOCUS // up next DISTRICT EVENTS District Professional Development Conference August 12 - 14 J.W. Marriott Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
DIVISION EVENTS August DCM August 27 Location TBA
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER! Semester schools begin session Late August Quarter schools begin session Late September 25
CONTACT
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Allen Pham Lieutenant Governor cki.allenpham@gmail.com
Fredrich Gallevo CSUDH csudhckipresident@gmail.com
Carlos Ong Executive Assistant cki.carlosong@gmail.com
Ethan Wynne CSULB csulbckipresident@gmail.com
Andy Kim Media & Technology andykim0131@gmail.com
Issac L. Miller CSUN president.csuncki@gmail.com
Michael Zhang Public Relations uclackigraphics@gmail.com
Karina Perez ECC elco.cki.president@gmail.com
Nick Stringfellow Spirit & Fellowship nickstringfellow.cki@gmail.com
Albert Truong UCLA uclackipresident@gmail.com
Armando Velazquez Region Advisor mondo80@gmail.com
Crystil Quiroz USC cki.usc.president@gmail.com