Newsletter | September 2014
Key Club
Paschal High School Volume 3, Issue 6 | PHS | Key Club
Division 1S | Texas-Oklahoma District
September 2014
Table of Contents President's Note
page 3
Cowtown Classic Bike Ride Trinity Trash Bash
page 6
Shutterbug AGAPE First-Timers
page 8
page 10
SERVICE
Cowtown Cruisin'
page 12
Colors: Blue, Gold, White
Location: 31 countries around the world
Established: 1925
2
page 4
~October 2014~ Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
2
5
6
7
8
3
4
10
11
AGAPE 6:00pm
9
Braille Bibles 4:00pm
12
13
14
15 Braille Bibles 4:00pm
19
20
21
Honored Hero Run
26
22 Braille Bibles 4:00pm
27
28
29
Sat
Botanic Gardens Project
16
17
18
24
25
CARING
Braille Bibles 4:00pm
Fri
AGAPE 6:00pm
23
Ramp Build Project
AGAPE 6:00pm
30
31
3
LEADERSHIP
President's Note Hey Key Clubbers! Happy fall! I hope all of you are transitioning well back into school. While Key Club is a wonderful organization that brings us together, it's important to achieve academically as well. This months featured some of the most fun events and projects, from the Cowtown Bike Ride to a cleanup along the Trinity River. Don't forget that as an official Key Clubber, you must complete 15 hours of service per semester. Make sure to join our Facebook group for new events and club updates on fundraisers, service projects, and other activities. Stay funky, but also classy. Yours in service, Junsung Lee
Editor's Note Hello, PHS Key Club! Our first month of service for the new school year went absolutely splendidly. We had so many projects this month, and I can't wait for you all to read about them. HUGE shoutout to all the newbies and new contributors who wrote for the newsletter this month. This is definitely not the last time we'll be reading their stellar articles! This month's Editor's Choice article goes to Zoe DePrang, who wrote about her first Agape experience! Congratulations, girl! And keep on doing what you're all doing -- service! Let's kill it this October and do even more projects!
4
Yours in service, Sarika Sabnis
A Wordly Time at the Cowtown Classic Bike Ride by Jillian Daugherty On September 13, at the Cowntown Classic Bike Ride, I helped with a water stop to pass out water, Gatorade, pickle juice, cookies, and even helped cut bananas, oranges, and pickles. People of all ages were there in the race, having tons of fun, and really enjoying themselves. There were also a lot of bikers who weren't from the U.S.; in fact, they were actually from different countries! It was great to see cyclists from different parts of the world competing in the race and having a good time. The event was really fun and the bikers were really appreciative of our help.
COMMUNITY 5 7
The Trinity Trash Bash: Fi
HONOR
by Anna Cook
6
The Trinity River Trash Bash was surprisingly fun. Even though it was super early on a Saturday morning, everyone was pretty energetic and ready to go. We worked on an area of the Trinity I hadn’t been to before, and it was peaceful setting. We got trash bags and plastic grabber-sticks and split up in groups. We climbed up and down the banks and picked up litter – mostly water bottles, Styrofoam, and plastic. At one point, a smaller group of Key Clubbers crossed the river to pick up trash on the other side. We soaked our feet, but luckily no one fell in! There were a lot of people there, not only from Paschal Key Club, but also from other organizations or church groups. By the time we finished picking up the trash, the riverbanks looked a lot cleaner than when we started.
irst Time For Everything by Cole Harper
SELFLESSNESS
On Saturday, September 30th, I attended the Trinity Trash Bash. Although I’ve attended Key Club meetings for a while, this was my first Key Club volunteer event! It could have not been more fun. I woke up that morning dreading the idea of physical activity on an early Saturday morning. Although it got hot outside my fellow Key Clubbers turned the project into a sort of game: how much trash can you pick up and how fast? Besides, it was extremely rewarding to see the trash disappear before my eyes. Afterwards, we were given tons of free pizza, limitless snow cones, and gallons of soda. Overall, I enjoyed spending my day helping Fort Worth instead of sitting around all day like a coach potato. Most of the people that we passed while along the river showered us with compliments. After my experience, I certainly feel a new sense of pride and respect for the river and my city.
7
LEADERSHIP
Shutt
8
terbug
SELFLESSNESS
9
UNDYING SERVICE
10
Agape: A New Experienc by Eric Garza & Sarika Sabnis This September, PHS Key Club returned to the Agape Meal weekly service project, every Thursday of the month. Paschal went to Agape in the past, but took on other weekly projects last year. This year, we plan on returning every week to Agape at Broadway Baptist Church, because after the experience some of our newer members had, we would be unwise to ever quit! Agape is a church-based meal provider, bringing square meals to low-income families across Fort Worth. Every week, PHS Key Clubbers help serve meals to all the families in attendance, and assist in clean up of the church afterwards. Said Senior Eric Garza, “Attending Agape was truly a humbling experience. I highly recommend going and will do it again myself. Being able to interact with and serve people who come from backgrounds in which they don't have much puts things in perspective. The most heartbreaking thing was watching the children, still in their school uniforms, walking in as the doors were opened.�
ce for New Key Clubbers by Zoe DePrang
PASSION
Volunteering at Agape Meal at the Broadway Baptist Church for the last couple of Thursdays has been such a humbling and eye-opening experience. Every Thursday evening we meet in a large room filled with tables covered with food and find our one table that each person will individually serve. After the aprons and nametags are on, we wait for all of the families to file in and find seats. Once the pastor has said his opening prayer, the servers grab giant jars of tea and water and walk around their table, asking the families if they need anything else. I love having the chance to communicate with the less fortunate and to see them smile as we serve more food and iced tea to them. Before this experience I had never interacted with someone who is homeless or even someone who can barely afford to pay for a meal a day. Because of this remarkable opportunity, I realized that even if people don't have a roof over their heads every night, it doesn't make them any different from us. It makes me feel so grateful for what I have and much less deprived for what I don't. After each meal, the problems that I had had that day seemed much smaller and much less significant when I see how lucky I am to eat three meals a day. I will make sure to attend every one of these meals so I can learn even more and help those who can't afford a home or simply want another person to talk to.
11
Cowtown Cruisin': Vinta by Andrew Nguyen The Cowtown Cruisin' For A Cure was just that: a cruise! I was stationed at a barricade and I managed to get quite the view of the many auctioned vehicles. From Mustangs to Camaros, the car show was littered with more than a few luxurious rides, none of which were shy of my eye. Of course, the whole point to the show was to raise money for research on cancer. The fact that one could work towards a good cause and have nice eye candy was one I could relish for those hours of service. I’m glad to have had this experience with my friends and hope others will be as easy to volunteer for.
12
age Car Show & Service by Sarika Sabnis I have been attending the Cowtown Cruisin’ For A Cure event for the past two years, in support of my friends and professors at my summer research internship. They’re primary focus is in new drug delivery methods to treat cancers like ovarian cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and neuroblastoma. I decided this year to tell Key Club to tag along with me this year to help the event organizers with barricades and controlling traffic. The Cowtown Cruisin’ For A Cure event is a vintage car show held in downtown Fort Worth every year, in support of prostate cancer awareness. Around three or four streets of downtown are barricaded off to allow for a walk-around vintage car show, featuring anything from Mustangs to Camaros to vintage race cars and even entire car engines. I even got to see the Lincoln model in which JFK was riding when he was assassinated in Dallas. The Club crew and I assisted in directing traffic and the closing shift of the event. We got to see a fascinating display of vintage cars, some of which were driven from cities all over Texas! The added bonus was learning about the importance of prostate screening and taking care of your body and lifestyle – all of which was a big part of the summer research endeavor I took on these last few years.
13
SERVING OTHERS
MORE INFORMATION
14
WHAT IS KEY CLUB?
DISTRICT CONVENTION
Key Club is an international organzation with a mission to serve others. By being a part of Key Club at Paschal, you are given the opportunity to participate in service projects with friends and make a difference in your community. What could be better than helping others while having fun?
District Convention (DCON) is an event for the Tex-O-Key (Texas-Oklahoma District) to convene and learn more about Key Club, share experiences from the past year, and make more memories. From forums to banquets to caucuses and voting, DCON is an unforgettable experience.
For more info, visit www.keyclub.org.
Junior Moni Gunderson revisits DCON from her freshman year, "DCON was an action-packed incredibly fun, unforgettable weekend experience. I had somuch fun learning more about Key Club and meeting new people. I am so happy that I went and I am planning on going every year!"
WHAT IS KIWANIS? Designed for adults, Kwianis is an organization made up of service leaders in communities all over the world. With several goals in mind, Kiwanis partners with other organizations to provide help to those in need. Go to www.kiwanis.org/ kiwanis/about-kiwanis to learn more about the club. Kiwanis in Fort Worth helps support us in our endeavors, both financially and verbally. Be sure to attend one of their meetings on the first and third Mondays of each month. More info can be found in our meeting agendas!
MAJOR EMPHASIS PROGRAM The Major Emphasis Program we have chosen at Paschal is "It's Not Okay", a program with a goal to end bullying of all kinds. Teaming up with Paschal's very own Link Crew, we have worked to ensure that everyone knows the true meaning of It's Not Okay.
THE PHS KEY CLUB BOARD Page Trotter
President
Vice President
junsunglee01@gmail.com
trotter.page@gmail.com
Janet Diaz
Diana Lee
Secretary
Treasurer
diaz.janet02@gmail.com
dl981101@gmail.com
Sarika Sabnis
Jillian Daugherty
Editor sarikakuka@gmail.com
Members-At-Large Moni Gunderson, Sue Youn Oh, Ali Thorburn, Ashlie Devenney, Isheta Kumar, Zach Cristol
INTEGRITY
Junsung Lee
Parliamentarian jillian.daugherty111@gma il.com
Advisors Faculty: Mr. Bretthauer jbretthauer@sbcglobal.net Ms. Denton heather.denton1@fwisd.org Ms. Holland katie.holland@fwisd.org Kiwanis: Mrs. Naff jnaff31@gmail.com
15