2012-2013 Newsletter: Issue 7 - A Farewell

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BRONX SCIENCE K E Y C L U B 75 West 205 Street, Bronx, NY 10468

Phone: 1-718-817-7700

Volume 1 Issue 7

Fax: 718-733-7951

THE KIWI

The Secret Life of an Walking Full Circle with the Juvenile Ambitious Teen: Teen Expo Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF)

By Christine Lim and Wendy Zhao, Dedicated Members

Table of Contents!

Teen Life Expo Article: The What do teens do during their free time Life of an Ambitious besides school and studying? This was the perfect Secret Teen…………..…………1-2 place to find out the answer to that. The Teen Life LIVE! Community Service Fair & Expo was held on Divisional Update………………....…3 February 24th 2013 at the Loyola School in Manhattan. A few key clubbers came out on this Event Spotlight: MLK Day …………....…………...……4 Sunday afternoon to find out many opportunities Club Board Spotlight: A and events that many teens are a part of. Over Farewell……….……….. 5-9 40 different non-profit organizations and programs had representatives ready to talk to us. Credits!………….…..…..10 It was exciting because we go to explore what really goes on in a teen's life. The programs ranged from studying abroad, doing community service such as building schools and other things in other countries, to volunteering opportunities UPCOMING EVENTS! for the AIDS walk.

When we went into the Loyola School, we Fight for the Air Climb 3/2 Repair the Rockaways 3/3 first had to go to the admissions table. We were Project Cicero 3/9 to 3/10 given a “swag” bag with lots of informational flyers about the fair. We then walked into the gym where we were most attracted to the booths that

The Secret Life of an Ambitious Teen: Teen Expo introduced summer abroad and travel programs because both of us like to travel. There were lots of these summer abroad programs offered but the one we were most interested in was this one program called Minds Abroad. It is a study abroad programs for high school students in Asia, specifically China and India. The person there, her name was Yao, was really nice and took the time to explain everything to us. She told us about a free volunteering program in China that focused on service and helping the community. We were very excited because the program sounded so interesting.

Aside from these study abroad programs, there were notable organizations there like Susan G. Komen for breast cancer, promoters for the upcoming AIDS walk and many others. Since we have volunteered at many key club events in the previous years such as the Great Strides walk, many representatives remembered us and welcomed us warmly with their smiles. Terrell Merritt from Bronx Science Key Club delightedly said, “I really enjoyed it because I was able to gain connections with many groups dedicated to providing service for others�. All in all, the fair had a lot to offer for high school students like us and was a fun experience.

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BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB newsletter

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DIVISIONAL UPDATE! February 2: Belated January Divisional and Stuffed Animal Fundraiser Lt Governor Herman Li met with members of division 11. Each club gave an update on recent happenings. Towards the end of the meeting was the highly anticipated Stuffed Animal Fundraiser. ď Š

February 23: Divisional Bowling Fundraiser The division 11 planning committee scheduled a Bowling Fundraiser to raise money on the divisional level to donate to a worthy cause.

UPCOMING DIVISIONAL EVENTS Belated February/March Divisional TBA Leadership Training Conference 3/22 to 3/24

UPCOMING DIVISIONAL EVENTS

Connie is a joy to work with she is a very energetic person and an important member of Key Club. When I'm down, Connie is able to make my day brighter with just a smile.

-- Qing Lin, Public Relations Chair

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MLK Day with GeneratiON Events

By Amanda Tam, Club President On Monday, January 21, 2013, four Key Clubbers traveled to Brooklyn to volunteer on National Service Day. Despite the bad weather and delayed trains, we arrived early enough to set up our station. We were in charge of directing people from all groups to creatively compile a reflective collage about what the people learned from the event and how they feel about community service. The people were, essentially, volunteering themselves because they were doing small service projects for the community. The projects ranged from making dog treats and cat toys for local animal shelters, making fuzzy scarves for victims of Hurricane Sandy, creating “hope bracelets� for women and children affected by domestic violence, and many more. On that day, everyone in that school was a volunteer. Hundreds of young children, teenagers, and parents walked through the school feeling good about themselves because they helped countless lives on just one single day. It just shows how one of anything can make a difference, whether it is a day, a person, a simple gesture, or a smile. Volunteers who came to our table wrote some great messages about volunteering that really touched our hearts and made everyone swoon at the heartfelt message. What touched my heart the most was when the youngest children wrote messages about peace, love, and hope, because that is what everyone should feel and spread.

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BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB newsletter

Board Spotlight President Amanda Tam Hey ya’ll! This last article of mine is written with bittersweet thoughts. As you all know, the end of the 2012-2013 Key Club year is nearly over, which means I will no longer be your President. It has been a great honor to serve you as a leader, a Key Club member, but most importantly, a friend. Always remember that I am here for you if you need any advice, words of support, or a loud laugh in your ear. This year has had successful fundraisers and 97+ exciting Key Club events. The $750+ dollars that we have raised will go to charities close to our hearts, organizations that will recognize all of our hard work. The accomplishments of integrating ourselves in our school and community have gone above and beyond from previous years. Shout outs go to the FreeRice video and the Coffee House Fundraiser. Of course, they would not have been successful without you guys.

I once said at a meeting that I have three babies: my Canon Rebel XS, my pink (in support of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure) KitchenAid mixer, and Key Club.

Key Club is like my star child, the one who goes to Harvard and is smart and beautiful and funny. Key Club, you are my #1. However weird this may sound, I have many, many offspring, all of whom I am extremely proud of. I will always protect you and love you with all my heart. I have given you hugs, love, and laughter, and I expect you to grow (much taller than me!) into your high school careers and happy, healthy, and long lives. Keep Key Club close to your heart because it may just be your saving grace like it was mine.

Key Club gave me a way to escape worries of home and stress of school.

When I was volunteering, I felt strong and important. It did not matter if I had to wake up at 4:30 on a Sunday and take an extra hour to get into the city. All that mattered were the smiles and hope that I brought to strangers who sought such positive energy. I really hope that I have inspired many of you to believe in the kind of indestructible ability to uplift any sad spirit.

I joined Key Club with four friends from middle school, none of whom are in Key Club any longer. The ironic thing is they started out more excited about Key Club than I did. Then they started going to less events but I started going to more. I made new friends, built incredible bonds over long hours of lifting, walking, and laughing, and have created a network of family.

“Amanda is an inspiring and Many will say that they are nothing without their friends and family. What if my wonderful president who is friends and family were a unit, called Key Club? However cheesy this may sound, I always willing to help others. I would actually be completely different without Key Club. I would be less patient, less remember the time when I first crazy, less cheerful, and less inspired to help the world and do what is right. My joined Key Club and how she friends who are not in Key Club ask me why I like to volunteer. I never really warmly welcomed me into the understood why and I do not think I will but I know that I can say this: Signing up to club. Her smile always brightens volunteer just to get points is an act, but caring, giving a hand, and inspiring others people's days including mine.” to do what is right is a way of life- MY way of life.

– Christine Lim, Dedicated Thank you everyone for a wonderful year. Thank you Jae (my rock, my Member wingman, my sidekick in the red cape), Lawrence (my #1 secretary), Roman (my real Bruno Mars), and Jessica (my fashionista and peace keeper). Thank you Ms. Kim for putting up with my crazy ideas and helping me follow through with them! Thank you Ms. Rosenthal for dogging my high swings to ring the bell and for putting up with my craziness. Thank you Committee Heads for not only dealing with Jae but me as well, and for doing the best that you could do. Thank you members for making our year an extraordinary year.

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Board Spotlight: Vice President Jaehwi Kwon It is 2013 and it the end of my second vice presidential term, my last vice presidential term.

I cannot rate how well I did as vice president and if i could I would not give myself a high rating, but if there is anything I would impart to you before I leave, it is to have passion. Passion is what drives us, it is the fuel that let's us be more than we can be. Key Club is passionate because it has so many people passionate about helping others, so much so that it is infectious. I am proud to have been among those people for the last four years. I am proud to have been among you.

Jae fulfills the role of vice president in the sense that he is the president's "right-hand man" (no pun intended). He always acts appropriately depending on the situation.

Although his serious side can make him seem intimidating at times, his fun personality makes him very approachable and likeable. – Roxanne Chu, Scrapbook Committee Chair

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BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB Newsletter

A Farewell Secretary Lawrence Chen

He is efficient, organized and responsible. to name some, he submitted the monthly report forms on time, did his minutes at every meeting, and took attendance at the meetings. In essence, I am proud of his achievementshe is someone who has set high expectations for the future secretary elects. as an elect myself, I hope to keep up the expectations he has set and look up to him as an extraordinary secretary. – Melissa Lei, Secretary Elect

Am I proud that I am your Secretary? In a way I am not. However, this has nothing to do with you guys because you guys have been wonderful. It just feels that I have not done enough for this wonderful club. There are times when I just do not feel like doing anything and for every passing minute that I neglect my duty to serve you guys, the more work is piled up and the more frustration is built upon you guys and upon myself. I have made promises to you all that I have not fully kept. I said I would be responsible and in a way, I believe that I am because I get my work done yet it is only a lie to myself to cover up how I have failed you guys. So to all of you, I owe you a deep apology. Though you guys may not openly express frustration for me, I know that you guys do feel frustrated when it is February and you’re looking at your points and it hasn’t been updated since December. Or you’re looking at your points and you see that there were all these events and meetings that you attended yet your points were not recorded for those events. Or when you guys ask for these points to be fixed and you guys have to wait for days, and sometimes even weeks before I finally get to it. I know it must be frustrating for you guys, because I have been in the same position. I too, was once a member, and I too, was once frustrated looking at all those missing events. I know. And I had vowed to myself that if I were to be Secretary, my members would not feel the same, yet I have failed to keep this promise. So am I proud to be your Secretary? In this way, I am not for I have failed you and I have failed those who may have left because they were just so frustrated with me. But there is also another way to look at it. Seeing you guys keep coming, whether it is for your dedication to Key Club or because all your friends are here, seeing your names pop up again and again on the attendance sheets and on the events registration sheets reminds me of how I was back then. Though the previous secretaries were not perfect, I nonetheless stayed with Key Club and developed a sense of love and pride in Key Club. I stopped looking at points because points didn’t matter anymore; it was the service that mattered. Points, to me, were just a way to tally up how much service I provided. I’m not saying that I hope for you guys to become like me, because I do not. I want you guys to be better than me. Seeing how you guys stayed even with this imperfect secretary causes me to marvel at your dedication to Key Club. So in this sense, I am proud that I am in this position to watch as you guys all grow and mature and with each passing day, how Key Club impacts you guys as much as it impacted me. Alas, for my final words: Never stop serving.

Board Spotlight: Treasurer Roman Mondal When I first entered High School, the best word to describe me would have probably been recluse. Everyday I would go home, straight after school, reading books on the train and in doing absolutely nothing social, I wasted my first year at Bronx Science. It wasn't until sophomore year that (under the influence of Thomas Chan, like most of my fellow board members) I joined Bronx Science Key Club.

I am who I am today because of Key Club.

When people see me at Key Club today or even in the hall they think of someone who is social and active and fun to be around. If I hadn’t gone to that rainy wet Jingle Bell Run on I would probably still be who I was in my first year of Bronx Science. I still have the same jingle bells that I got from that event. Every now and then I'll look at them and feel pride in what I'm a part of. I wouldn’t be treasurer of Bronx Science Key Club, I wouldn’t have the same friends I have now, nor would I have the same values, hobbies or general outlook on life. I would still be a recluse, If not for Key Club.

Key Club has been my second family for three years. Its brought me out of depression, put me around good people, given me strong morals, and made me a good influence. Its the support and reason I'm proud of who I am today and I have no intention of leaving it.

Every single person In it has influenced me in some way and I hope that in my time in Key Club I've influenced them as well. I truly hope that Key Club will continue to make leaders out of the recluse. I wont stop checking up on Key Club. Even when I'm gone I'll still keep track of everything going on. I know the new board will make me and my fellow board members proud.

More than anything. Ill miss you guys.

Roman, along with the rest of the board, continuously inspires us with their enthusiasm, hard work, and determination in doing what they can for the club. He does all he can to make sure that he does his job as treasurer efficiently even if it means staying up late at night or dragging his friends along to the bank to deposit the dues. Despite the work that comes with being treasurer, he still continues to be a very encouraging, helpful, and supportive member and friend. – Jasmine Quindala, Dedicated member

A Farewell Editor Jessica Chan

"It was very fun working with Jessica on the newsletter where she spent numerous hours working on it. She is very creative. I really loved how enthusiastic she was when she told me that she changed the layout of the website. I know she will definitely be successful later on in life." – Connie Liang, Public Relations Committee Chair

It’s hard to describe this moment as anything besides bittersweet. Its 2AM in the morning and I’m writing this and making final edits to this last newsletter. Naming random pictures of snowflakes WINTER1 and WINTER2 on my desktop, doing last minute edits and mentally kicking myself for procrastinating, this will be the last time I’m doing this wild midnight activity.

Its easy to call this farewell, but this sounds much more depressing than it should be. It’s a farewell in that my time as a club officer is over, but it doesn’t mean its truly over. There are 3 months of high school left, and in turn, 3 months of key club activity, not including the summer, and the breaks we’ll have in college to come visit, attend a meeting or an event. In many ways, it’s not over.

I will always remember the individual events that brought me close to the friends that I believe will remain many years after Key Club has become a closed chapter in my personal story; Komen House where I met current LtG Herman Li, Mulchfest where I got to know immediate past president Victoria Li, and Winter Festival at Prospect Park where I began talking to past executive assistant Alexander Guo, just to name a few. These friendships were nurtured through events where we woke up early, suffered drowsiness and long episodes of public transportation and enjoyed little rewarding moments and smiles together as volunteers. I only have Key Club to thank for my friendships with these amazingly talented and caring people, people who have molded my thinking as a young individual and still keep in touch with me, even as they are in college.

I think its easy to say there is a special quality about our club, that sets it apart from other clubs, to say the least, but also, other key clubs entirely. Its this sense of family, this familiarity and an acceptance of everyone in the room, just because we can.

Please don’t ever let go of this unique spirit.

The Newsletter Staff!

Jessica Chan Editor Connie Liang Public Relations Committee Chair Qing Lin Public Relations Committee Chair Valued Contributors: Kevin Chen, Roxanne Chu, Christine Lim, Melissa Lei, Jasmine Quindala, Thank you so much for submitting to the newsletter! If you article did not appear in this issue, they have been submitted to the divisional or district newsletter; so look out for when those are released! ď Š

BXSCIENCE KEYCLUB BOARD! AMANDA TAM Club President JAEHWI KWON Vice President LAWRENCE CHEN Secretary ROMAN MONDAL

Treasurer JESSICA CHAN Editor

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