2014-2015 Newsletter Volume 3.1

BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB 7 5 W e s t 2 0 5 S tr e e t , B r o n x , N Y 1 0 4 6 8

Phone : 1 -718-817-7 700

Fax : 7 1 8 -7 3 3 -7 9 5 1

Volume 3 Issue 1

THE KIWI April Issue!

Intro to New Board.............2-3 Recent Events.....................4-7 Division 11 Updates................8 Member Spotlight..................9 Credits...................................10

Introduction to New Board

President: Jasmine Quindala

Hiya guys! I'm super glad to be able to serve as your President for the service year and I'll try my best to make you all proud . I'm super excited--it's going to be so much fun! I hope that throughout this year, you guys get more and more in love with this organization as I have throughout my years in Bronx Science. I also hope you guys are able to grow as people and as Key Clubbers through your new experiences this year serving the community. However, whatever you turn into and wherever you end up going, remember who you were because that person is as much a part of you as the person you will become. Meanwhile, when serving with the club, always remember what we stand for and the principles we go by. We do what we do, not for ulterior motives, but because we genuinely want to help out. We may not be able to make the world perfect but at least we can make it better. Nothing (seriously nothing) can be done without you guys, so get more and more into it! You guys are my inspiration and rest assured, the board and I have a ton of ideas to keep ya'll servin' and involved. So keep on going and make this year your greatest yet

-Jasmine Quindala <3

Vice-President: Timmy Zhu

Hey beavers! I am so excited to serve you guys as the Vice President of our new service year! I have so many new ideas and I can't wait to meet all of you. This club has been a passion of mine since freshmen year and this position gives me a chance to give back to it. The purpose of Key Club is to build character and leadership qualities and help and care for others. You are all leaders already in your own way and it will not only be you guys relying on me to bring our club to its fullest potential. I will rely on you guys as well.

-Timmy Zhu

2

This year, I hope that we'll be able to reach our goal to fundraise enough money for The Eliminate Project. I'll do my absolute best to perform my Secretary duties accurately and consistently. I also hope that I'll be able to meet and talk to everyone who's in the club. If you have any questions or concerns about key club or just life in general, I'll be happy to help you in any way! Don't worry I don't bite (;"

Secretary: Raina Wong

-Raina Wong

Hey guys! It’s the beginning of a new service! We’ll work with the fundraising committee and bring you guys fun fundraisers so look forward to those this year! I hope that this year we can achieve all of our goals and fundraise as much money as we can for all of these wonderful organizations. I know that as high schoolers most of us do not have much money but every little bit counts so even if it is just a few cents or a dollar here and there it’ll all eventually add up; and just think of how many lives we can save and help! When looking back I want all of you to have the feeling of making a difference in someone’s life and feeling proud of what you have done as a key clubber. So guys let’s make this year a great year!

Treasurer: Sophia Yu

-Sophia Yu Webmaster/Editor: Wesley Li Hello guys! I'm Wesley and I'll be serving you guys as your webmaster/editor! My job consist of updating the website so if you find any errors tell me about it. I'm a sophomore and this club was introduced to me last year as a freshman. There have been many inspirational events that I have experience making me want to do more for the club. I hope you guys can enjoy this club as much as I do and if you have any questions or just want to talk to me, feel free! Well, that is it so let's have a great service year guys!

-Wesley Li :)

3

BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB newsletter

Service Events Concern Run

by Sabrina Chen, Dedicated Member

On April 12th, I woke up to do another special Key Club event. I heard that this event was very memorable for the Key Clubbers whom attended it last year, so I wondered what kind of memories I would make this year. Being the well-pampered child I am, my father drove me to the meeting spot which was Ball Fields (102nd st & east drive). There I saw Carol, Michael and Kenji who was the project captain for this event. Once everyone gathered up, we headed inward to sign in as volunteers.

After signing in, we received blue volunteer shirts that said "Concern Run You Made A Difference" and hats to go along with it as well! Shortly after, we received a mini-orientation with one of the staff members there and took group pictures as well as ate breakfast (which was coffee and bagel & cream cheese).

As we were waiting to be stationed/to get on the move, each member was assigned a number. Each number represented a board member, although in the end we weren't separated as a group, this was a great way for members who weren't familiar with the board to bond with them. The members who belonged to one of the board member's group got his/her number and everyone exchanged contact info. We were assigned water station, when it was time to move to our assigned areas, our group wasn't allowed to load onto the back of the transportation truck. So instead, we walked down Central Park to 70st.

Along the walk to the station, we jogged, laughed, bonded and ran as a club together. We played games like "Black Magic" and "Horse". They were both fun yet frustrating games because the other members refused to tell me the secret behind both games. So in the end, I never found out the magic behind both games, I was just a horrible player at both games. Aside from the games, I saw people running and preparing for the race. It was nice to see so many people working hard and warming up the race an hour before the race was even scheduled to start. The walk to the station was a fun experience and I met new Key Clubbers as well When we finally arrived at the water station, we were all excited, not only because we finally made it there after walking 20 blocks but because we could start doing what we came here for!

Everyone sprawled to the table and started setting up everything: the cups, pitchers and giant buckets (trashcans) of water. One of the staff members there derived our group into two, a cheering team and a water station team.

Although I wasn't in the cheering squad, during the race, my team and I heard them cheering really loudly and directing them to our direction/table.

Everyone who stayed at the water station got assigned different duties. I was the water-filler, I filled all the empty cups on the table with water. Once the runners came, we gave out water filled cups to the thirsty runners who were running with all their might. Although it ended in a short period of time, it was hectic yet fun as well! Everyone had so much energy, even the runners who were dead-tired! Watching them smile when you give them a cup or even just filling up a cup for them gives you such a bubbly feeling because you know that although it's small, you're helping these runners in achieving a goal: finishing the marathon!

4

Embracing Our Roots at the NYC Asian-American Student Conference Terrell Frederick Merritt, Distinguished Senior Key Club Member On April 26, high school and college students flooded New York University to attend the New York City Asian American Student Conference as volunteers and attendants.

As a volunteer, I helped set up workshops and breakout groups. From setting up chairs to feeding the attendees, Key Club members helped keep the conference running. During the one panel I was able to sit in on, four panelists discussed both external and internal factors that limit Asian Americans in the political field.

One point that resonated with me as one of the few non-Asian Americans in attendance was the idea that Asian Americans and other minority groups should work together, helping each other up. This idea reminded me of Key Club and how we build our communities with no regard to factors such as race or group. As Past Treasurer Roman Mondal pointed out in a discussion following the conference, we as Key Club members volunteer at the Jewish Community Center relatively frequently, despite the lack of many Jewish members. Service and community building shows no discrimination, and following this idea is what keeps us as Key Club members caring.

MC Jinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance was an amazing end to this conference, with his motivational speech on how he would prefer to be recognized for his talents as opposed to his race as well as his moving lyrics. The conference was a success, and I am glad to have been a part of it.

35

BRONXSCIENCE SCIENCEKEY KEYCLUB CLUBnewsletter newsletter BRONX

One Day on Earth Angie Chen, Dedicated Member as

On Saturday, April 26th, Bronx Science Key Club went to the event, One Day on Earth, in Chinatown. We met up at Columbus Park then walked to sign in and get our volunteer t-shirts. For the event, we got brooms and dust pans and went around cleaning up Chinatown. We walked up and down streets, passing shops, tourists, and restaurants. At one point, tourists even stopped to take photos of the volunteers sweeping. As simple as it seemed, all the sweeping was tiring. From this event, I really got to notice how dirty the streets actually were. I definitely appreciate those people who help keep the streets clean a lot more. I now know how hard they work every single day. This event has definitely shown me and taught me to take better care of the places we live in.

Green Team Festival Shatila Quader, Dedicated Member On the 22nd of April, we celebrated Earth! On the 27th, some of us Key Clubbers learned how to help protect it. At the Festival, we were part of the Green team. As part of the green team, we managed where the trash ended up. Most of us stayed out in the front, sorting the trash directly.

The trash first went through us, and then went to the back. In the back, the trash was sorted again to make sure it had been placed right. From there, things were sent to landfills, were recycled, and were composted.

Before they could put us to work, they had to teach us how to do it first.

A lovely team leader by the name of Caleb had gone through the process of teaching us all about what things to put in the compost, recycle, or landfill bins. He then assigned each of us to a station.

At first, I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too excited about this event. I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sure about how just sorting things would be fun. But once I was assigned my post, I started to help other people at the festival sort out their trash. Not only did I learn new things, but I taught them to others! I was glad to have been part of a small group, because even though we were small, we represented Bronx Science Key Club just right!

6

Service Spotlight March of Dimes Jenny Chen, Dedicated Member I haven’t been to a Key Club event in a really long time, four months to be exact, but I decided to go to this one, and I’m lucky that I did because it was a walk to remember. The March of Dimes walk was to raise money to improve the health of babies by ending premature birth, infant mortality and birth defects. Seeing people not only from our school but from other schools, as well as, people from all over New York City attend was an incredible sight to see; it proved that it was a community working together towards a great cause.

We met in the morning around Lincoln Center, where the walk was supposed to start, in front of a Starbucks. It was surprisingly chilly in the morning for that day since it had been pretty warm for the past week or so. Despite the cold start, the walk itself was amazing. Purple balloons were at the start of the race and there were hundreds, if not thousands of people waiting for the walk to begin. When the walk began, it was a slow start because of the traffic lights ahead of us, but I remember the DJ playing “Party In The U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus and everyone singing along. During the walk, we had our signs raised high and people asked us, “how do you feel?”. People were laughing and having a great time, obviously feeling good about walking to solve a problem that’s present worldwide. People were cheerful and optimistic; they were full of laughter and were cheering on each other as we walked. Some people were walking to help raise money, and others were walking in dedication of loved ones.

I’ve met so many new people at this walk and I’ve learnt new things about them. Although the walk was only a few hours, by the end of the walk, it felt like I’ve known these people for years. Throughout that walk, I’ve realized that Key Club isn’t just a group of students helping a community; Key Club is a family helping the world.

7

BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB newsletter

Division 11 Updates Meet our newly elected Division 11 Lieutenant Governor: Our LTG' First Divisional Wesley Li, Editor

Aaron Cheung, Lieutenant Governor Bronx Science Class of 2015

The Lieutenant Governor is responsible for taking care of all the key clubs within its division. They are essential in keeping all of the clubs connected in the division as well as connecting them to the district board and other key clubs within the district.

8

This divisional is probably one of my most memorable divisional.

Aaron was just recently elected as division 11's LTG and this was going to be his first divisional meeting that he was going to hold. There were many other guest from all around NYC that were here for his first divisional such as IP-Treasurer, Alex Mok, IP-D8 LTG, Eric Young, and many others. Since this was his first meeting, I thought he would stutter a lot and be very nervous. This however, was not the case. He was talking very loudly and clearly. During his meeting we also played the icebreaker, 2truths 1lie. He was tossing around candy for anyone who was participating and was able to answer the icebreaker correctly. Overall, his first meeting was a very lively and informative meeting which he did pretty well in considering it was his first divisional meeting that he has ever held.

Member Spotlight monthly recognition to Key Club Extraordinaires

"Not only is she a cutie pie with the biggest heart, but she's also very creative. She's a really caring and sweet person who is great at making people laugh and smile. She is always putting others before herself and is always willing to help out. Sophia is truly one of the best Key Clubbers out there :)" - Jasmine

"Sophia always makes things happier and more fun and really dedicates herself to Key Club. Even though she lives at the edge of Bayside, she always tries to go to most of the events. She really loves Key Club, like it's her official family, and makes it a goal to know every member in Key Club."

- Carmen

"Sophia is a great member because she represents what a Key Clubber should be very well. She is caring for others, has great leadership abilities, and knows how to have a good time.

Everyone loves to be around her because she is always very cheery and funny. Anyone who knows Sophia well knows that she lives at the edge of Bayside, but that doesn't stop her from showing up to as many events as possible. Her dedication makes her a role model for the younger members."

-Timmy

"Sophia is a really nice person. She is just so lively and full of spirit most of the time. She didn't seem like a talker to me at first, but boy, can she talk now! Just throughout this year, I can tell she grew a lot. Her jokes aren't too shabby either. She just makes me laugh a lot."

- Shatila

"Well Sophia is a really dedicated Key Clubber. I remember how she said that Key Club was the one thing that brought her up when she felt down or depressed. She also cried buckets of tears and mini Niagara falls when the old board was leaving and making their speeches. Sophia loves going to events and is willing to get up early in the morning to participate in events."

-Sabrina "Sophia is a very dedicated member to key club. she loves going to the event, not just to hang out with friends, but she loves helping others. shes goes to most events, even when she is really tired. she makes time to help those who need it" -Geily

9

For the Month of April, Sophia Hong '16 In a club as large as our own, it is important to recognize those who are dedicated, and those who go above and beyond the call and role of a member.

That is why it is vital we recognize a familiar face in the crowd during various Key Club meetings and events.

BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB newsletter

We have a lot of upcoming Events for the Month of May!     

Walk MS (Pier 26) 5/4 Kids Walk for Kids with Cancer 5/10 Nami Walk 5/10 Japan Day 5/11 Aids Walk 5/18 Hope to see you soon!

Go to visit our website to sign up and keep updated with more upcoming events at: http://bxscikeyclub.weebly.com/ Board 2014-2015

Credits

Jasmine Quindala Club President

Wesley Li Editor

Timmy Zhu Vice President

Erna Radoncic Public Relations Committee Chair

Raina Wong Secretary

Angie Chen Public Relations Committee Chair

Sophia Yu Treasurer

Valued Contributors: Jenny Chen, Terrell Frederick Merritt, Sabrina Chen, Shatila Quader, Carmen Li, Geily Zhou, Jasmine Quindala, Timmy Zhu, Sophia Yu, Raina Wong Thank you so much for those who contributed to the newsletter! If you submitted and article and it hasn't appeared in this newsletter, worry not, it has been submitted to have a chance to be displayed in our divisional newsletter! Be sure to check out our divisional newsletter when it gets released!

Email us @ bxsciencekeyclub@gmail.com

Visit us!: bxscikeyclub.weebly.com

Wesley Li Editor