Newsletter 2022-2023 Volume 11.12

THE KIWI

BRONX SCIENCE KEY CLUB

March 2023

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth."

- Muhammad Ali

True or False

Hey all! Quick True or False Question!

Sharks existed before trees did.

If you want to know the answer, read this newsletter to the end! ;)

Editor's Note

Hi guys… I can’t believe this is my last newsletter�� The day that seemed too far away when I started my term in April 2022 has finally come. Looking back at my years in Bronx Science, I don’t know what I would’ve done without Key Club. Key Club is where I made friends, found opportunities, and received unwavering love and support from such genuine people. I included this in my farewell speech, but I really want to say thank you to our coheads who made my experience as a board member so fun and fulfilling. I am confident that the bond we share among the boards and coheads this year is stronger than any in the past. I am so lucky to have met each and every one of you, and I am excited to see the amazing paths each of you will take in the future.

To be completely honest, there were times I felt stressed out while making newsletters or exploring the complicated squarespace features. But to think that now I will never be emailing members for articles, going on Canva to make newsletters, or going on squarespace to update news anymore, I feel like an empty can. :( I already miss this job and all the memories that came with it.

I included some photos from LTC in this newsletter along with my own article for it. LTC was such an amazing experience, and I have too much I want to talk about it. I hope you check out what I wrote about my experience at LTC towards the end of this newsletter. I am sad that I won’t be a part of the Bronx Science Key Club community anymore, but I promise I will continue my service journey in college and hopefully join Circle-K. I will always support you all wherever I am. Please don’t forget me even after I leave for college. I hope you enjoy my final newsletter, and I TRULY LOVE YOU ALL SO SO MUCH! ❤

Warmest Regards,

Jeongwon Lee '23

Webmaster/Bulletin Editor

Service Update

GOAL: 20,000 HOURS 21776 HOURS

Fundraising Update

These progresses are as of March!

There will be new service/fundraising goals starting from April as we switch to the new service year!

Looking back at all the Members of the Month during the 20222023 service year...

YANG SHELLY '24

I am nominating Shelly because she showed that she is trying to become an active Key Club member. She participated in the NYSoM Easter Eggstravaganza 2022 and asked me about Charity Miles. She also said that she is considering about joining my awards committee! I can tell that she is a helpful and dedicated member.

-Ena Lu '24

HUANG N '25

"Landin has been extremely dedicated towards key club; I see him all the time at events as well as the July summer meeting. Despite living in far eastern Queens, Landin has always been early or on time to events. At July Japan Fes, Landin got there an hour early. He's also inclusive, I see him getting to meet new people at key club."

-Joyce Han '25

The other day, I was also scrolling through my photo album and found a screenshot of Chrissy asking me to add Landin to the Key Club emailing list. Now, Landin is one of the most genuine, hardworking, and happy Key Clubbers I know! He helped out so much at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, that other club members even started coming to ME to ask for more work. Just the thought of how far Landin has come in his Key Club journey makes me so proud, and I hope that he stays this active forever :))

- Shiya Lin '23

CRUZ '25

Kevin Cruz has been a super active member over the summer, showing his dedication by coming to events and fundraisers whenever he can. He has been to numerous fundraisers, such as water wars, summer meeting, and amusement park. He has also demonstrated great leadership by leading several events as project captain. Overall, he's a been a very faithful member of key club.

- Kevin Fu '25

Before this summer, I didn't even know who Kevin Cruz was, but now I feel like I see him at almost every other event I go to! He already has 36 volunteer hours before school even starts, and has been one of the most active rising sophomores so far. Whether or not he gets this reputation by following Kevin Fu around, I can tell that Kevin Cruz always has a lot of fun at volunteer events.

- Shiya Lin '23

LOH '25

Ever since William was introduced to Key Club, he has become more active and involved. Despite his busy sports and workout schedule, he puts great effort into going to events and meetings. He also talks to many people at key club events, being a great member of the community and helping people feel welcome and included :) - Kevin Fu '25

CASTRO DANIEL '24

I first met Daniel at our mini golf fundraiser where him and his lovely parents were playing a game together. They were all so polite and happy to be a part of Key Club. Daniel has been a consistent presence at our meetings, and this past weekend, he handed me a $100 check to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at Light the Night. I can tell that him and his family are truly dedicated to making a difference and supporting their communities.

- Shiya Lin '23

YOU ELENA '25

Ever since Elena first started in Key Club in April, I have seen her continue to not only be a leader but a friend to everyone she works with. At her first event in the NYSoM Eggstravaganza, Elena dressed in a full bunny outfit in the middle of a hot spring to take photos with kids. She also does not hesitate to help others in need. She represents the standard of what an amazing, caring, and awesome person is. I, Darien Lu, nominate Elena You as member of the month simply because she has been such a ray of sunshine to everyone in Key Club.

- Darien Lu '25

MOK '24

Jacey is a great person, she’s kind, hardworking, and super easy to talk to. When I first met her, it didn’t feel like meeting someone new, she simply makes the space around her feel like home. In fact, none of my friends knew her but laughing with her felt so natural that we all had to confirm whether she was someone we met for the first time. I feel Jacey embodies the idea of inclusivity. As someone who finds it hard to start a conversation, Jacey easily bridged that gap between us and I can see her bridging gaps between others as well. Even when I lost my voice, she whipped out a pen and tiny post-its, ready to give it back to me. She makes those around her feel heard and welcomed, making her the perfect key clubber to be Member of the Month.

- Mandy Lim '23

I first met Jacey at the Light the Night event, and she was sooo friendly and approachable! Now I see her at our club meetings, or just randomly around the school building, and she always has a big smile on her face and spreads positive vibes to people around her. I also know that she went out of her way to help us lower the price of our merch, which we really appreciated. Jacey is a naturally friendly and inclusive person, who is always willing to help and support those around her. For these reasons and more, I think she really deserves to be the member of the month!

- Jeongwon Lee '23

NAGASAKI 26

HOSSAIN SURAIYA '26

Kina and Suraiya were both very active members over the break, and I’ve seen them on the attendance sheets for multiple events. They’re both incredibly kind and helpful to everyone, and seem like very honest and hardworking people. Suraiya was teaching three people how to knit at once at the Hats for Homeless event that I attended, and I saw Kina running everywhere, performing odd jobs at the Arts Warehouse event. I’m glad that I can rely on them as Bronx Science Key Clubbers!

- Shiya Lin '23

Congratulations to everyone!

You guys all deserved this position so much. As promised, I placed the members of the month from each month into a lottery wheel and randomly selected a winner for a special prize! And the winner is...

LANDIN HUANG!

CONGRATS LANDIN! :D I will give you the special prize at the next meeting!

By the way, here is the proof:

March Events

3/4/23: Dyre Avenue Clean Up

3/5/23: Landscaping and Cleanup at the Ridgewood Reservoir

3/11/23: Customer’s Choice Food Pantry

3/11/23: Project Cicero

3/12/23: Project Cicero

3/18/23: Community Clean Up at Woodside

3/19/23: Hell’s Kitchen Community Clean Up

3/25/23: Lets Clean Up the Coasts of

Soundview

Dyre Avenue Clean Up 3/4/23

At this event, volunteers were given trash pickers and bags and went around the neighborhood, scouting for pieces of trash and then picking them up. There were quite a few miscellaneous objects such as car engines, tires and old tools lying around. By the more dense area with trees, there were tons of plastic bottles and containers, deeply buried within the soil and impossible to retrieve. Overall, it was a decent event and we helped clean up quite a bit of land with other volunteers.

- Benjamin Huang '26

Landscaping and Cleanup at the Ridgewood Reservoir 3/5/23

The event I went to was Landscaping and Cleanup at the Ridgewood Reservoir. At this event we picked up trash along the highway. We found a bunch of random objects like a TV, a cart, car parts, and more. There was even a giant pile of trash that we had 3 people clean together. It was a pretty small group of people but we all managed to fill multiple trash bags. At the end it was pretty rewarding to see all of the work we had done together and the difference it had made. I would recommend other Key Clubbers to go to this event or similar events because of how gratifying it is to see the change you can make, right before your eyes. This event even inspired me to sign up for another event, Community Clean Up at Woodside.

- Annis Lee '26

Project Cicero

3/11-3/12

At Project Cicero, there were mountains of books and seas of people. The people were volunteers or teachers, volunteers organizing the books and the teachers taking suitcases full of them for their classrooms. The books were vast in topics. While sorting, I found a book about the Civil War next to a Baby Shark book. It was a chaotic place where teachers were pushing through each other to try and get the books they desired. While it can be seen as greedy, most of them were likely doing it because they cared about their students and wanted to give them some fresh, interesting new books.

Benjamin Huang '26

Community Clean Up at Woodside

Hell’s Kitchen Community Clean Up 3/19/23

Volunteering with Woodside on the Move has been so fun! The first time I worked with them was on 3/19/23: Hell’s Kitchen Community Clean Up. The staff was considerate and great to work with, and they even gave us chocolate at the end as a thank-you. The other volunteers were so welcoming and made sure we felt comfortable asking for help. I enjoyed the event so much that when they invited me back to their next Easter event (that wasn't part of the key club), I went and also had a great time!

- Emily Chen '2

March Fundraiser: Board Game Fundraiser

In March, we hosted our last fundraiser of the '22-'23 service year.:,( Members went to Sip N Play and played board games with friends whilst supporting a good cause!

On 3/26/23, I attended the Sip n ’ Play Board Game Fundraiser. Although I was a few minutes late to the event, there were still lots of empty pre-booked tables. It ended up being a really chill experience— you got to pick out a board game from a long line of shelves (they had everything from Exploding Cats to Scrabble), and play for as long as you liked with your friends. The place also had a snack bar, so everybody was ordering French fries, sandwiches, and boba to share. Overall, I had a great time (if you ignore the fact that I somehow lost every single game), and will definitely be returning to the café another day!

- Mia Ortiz '26

All proceeds went towards the governor's project

Soles4Souls is an organization that turns shoes and clothing into opportunities for education and employment so they can have a more hopeful future.

Leadership Training Conference (LTC) 2023 Recap!

As I conclude my final newsletter, I wanted to share some photos from LTC. I created countless core memories during my time there, and I am still suffering from the post-LTC depression... I wish I could go back to the Desmond Hotel right now.:(

LTC gave me the opportunity to bond with our club members as well as Key Clubbers from all over New York state. I laughed a lot, but I also cried a lot during LTC. I actually cried during the closing session even though I don't cry easily... Our past Governor Gabriella's speech made me too emotional. I was also too sad to face the reality that my term just ended and I soon will no longer be a Key Clubber.:( Nevertheless, LTC 2023 was an incredibly overwhelming experience, and it was a great way to end my term. I highly recommend that you all stay active in Key Club next year so that you can participate in this amazing event too! See some of the pictures we took on the next few pages.->

I bet you've never went into a hotel room with 20+ people.

(Probably) another awards session!

Photoshoot session at the Governor's Ball :D

Mandy's bucky chilling on Shiya's head

Darien with Shiya's face mask

Group pic at the photobooth!

And our sleeping beauties...<3

Last but not least: Emily with a face mask <3 so cutee

SOMEONE BRING ME BACK TO LTC RIGHT NOW ��

Check Out Upcoming Events! Sign the Petition Sets!

Petition Set #12: Minimizing Deforestation

Deforestation is a major environmental issue with farreaching repercussions for the forest ecosystems, biodiversity, and climate. Reduced deforestation rates, as well as increased reforestation and sustainable forest management, are critical for minimizing the effects of climate change and conserving the world's natural resources. Signing petitions for causes that you believe in is one step to make change.

Petition Set #11: Preventing Child Labor / Trafficking

This month's petition set will focus on supporting immigrants and refugees. Human rights violations against immigrants and refugees can include rejection of civil and political rights like illegal arrests, violence, or a lack of due process, as well as financial, social, and cultural rights like the right to health, housing, or education. Signing petitions for causes that you believe in is one step to make change.

- Public Relations Coheads, Stacy Qu '25 and Sumaya Suma '24

Click on the poster to sign the petitions!

Check our Website!

Our website will now be managed by our new webmaster Darien! He already renewed our website's design and it looks SO COOL! Please check it out by clicking on the bucky on the right!

Check Our Youtube!

- Watch youtube videos created by our (past) social media

Coheads Eric Leem '25 and Emily Zheng '25!

I hope you all pull up to our meetings this month as they will be led by our new board from now on! You all should come support them. :))

Answer to the True or False Quiz

True

The answer was True!

Sharks have been around for more than 400 million years, before trees existed!

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletters during the 2022-2023 service year. It was my pleasure to create and share them with you. While I am sad to leave the club, I am excited to see Darien's newsletters starting from April! Sending lots of love to all of you <3 I will miss this job a lot. :,,(

THE KIWI: March 2023