October Newsletter

KEY FACTS October 2014

The official newsletter of the Cypress Woods High School Key Club

Service in the

School year

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President’s Letter Welcoming our new freshmen representatives

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Upcoming Events Catch up on hours before the new year.

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Perspectives The value of Key Club

Volume 3, Issue 6 October 5, 2014

IN THIS ISSUE...

3 PRESIDENT’S LETTER 4 UPCOMING EVENTS 5 FALL TRAINING WRAP-UP

STARTING THE YEAR RIGHT 8 PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE 9 CREDITS 10

Contact Information Cy Woods Key Club Officers President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Editor Representative Coordinator Historian Webmaster Junior Secretary K-Family Board

Natasha Solanki Matt Faga Jacque Chan Ashley Kawakubo Shannon Steele Kishan Solanki Gina Zhang Nick Nguyen Sharon Zhou Ashley Butterfield Grace Teoh Naomi Zavala Madelin Cowden Richa Patel Trenton Bird Daniel Campos

natasha.solanki@hotmail.com mattcfaga@me.com jacque.chan1019@gmail.com

(281) 904-7873 (713) 449-3307 (832) 349-4198

shannonjsteele@gmail.com kitchishere@gmail.com gina_zhang2008@hotmail.com nick.erik2010@yahoo.com happysharonzh@yahoo.com ashleybutterfield97@gmail.com gracelvo@gmail.com naomizavala@icloud.com madelin11@live.com richa928@hotmail.com

(409) 767-5316 (281) 904-8652 (832) 773-3228 (281) 849-4885 (281) 346-9218 (281) 312-9706 (832) 298-4772 (281) 974-7152

Division 3N Lieutenant Governor Amy Jiang

Cypress Falls

amyjiang.kc@gmail.com

Texas-Oklahoma District Staff Governor Secretary Treasurer Editor Convention Liaison Tech Producer

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Kaitlyn Wilson Samuel Kinnin Colin Gonzalez Emily Zhao Bobby Thakkar

governor@tokeyclub.com secretary@tokeyclub.com treasurer@tokeyclub.com todistricteditor@gmail.com conventionliaison@tokeyclub.com

A letter from your

Club President Dear Key Clubbers, I can’t believe that we have already finished one third of the school year! Even more exciting is all of the hours you guys have served in just a few short months. Each of you have shown an outstanding interest in building our community and helping our neighbors. Every volunteering event that you attend is one more smile that you can bring to our society.

As the holidays begin this year, we will be focusing on activities we can engage in order to contribute to this year’s governor’s project, The Children’s Miracle Network. At the next meeting we will be writing and decorating heart felt letters to the children who have to spend their holidays at the hospital. Our goal is to make sure each child is lifted into pleasant swirl of laughter, love, and presents!

Speaking of presents, we will also be doing a blanket drive activity at the lock-in. Each person will bring a piece of wool, cut it in half, and then make slits along the edges of both pieces. Once you have completed that, you can tie the strands from the two pieces of wool together to form a nice blanket. These will also go to the Children’s Miracle Network as our effort to work towards the governor’s project.

On another note, I’d like to catch you up on what exciting things are going on in Division 3N this month. First and foremost, we will be having a 3N ice skating social, and I would like it if all of you attend! This is a great opportunity to meet amazing Key Clubbers from all around the area, and while you’re at it, you get to enjoy a day’s worth of ice skating! What could possibly be better? If you are interested in going, please make sure to join the “T-O Division 3N” Facebook page and vote on a date. Another thing happening in 3N this month is a huge inter-club event at the Houston Food bank! Having volunteered at the Food bank before, trust me when I say it is a ton of fun! They play music throughout the building, and the intricate process of organizing all of the donations is amazing to witness! I highly encourage you guys to join us on November 29 from 1 to 4 p.m. to take part in this amazing opportunity.

Yours in service,

Natasha Solanki President of Cypress Woods Key Club

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Upcoming Events Cadette Fall Banquet November 7 3:00 - 6:30 p.m.

7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

CWHS Commons CONCESSIONS Goodson Football November 11 4:15 to 7:30 p.m.

Houston Food Bank Date TBD Spillane Volleyball November 10 4:15 to 6:30 p.m.

Dyess Park November 8, 9, 15 & 16 See SignUp for times

Facebook: “Cy Woods Key Club” Email: cywoodskeyclub@gmail.com Twitter: @CyWoodsKeyClub Instagram: @cywoodskeyclub Website: www. cywoodskeyclub.wix.com/home/home Be sure to check signupgenius and Facebook regularly for new event opportunities!

Do you have a service idea? email any information to: cywoodskeyclub@gmail.com 4

FTC 2014

Magic at the FTC.

Reflecting on the Fall Training Conference Sharon Zhou Junior Secretary

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alking into through the doors of Cornerstone Academy on a bright and sunny Saturday morning, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect at this year’s FTC. All that I knew was my friend Rachel Iselin, one of the Lieutenant Governors in charge of planning the event, had promised me an “awesomely fantastic Disneyinspired day!” As I entered the building, I was immediately greeted with the sight of a plethora of Minnie Mouses, princesses, and the occasional Stitch. A bit overwhelmed, I signed-in at the table and put my name tag on my shirt, all the while scanning the crowd for anyone I knew so I could figure out what I was supposed to do. I quickly found and joined my fellow Wildcats and followed them into the auditorium, where we learned where we were supposed to go for forums.

After the morning forums and a

lunch of pizza and soda, we found ourselves in the auditorium once again for a presentation on the Eliminate project. As everyone slowly gathered in the auditorium, the Lieutenant Governors kept everyone entertained with Disney songs playing in the background. When “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” from Mulan came on, the whole auditorium suddenly burst into an impromptu sing-along. And then suddenly, the magic happened. Someone shouted, “Do a Frozen sing-a-long!” Immediately, they searched Youtube for a “Let It Go” sing-a-long and started playing it. Every single Key Clubber in the room stood up and started belting out the lyrics with Idina Menzel as they suddenly transformed into the Key Club Choir. As a unit, every person threw their hands up along with Elsa as she declared that the “cold never bothered me anyway!”

All of a sudden, in the midst of singing and taking a video of the phenomenon, I felt extremely proud and honored to be a part of Key Club.

The sense of family and togetherness that was an integral part of the organization was magnified in those three minutes of singing. Somehow, in the midst of being horribly out of tune, everyone in that auditorium had connected with one another on a deeper level, and we were all united by our love for volunteering, our willingness to wake up early on a Saturday morning to meet other Key Clubbers, and our enthusiasm for all things Disney. As the song ended, everyone cheered and high fived each other on a job well done, and the magical moment was broken; however, as I saved the video onto my phone, I knew that I would never be forgetting such a powerful bond any time soon.

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Ohana Means Family.

Recapping the FTC Grace Teoh

Builders Club Representative

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rinces and princesses, Mickey and Minnie, characters from Up. These were the members of the Key Club 2014 Division 3 Fall Training Conference that took place on September 20, 2014. These attendees may sound strange but not when you take into account the Disney theme.

This was my first ever FTC for Key Club. Honestly, I wasn’t sure of how it would be, if I would enjoy myself or, even, if I wanted to go. However, I am glad I did.

First of all, I really liked the idea of the FTC being Disney-themed.

Disney was basically my childhood; watching the movies, singing along to all the songs, reading the stories were my favorite things to do. In fact, I still enjoy watching the movies and singing along to “Let It Go” and “Love is an Open Door” even as a junior. The only dilemma I had was deciding which character I should go as. There were so many choices: Snow White, the Evil Queen, Pocahontas, the list could go on and on. Finally, my friend and I decided to go as Lilo and Stitch, her being Lilo and me as Stitch, right by her side. We shopped for supplies, made our own costumes, and dressed the part the next day for the FTC. As we entered the building, we saw so many different people from different Key Clubs all around our district, dressed up, buzzing with excitement for the FTC.

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Stephanie Dao, Naomi Zavala and Grace Teoh dressed up at the FTC

I actually learned quite a bit by attending the FTC. Many different forums were available at FTC. I was taught the duties of being a possible treasurer, new ideas for socials and ice breakers, and, of course, DCON and ICON. I learned facts about the Eliminate Project that I never knew before, in a fun game of Jeopardy.

I got to see Division 3’s lieutenant governors, whom most I have never met. And most importantly, I learned that Key Club is one big family.

Despite the fact that we’re all from

different schools, or how far away we are from each other, all Key Club members are united. We’re united, not only through Key Club, but through our characteristics of helping others and serving our community. We all share some of the same interests. No matter how different we are, we’re all one. Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.

FTC: FUN Training Conference.

Learning lessons at the FTC Victoria Luu

Junior Representative

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he Fall Training Conference is one of the most memorable moments in my Key Club experience.

I initially dreaded having to go to the conference; it was going to last six hours on a Saturday. Upon arriving, however, I was amazed by how many people attended. I never realized how big Division 3 was until the moment I stepped into the building and saw the entire auditorium filled with a myriad of people with one thing in common: loving Key Club enough to spend a Saturday at the FTC. If this was how many people showed up at the FTC, I cannot even imagine how many people there would be at DCON or ICON. I ended up having a good time as I got to know other Key Clubbers in my division and played fun ice breakers.

The Fall Training Conference taught me so much about the organization as I learned about how crucial each position within Key Club is and the important roles they have. People raved about DCON and ICON, and when the presidents and leaders of each division talked about them, all they had to say were good things. You could tell they loved the experience and felt privileged to be able to go. Of course, the way they described their experiences there made me want to attend. They also discussed the Governor’s Project for this year. A guest speaker later came

and talked about how Key Club had an impact on her. I never realized how Key Club could affect someone on such a personal level. It made me think about how wonderful of an organization it is to provide service to one’s community and have fun while doing so, not just another club to slap onto a college application.

What I learned at FTC will be applied to not only Key Club, but also my life in general. With all that I learned from the conference, I can become a better leader and cooperate with others better than before. I can apply this newfound knowledge by promoting the importance of human values rather than material

ones. So many people are concerned with affluence that the simple act of volunteering is lost in favor of working for money. I plan to develop a more driving, astute self as I render unselfish service and improve my community.

Key Club is one of the best experiences a student could gain during high school. You get so much from it without even knowing it, from learning about true selflessness to building one’s character to its utmost potential. Attending FTC just makes you realize how wondrously beneficial it is.

LTG Rachel Iselin and District Governor Katie Wilson at the FTC

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Your Future Through Service.

The value of joining Key Club Jordan Miller

Sophomore Representative

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n the future, Key Club can help you with many things. Getting into a prestigious university or college is a popular thing it can help you with, but that’s not all it can help you do.

It can help you to get a job, discover a passion, and make friends that can last a lifetime.

First, let’s start with the most popular reason why Key Club can help you: getting into universities. If you are an involved, active member of the Key Club organization then colleges will be way more inclined to accept you. Being involved in a volunteer organization shows you helped out in your community, and it shows that you were a wellrounded student in high school- you did not just scrape by with the bare minimum. In Key Club, you must complete 25 hours per semester, and that is not always easy- especially if you’re in things like AP/Honors classes, are an athlete, or in other clubs/organizations. Showing you can keep up with all of your other extracurricular activities and keep up with a service organization that helps the community you live in is a very attractive quality to colleges and universities.

Now, let’s get into how it can help you get a job and make some money. When applying for a job

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while in high school, possible employers will typically ask you what else you are involved in.

Talking about how you are involved in an organization that helps provide community service to people is a great way to stand out in a cluster of interviewsit shows that you are a compassionate, caring individual who tries the best they can to help others.

Sometimes, Key Club can help you discover a passion you’d never known Sophomore representative Nirav Lalsinghani offers help you had.

For instance, say you were volunteering at a fall festival, hundreds of people from all over and you discover you absolutely love the Texas-Oklahoma district, and working with little kids- and that forming these relationships can lead you’re good at it, too! This can help to making friends that can last a you decide what you want to do in lifetime. Also, more close to home, life, by opening you up to different while working a volunteer event you might become closer to those in your types of careers.

Making friends is a huge part of club. being in Key Club. During District Convention in the spring you meet

The Family Picnic.

Learning to be a better person at a recent event James Keiser

Freshman Representative

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ur Key Club offers many service opportunities, from making blankets for patients in nursing homes to doing concessions at football games. In October, I decided to volunteer at the Bethesda Family Picnic, and this opportunity was completely different. This “family picnic” was something I did not expect.

I signed up for this event thinking it was just a church picnic for members of the church.

When I showed up that morning and started setting up, I found out that this picnic was also for adults with mental disabilities. We set up tables and chairs, put up balloons and set up popcorn and snow cone machines. I was told I was going to work one of the games where the player would throw foam dice into cubbies. I was nervous and felt out of my comfort zone. I saw people start to walk in, then a man came in with a bag of ice.

He set it down next to me and shook my hand. He proceeded to go around the room and shake everyone’s hand in the room.

Even though this just seemed like something rather small, it showed the kindness of this man. More and more people came in, playing the various games set up.

Though this may sound cliché, the best feeling of an event like that is seeing the smile on these people’s faces. Getting outside of your comfort zone can be a great experience. If you let yourself

open up and have that one on one contact with someone, it can really make you rethink things and appreciate what you have. It really opened me up to do more service projects like that, and it showed me that I enjoy working with those people. I saw how kind hearted they could be when I gave a woman tickets for throw the dice in, and she offered them back to me and I told her that they were hers to keep and she hugged me.

These were the only tickets given to her so far, and she decided to try and give them to someone else.

Volunteering like this changed a lot of how I thought and it will always be remembered as one of the best volunteering experiences I have ever had. It also showed that these looks we have just do not matter. Whatever a person has inside of them should truly define who they are, and a disability should not disable their happiness.

Cara Lucker, Megan Odom, Emily Morris, and Lina Spjut taking a picture with a special needs adult at the Bethesda Family Picnic

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CONTRIBUTIONS COVER PHOTO

JACQUE CHAN

PHOTOS

ARTICLE AUTHORS

ARTICLES

JAMES KEISER VICTORIA LUU JORDAN MILLER GRACE TEOH SHARON ZHOU

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

NATASHA SOLANKI

KEY FACTS CYPRESS WOODS HIGH SCHOOL KEY CLUB OCTOBER 2014