James Madison University Circle K International
November/December Edition
Volume 2 Issue 7
Maddie’s Moose Tracks
“Get to Know Me”
Congrats on finishing a great fall semester!
Be sure to email all volunteer hours to Carly Starke, our club secretary jmucki.secretary@gmail .com
Club meetings are MANDATORY and are held every Monday at 7pm in Taylor 404. If you cannot make a meeting, email Emily Benusa at jmucki.president@gmai l.com
A message from CKI Editor Kaylie Etheridge
Hi everyone! My name is Kaylie Etheridge, and I am your 20132014 Club Editor. My jobs include updating the CKI website and making newsletters (like this one) to highlight our service projects and fellowship events throughout the month. It’s hard to believe I only have two more months in this position, but it’s truly been an honor serving you. If you ever have any suggestions on how to better my newsletters or want to write an article for a newsletter, never hesitate to ask. In fact, a good way to get more involved in the organization is to write articles! You simply include a paragraph about the event and your personal experience all for an hour of service and club recognition Thanks to those who have helped me thus far!
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS
Caroline Morris – 2nd
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS Bethany Showalter – 4th
Tara Lofton – 3rd
Chelsea Janke – 12th
Kristen Greiner – 9th
Brittany Tennant – 12th
Emily Ogorzalek – 10th
Sydney Ermalinski – 20th
S E R V I C E
STOP HUNGER NOW, 11/5/13
Stop Hunger Now is exactly what it sounds like - an organization devoted
to ending world hunger. Because starvation is such a serious problem on
the planet today, I felt so honored to be helping package meals for those in need. In just an hour in a half, JMU CKIers along with other organization members worked together to make roughly 40,000 meals! Thinking about the children having dinner under the table tonight and knowing I helped contribute is a reward in itself. Stop Hunger Now generally has an event at least once a semester on campus, so keep a look out and get involved!
Kaylie Etheridge
SUNNYSIDE RETIREMENT, 11/19/13
The Tuesday before Thanksgiving break, JMU CKIers went to Sunnyside to get background checks in order to be eligible to volunteer. It was a simple process; all we had to do was fill out a few forms and then turn them in with $8 so our records could be checked. I highly recommend it for anyone in the club! Once your background check is complete you are eligible to volunteer at any of Sunnyside’s activities! Some of the activities include playing card games with the residents, decorating for holidays, helping out the physical therapists, and taking residents to church on Sunday. You should all consider completing the forms and joining us in service!
Kelsie Whalen
LITERACY NIGHT, 11/12/13
On Tuesday, November 12th, JMU Circle K Members and I traveled to Spotswood Elementary School to participate in their Literacy Night. We, along with other Harrisonburg volunteers, were assigned to help in the gymnasium. Here we were in charge of leading fun games for students to play, like balloon volleyball and relay races, parents discussed important issues with the teachers. I felt while the these games were really effective for the kids because it taught them to respect one another, play fairly, and work together in groups to try and win (even though in the end everyone was a winner)! I really enjoyed working with the kids, and it was definitely a fun and engaging study break! Kenny Gordon
SUNDAY SOUP
When hearing about the Sunday Soup, I knew it was something I wanted to participate in. The event was held at an art gallery, full of tables decorated with flowers and a mishmash of bowls and cutlery. Each guest paid a nominal fee and had an incredible meal made by a local chef. At each seat there were packages that included proposals written by local artists asking for financial help to start or complete various art projects. Throughout the meal there was live music by local musicians, poetry read by local poets, and a voting for which artist should receive the funds. The amount the winning artist received was $500 (not a huge amount, but enough to see a vision through). I liked the Sunday Soup because it brought a group of people together for food and entertainment and it supported the work of a local artist. Our next Sunday Soup will be January 26th, so be on the lookout for more information!
Jesse Harrod
BENEFIT CONCERT On November 21, Students Helping Honduras held a benefit concert to raise money to build schools for underprivileged students in Honduras. They had great a capella groups perform, including Exit 245, Low Key, Bluestones and the Madison Project. It was so much fun to see the groups perform and it was even better knowing that the price of our tickets was going to help provide a better education for children in Honduras. What a great way to make a difference in children’s lives! Amanda Dodge
DLSSP, by Emily Benusa
“LIVE to Serve, LOVE to Serve.”
The Capital District of CKI has one large scale district project every year for our district to participate in. This year it was held in Washington D.C. at a subsidized living apartment complex. We were invited to go and hang out with the residents at a Senior Prom. Luckily this year, we were able to take 7 members from JMU CKI to DLSSP. After some driving through adventurous DC, we arrived at Sarah's Circle not a minute early. Once there, we changed into our party attire. We were offered a buffet lunch. One resident, Emmy Lou, introduced herself to our group and we were instantly in love with her outgoing personality. And she quickly fell in love with our mascot Maddie the Moose. After lunch, we were invited to take funny pictures, play games, socialize, or even dance. We quickly learned that Emmy Lou was quite the dancer and loved doing the 'Cupid Shuffle' and the Dougie. Eventually Emmy Lou was able to convince other residents to dance. Our own treasurer, Cate Sumerlin, and our Kiwanis VP, Chirstine Pellack, even received some dance lessons from the residents. After a quick, fun afternoon of dancing and socializing it was already time for us girls to face the cold and the 2 hour drive home. We felt very blessed to bring a little sun to the residents at Sarah's Circle.
UVA BREAKFAST, by Caitlin Francis During Thanksgiving Break, most college students just want to relax at home, eat some good food, and gear up for the last weeks of classes. But not all college students feel this way. On the last Sunday of Thanksgiving Break, I had the amazing opportunity to help out CKI at UVA's annual event, Breakfast with Santa, in Charlottesville, VA. The event is meant for the greater community of Charlottesville to give families in need an opportunity for their kids to attend a fun holiday party with games and crafts and delicious food while waiting for the big man, Santa, to arrive with their toys. I ran the Lollipop Tree game and got to interact with a lot of kids from the local community. I saw them smiling and enjoying the experience, and I smiled right along with them as they cheered when Santa finally arrived. Each child walked away with a present of their own, and it was so heartwarming to see how much that present meant to each child. It was a great way to kick off the holiday season, and I loved getting to work with Key Clubbers, CKI-ers, and Kiwanians to make a positive impact in a lot of lives that day.
Movie Night, by Kaylie Etheridge Mid November is a demanding time for college students. With the end of the semester approaching, JMU CKI decided to host a potluck movie night! Everyone munched on their favorite holiday treats as we watched the hilarious My Big Fat Greek Wedding. There were many enjoyable moments throughout the night, but I would say my favorite was interacting with members I didn’t know very well. (In the end, that is the purpose of a social right?) If anyone ever needs a fellowship recommendation, you can never go wrong with snacks and a funny film. I think anyone at JMU’s get together would agree
The Circle K gift exchange social was a really jolly time! We ordered pizza and members brought some sweets. It was nice how we exchanged the secret Santa gifts and everyone seemed to love what they got. I got a pink Santa hat, some cupcake recipes, a spatula, and fuzzy socks from the wonderful, Caitlin. After the fun gift exchange members were able to catch up with one another, knit scarves, or do a service project wrapping coins for Eliminate. It was fun to celebrate the holidays together. Plus, it was during Chanukah!
Gift Exchange, by Allison Kaye
FINAL NOTES
F E L L O W S H I P As a board, we have come up with themes to focus our attention on each month. The list includes: January - Homeless
February - Eliminate March - Babies :) We already hosted a ZUMBATHON for our Eliminate Project, but get excited for our upcoming Valentine's Day Dance!
Remember our weekly service events! Gus Bus – Contact dudanv@jmu.edu Keister Walks – Every Friday Box Tops – 10=1hr Pop Tops – 20=1hr
Get ready for DCON! The fun weekend event will take place February 21st through 23rd in Fairfax, VA at the Fairlakes Hyatt hotel. Registration is $110 through January 22nd so be sure to sign up soon! The registration website is https://fs6.formsite.com/CapitalCKI/DCON2014/secure_index.html **Keep in mind that registration is binding
On February 14th from 7:30pm-10:30pm, we will be holding a Dance to Eliminate! Not only can you have a fun night on Valentine’s Day, but you can save a baby’s life in the process. Stay tuned for more information.
CKI OFFICERS President : Emily Benusa jmucki.president@gmail.com Executive Vice President : Heather Howell jmucki.executivevp@gmail.com
A minimum of nine service hours are required for the semester. Check out the club website’s point system at http://jmucki.weebly.com/index.html for exact details.
Secretary : Carly Starke jmucki.secretary@gmail.com
October’s Member of the Month!
LAURA BLADES
Treasurer : Cate Sumerlin jmucki.treasurer@gmail.com
Service Vice President : Rebecca Aaron jmucki.servicevp@gmail.com Kiwanis Family VP : Christine Pellack jmucki.kfamilyvp@gmail.com Fellowship Vice President : Catie Mathers jmucki.fellowshipvp@gmail.com
Year: Senior Major: Health Sciences (Pre OT)
Favorite thing about CKI: the Eliminate project and how we are working hard to eliminate neonatal tetanus around the world.
Fellowship
Laura participated in the Eliminate Zumbathon, homecoming service project, and Keister walks. She also donated school supplies for local elementary schools. Way to go Laura!
Editor : Kaylie Etheridge
jmucki.editor@gmail.com
November’s Member of the Month!
ANETA NIKOLIC
Historian : Amanda Ivey jmucki.historian@gmail.com
Have your own events you want to get hours for? Email Carly Starke at jmucki.secretary@gmail.com and she will announce it at the meetings. Remember to find us on Facebook at JMU Circle K International, follow us on Twitter @ JMU_CKI, and visit our new website jmucki.weebly.com
Year: Senior Major: Psychology Minor: Spanish and Criminal Justice
Favorite thing about CKI: Bringing the service and fellowship aspects together to truly make a difference in the community. Aneta participated in Stop Hunger Now, Literacy Night, and the Gus Bus. Good job Aneta!