WHITNEY KEY CLUB | DIVISION 30 SOUTH | REGION 3
october 2021
VOLUME 6 ISSUE 6
contents 01 02 03 04 06 07 08 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21
progress tracker editor’s note president’s message sunny snapshots member recognition oc japan fair october service week superhero-tc frs spirit nights making time to serve what are the four core values? october general meeting d30s paint n picnic importance of recognition charities & donating from, your cabby contact us
FUNDRAISING $1267.12
$1750
SERVICE 4935.5
9000
editor’s note Hey suns! Fall is finally here! Happy spooky season :) I’m so ready for sweater weather and getting pumpkin spice lattes and wearing my uggs <33 I am guilty of listening to my Christmas playlist during October but it’s okay hehe I hope everyone has been doing well and layering since it’s starting to get chilly. But this is lowkey my favorite weather I love it :D I hope everyone finished off first quarter on a good note and are making sure to not overwork yourself, self-care is always important! I decided to change it up for this month’s newsletter and I’m really happy with the final result, so I hope you like it! This month, our club held our annual school supply drive in person and it was a huge success yay! I hope that I continue to see all of you come out to service events and division events and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! Stay updated with all of our upcoming events on our social media and keep serving! Happy reading bees! See you next month!
shining with service,
Elizabeth Hoang
president’s message What’s poppin’ Whitney Key Club?! Congratulations on finishing the first quarter of the school year! I hope your comps went well and that everyone is continuing to take care of themselves! Remember that sleep, food, and exercise are the 3 best things you can do for yourself, so try to make these healthy practices a habit. With that being said, thank you to everyone who donated to our annual School Supply Drive. Your contributions totaled over 900 items, all of which were sanitized and donated to a local elementary school in need. Major props to Coach Day’s homeroom for generously donating the most items (over 110 supplies, including 18 boxes of oil pastels) and winning the donut party, and shoutout to Mr. Velez’s homeroom for coming in close second with over 90 items. Your enthusiasm was absolutely amazing and we hope to see your donations again for Operation Christmas, coming up in late November! To all of you who have volunteered or attended a Key Club event this month, keep it up! If you have not, don’t worry; there are many, many more opportunities to get involved coming your way, which can be discovered through our regular emails, social media (Instagram and Facebook), and Remind. I highly encourage more new members to sign up and show out to events! Don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone, meet new people, and ask questions when needed. Whether it be attending a Division Council Meeting (DCM), service event, or social, there are tons of fun experiences and lifelong memories in store for you. Make the most out of the $15 dues you paid! As always, let me or any cabinet member know if you have any questions or concerns, and we will be more than happy to help. See you soon sunnies!
shining with service,
Emily Thang
sunny snapshots
E L I Z A BE T
AWA G O
M E LI
A
member recognition
GRADE 9
member of the month
H
HOA NG
GRADE 11
officer of the month
OC JAPAN japan FAIR fair Isabela Esteban | ’21-’22 Historian/Tech Editor
My red plaid pants clashed with the bright yellow volunteer t-shirt that read “OC J a p a n F a i r S TA F F ” . T h r o u g h t h i s questionable color combination for fashion, I proudly served the Orange County community for seven hours of my day alongside fellow Whitney and Division 30 South Key Clubbers. We first assisted vendors and game booths by collecting money and distributing prizes. One of these booths was a shooting game in which a small cork was loaded into a wooden pistol and shot at targets on a table; the player was allowed to keep whichever prize was hit. We then monitored the number of people going in and out of the inside plaza, having one person record each using the calculator app on our phones. Towards the end of the night, we downloaded an app and logged in with the OC Japan Fair credentials to scan tickets of attendees upon entering.
Of course, we were given breaks to enjoy the festivities and Japanese culture of the fair. The first course of action was to divide and conquer the variety of food trucks s t a t i o n e d a c r o s s t h e v e n u e . We congregated at a table and enjoyed boba, delicious chicken mochi skewers, and other meals and desserts while socializing. We then explored the different booths of the inside and outside venue, looking through the various merchandise being sold such as homemade candles, apparel and stickers with Japanese characters and writing, colorful crocheted animals, and Pokemon plushies. It was definitely hard to resist buying anything and everything from this fair as a souvenir! Walking around, the maid cafe and the multiple cosplays (Animal Crossing’s Isabelle and Demon Slayer’s Urokodaki, Shinobu, and Inosuke) were super fun and interesting to see!
OC Japan Fair surely put my Japanese speaking and comprehension skills to the test, and I must say I am very rusty. Nevertheless, I enjoyed spending my Friday afternoon to night helping the Japanese community of Orange County achieve a successful fair. If you are interested in Japanese culture, definitely attend this annual event! Lastly, make sure to check out our vlog for this service event on our Instagram!
OCTOBER SE
Jerrick Wu | ’21-’22 Secretary
In the month of October from the 25th to the 30th, Whitney Key Club held our first service week of the year. Our Directors of Activities, set up a series of 6 service events for members of our club members to participate in all on school campus.
monday On Monday, an event called “Make-It Monday” was hosted after school in our school’s MPR. For an hour, members made little crafts and decorations that were all donated to a local hospital to make children’s day. This eventy, being the first of many, set a precedent for the great amount of good our club was doing.
tuesday On Tuesday, named “Tidy Up Tuesday”, members of our club went to a local park, Cerritos Park East, to clean up the scenery. Volunteers collected plastic, bottles, and other items of trash in an attempt to keep our parks clean for everyone to enjoy.
wednesday “Work-It Wednesday” was held as an initiative to support our family club of Kiwanians. Here, volunteers wrote letters and words of support to thank the Kiwanians for all that they have done. The turn out was significant and especially important, considering all that they have done for us.
ERVICE WEEK
thursday Thursday happened to also be the day of our October General Meeting. During this meeting, not only did our members learn more about our club and upcoming events, they also had the chance to participate in a service activity. Volunteers made Halloween origami and crafts that were all donated to the Cerritos Senior Center.
friday To end off the school week, our club held “Fulfilling Friday” where we partnered with Beyond the Books. We served by writing letters to our local firefighters to thank them for their service especially during fire season. The collaboration helped show our token of appreciation for all the work they have done.
saturday Finally, on Saturday, we held our last service event of the week where we collected canned foods from the Whitney neighborhood. We knocked door-to-door in order to collect non-perishables to give back to the less fortunate. This was extremely successful considering the circumstances of the pandemic.
With the completion of the first service week, we want to thank everyone who has come out to these events. Thanks to you, we had a very successful week, serving around 100 hours. Make sure to look out for future service weeks as this is a great way to serve the community!
Emily Thang | ’21-’22 President
What is a DCM? What is RTC? Why are there so many Key Clubbers dressed in rainbow colors shouting “How do you feel?”? If you missed out on our annual October DCM/RTC, don’t worry; I’ve got you covered! DCM stands for Division Council Meeting, a monthly event at which students from 12 schools across Orange County (Anaheim, Cypress, Katella, Kennedy, Loara, Los Alamitos, Magnolia, Oxford, Savanna, Servite, Western, and Whitney) meet up together, hear updates, and bond to the max through games and icebreakers hosted by Division 30 South. These are great ways for YOU to meet new people, learn about Key Club, and expand your connections. DCMs also count toward fulfilling your Key Club graduation requirements (see Jerrick’s emails for more information)! At October DCM, Whitney Key Club was recognized as the 1st Shining Club of the Month, and our very own Srinidhee Sivaraj was recognized as Member of the Month out of the entire division! Congratulations all and keep up the great work :) The second part of October DCM was our annual Region Training Conference (RTC), an event for members and officers alike to participate in workshops, learn about Key Club, hear from inspirational speakers, and gain valuable life skills. As always, RTC is held with the entire region; we are part of the Rainbow Region 3, consisting of 7 mighty divisions: 04 West Dragons, 04 East Goldfish, 30 South Suns (that’s us!), 04 Central Froggies, 04 North Otters, 04 South Lions, and 30 North Rhinos. In addition to workshops, RTC also features a spirit battle with the other divisions to compete for the prestigious RTC Spirit Stick! There is also always free lunch and candy to enjoy as well. BEE sure to come out to November DCM, which is also Spirit Night #3, on Saturday, November 6th from 4-7 PM!
Ayush Shah | ’21-’22 Treasurer
What’s poppin’ Whitney Key Club? I hope you are all having a great start to your second quarter! During the past month of October, Key Club was p[acked with numerous events, with one being our annual October DCM/Regional Training Conference! On October 16th, from 10-5 P.M., the region held its annual training conference at Bolsa Grande High School. Members from divisions in our lovely Region 3 arrived for check-in around 10 in the morning. While waiting, the members got into their respective divisions to practice different cheers, as we were going to have a spirit battle. Due to our endless enthusiasm, Division 30 South was able to receive the RTC Spirt Stick! Once this concluded, there was a guest speaker talking about his experiences in Key Club and how much it inspired him to follow his passions. He set an example for us and future Key Clubbers, and it was amazing to see how he was able to connect to his Key Club roots. After the speech, we had lunch and moved on to our respective DCM’s. During the DCM, Whitney Key Club was honored to receive the award of 1st shining club of the month and Srinidhee Sivaraj also got the award of Member of the Month due to her continuous service and passion in Key Club activities. Once the DCM ended, we moved on to the regional training conference part of the day. After getting introduced to all of the different workshops, everyone was able to go to the workshops they were most interested in. There was a variety to choose from, including how to run for a position, time management, applying for awards, and so much more! If you attended the conference, I hope you were able to learn more about Key Club and how to make more of an impact in your club. If you weren’t able to attend and you wanted information about a workshop, don’t be afraid to reach out to any Key Club cabinet member! Once these workshops had concluded, the end of the event had been reached, and everyone was able to go home and enjoy the rest of their day!
FRS SPIRIT NIGHTS Vedika Kothari | ’21-’22 Director of Activities
November is finally here, and most importantly, FALL RALLY SOUTH 2021 is right around the corner! To prepare for this event, D30S and the Division Spirit Committee have put together 4 spirit nights throughout the months of October and November, for members to learn and practice all the cheers! But what even are spirit nights? Spirit nights are a way for Key Clubbers to meet new people from different schools (just like every other division event), and there are rounds of cheers that we learn, specific to our division. Spirit Night #1 was held on October 9th at Anaheim High School, and our sunny attendees split into groups by color to meet new people and make friends! These groups were led by 1-2 Division Spirit Committee members, who were also in charge of guiding the icebreakers and of course, teaching the cheers. After a tiresome 2 hours of screaming at the top of our lungs and coordinating with each other for the songs, we all finally got together to see just how loud all FRS attendees could be. The answer: very very loud!
Spirit Night #2 was also held on October 30 at Twila Reid Park, where we learned round 2 cheers! If you missed out on the past 2, you can come to the next 2, although you won’t be able to attend Fall Rally South. Spirit Night #3 will be held on Saturday, November 6th from 4-7PM, as a combination with November DCM! Come out to receive division updates, participate in activities and meet new people, and learn some division cheers along the way!
upcoming spirit nights spirit night #3
WHEN: November 6th from 4-7 PM WHERE: Cypress HS Media Center
spirit night #4
WHEN: November 12th from 4-7 PM WHERE: Katella High School Gym
MAKING to TIME SERVE Alyssa Truong | ’21-’22 Director of Activities
What’s up everyone?! Whitney KC has been very active throughout the summer and now we have new members who have yet to experience the joy of serving all around! Vedika and I, the DOA’s work hard to find all kinds of events during the week and weekends, but we want to find those you guys are interested in and ones you can go to. But, we still need help. This year is at a little of a slow start and we really encourage you to get out there with and without friends, because you can always have great experiences in new atmospheres. Plus, extra hours for you. Just one or two people helping out at an event can do so much more than none going and the event possibly being cancelled. Sign-ups mean a lot! How do you think we get awarded and recognized at DCM’s at the end of the term? How do we become a distinguished club? Well, a big part of all of that is the combined service hours our club serves! Another quick reminder, our emails for service activities sometimes include an extra form or link to sign up through along with the normal monthly sign-up spreadsheets! There are usually also forms to sign, especially during Covid times, so remember to keep a look out for that once it gets closer and closer to the event you signed up for! AND, if you were on the waiting list, we will let you know if there’s a chance to get off and serve but you should also be checking! This though we need help with! We understand there’s school, exams, extracurriculars, and other plans so to those who cancel or can’t go to events please be mindful of the DOA’s, chairs, and those on the waiting list and contact the DOA’s if you are unable to go (try for 24 before the event starts). Let us know if you want to sign-up at the last minute too! One thing to not forget is that there are plenty of unique events here and there, and if you don’t go, you might miss it until next year! We’ve got recurring events, holiday activities, service weeks, after school opportunities, and service-filled general meetings, and much much more in store. Now what can we do to keep shinin with service and shoot like the stars? Well right now, our goal is 900-1000 hours a month! It sounds like a lot but a lot of members combined can do it! That means that each of us should try for 20 hours a month! Can you do it?! How about serving like it’s a friendly competition? Among friends, among your grade, against yourself? Who can serve the most? But most importantly, enjoy it!
WHAT are the
4 CORE VALUES? Steven Cao | ’21-’22 Director of Fundraising
The core values of Key Club are leadership, character building, caring, and inclusiveness.
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Key Club is about building leadership among its members. Every person has the potential to lead. Key Club provides the opportunities to do so through leadership positions that involve running meetings, planning projects, and holding elections at club and district levels. The emphasis is on members to develop their identity as a leader to transform an idea into purposeful action. “Leadership is grounded in humility and service to others. A true leader listens, recognizes, and empowers.”
Key Club is an incredible community where members develop their character through service. Good character is not a trait, it is a habit. Through a habit of service, members can truly appreciate themselves and others better. “Character is built by everyday acts of kindness, integrity, and teamwork to grow stronger relationships and communities.”
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Being a Key Club member is realizing the challenges that a community faces. It is about taking action through acts of service, such as cleaning up parks, collecting clothing, and organizing food drives. Key Club, at its heart, is about understanding others. “Compassion for others is a cornerstone of the Key Club experience, inspiring action and service to one’s community.”
Key Club is made up of high school students of all identities - whether it be race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status - coming together to support their schools and communities. Members learn and celebrate the differences that make every person unique. “We welcome people of all backgrounds and ethnicities to join in serving and making a positive difference in our world.”
OCTOBER
GENERAL MEETING
Leia Ogawa | ’21-’22 Spirit Coordinator
On October 28th, Whitney Key Club had our second general meeting of the school year! After president, Emily Thang, opened the meeting with a warm welcome for all of our members, we continued with an icebreaker called “Soulmate” and the Key Club Pledge. Playing Soulmate gave members a chance to share interests and make new friends through a series of questions asking about their personal preferences.
We then moved on to old business, discussing the School Supply Drive, OC Japan Fair, and October DCM/RTC that all happened in the last month. The School Supply Drive winner was announced once more as Coach Day’s homeroom and the impact of the supply donations. October DCM (Division Council Meeting)/RTC (Region Training Conference) were talked over, with a recap of winning 1st Shining Club of the Month! New business continued with how to sign up for service events and the remaining days of service week. The upcoming spirit night #2 and November DCM/spirit night #3 were publicized and highly encouraged to come out to. The approaching Tastea fundraiser to support PTP (Pediatric Trauma Program) and other division fundraisers (Panda Express, Chipotlet) were also advertised. The Member Recognition Program (MRP) requirements and reminders to pay dues were emphasized. Concluding new business, our historians advertised publicity committee applications. Finally, moving on to October recognition, freshman, Melia Ogawa won member of the month; and Bulletin Editor, Elizabeth Hoang won officer of the month! In addition, throughout the duration of the meeting, members worked on various halloween decorations and origami to donate! Closing the meeting, members were reminded to stay updated on our various social media accounts and thanked for coming out to the meeting!!
division 30 south
PAINT N PICNIC Ashlyn Wong | ’21-’22 Historian/Tech Editor
What’s poppin’ Whitney Key Club! On Sunday, October 3rd from 2PM-5PM, Division 30 South held its second division-hosted service event, Paint n Picnic! In case you missed it, here’s a brief overview of what went down and what service was performed:
overview
activities
Similar to the Servathon held in July, members from all across our division gathered to make crafts and activities. It was hosted at West United Anaheim Methodist Church, where we were able to set up a few tables and picnic blankets in the shade. Food and drinks fundraisers were available to purchase from throughout the duration of the event, which were hosted by a few clubs in the division, including Whitney’s pizza and chips fundraiser. The proceeds of all of the club fundraisers went toward supporting the Pediatric Trauma Program (PTP), one of Key Club’s preferred charities.
We had a variety of service activities planned for the day, but we started with a quick icebreaker called “Poncho”, led by our Division Spirit Coordinators. By starting the event off with an icebreaker, members were able to bond and make quick connections that would break the ice for the service activities to come, which was especially important for newer members such as freshmen and sophomores. The first service activity was painting mini tote bags and rocks, which the volunteers had creative liberty to create whatever they wanted to. The painted rocks were donated to a local community garden while the tote bags would later be donated to Kiwanians as appreciation, along with handwritten decorated cards, which was the next activity. The last activity was coloring Color-A-Smile pages, which would be donated to an organization that distributes them to children, seniors, veterans, or anyone in need of a smile in general.
results Paint n Picnic was the most successful division service event so far this term! 402 hours were served with participation from 132 members total. Thank you to everyone who was able to come and participate, we hope to see you soon at our upcoming division events!
iMPORTANCE
of RECOGNiTiON Alanna Chan | ’21-’22 Director of Kiwanis and Member Relations
Recognition is important, but not many people realize why. At general meetings and DCMS, a very important feature is the Officer or Member of the Month. As the Director of Kiwanis and Member Relations, I am in charge of member and officer recognition each month. Having this job is a vital responsibility, as there are so many people who are worthy of being recognized. Not many people realize why recognition is so important, which is what I am here to tell you now!
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Number one: deserved praise! It is important that if someone is doing good work, they are recognized for it. That way, everyone can learn from their example and learn about the achievements that their peers are making.
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Number two: motivation! If people have a goal to work towards, they will often work harder to get more things done! Through this, people will work towards achieving great things. It may be for a different intention, but it is natural that people often start working for their own self benefit after a little push.
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Number three: so that the person that is recognized knows that they are doing well! It is common that people do not know whether or not they are doing a satisfactory job, and recognizing them often confirms it. Without this validation, some may not realize the extraordinary efforts they are exhibiting, when they should be continuing their effort to do good.
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Number four: it’s fun! Being able to award someone is an enjoyable part of my responsibility, and I am sure others would feel the same way too. Seeing the joy on people’s faces after they are recognized for their successes is rewarding for the person that is recognizing them as well. Like some say, you should give more than receive!
CHARITIES AND WHY YOU
should be careful
WHEN YOU DONATE
an analysis
Saadhvi Narayanan | ‘21-’22 Vice President
There is a large issue with donating these days. We often do not know what we donated. We do not know who exactly we donated to. We do not know if what we donated will really make a difference.
Christine King emphasizes these points in her article, “When Charities Aren’t So Charitable”. She raises the point that many charities are, in fact, scams. Of course there are charities that are scams in the way one may think. These “charities” dial a random list of phone numbers and present a rehearsed speech about their “charity” and ask for donations, when in reality it is a ploy to keep the money for themselves. Similarly, they may be websites, “mail-only” organizations, or etcetera. However, the scams she speaks of are hidden behind flyers and advertisements and are mostly evident through the charity’s numbers.
There are two numbers that King stresses reveal a lot about the charity. One is how much a charity donates to its cause. Contrary to what we may think, the percentage is quite low, with some charities donating even less than 10% of their total profits. The second is how much money is put toward advertisement and publicity for their charity. For example, creating ads, sending letters, and making calls can all cost money. If the charity puts more money into “marketing”(so to say) than what they gain from it (to later donate to the charitable work), an issue is evident - the charitable work is not receiving as much as it could be. “Putting the two numbers side by side can reveal a charity’s efficiency...” writes King. If the first number is high and the second is low (along with perhaps high profits overall), we know that a charity is worthwhile to donate to because of the fact that much of the proceeds go toward the charitable cause. (King mentions in the article that is not always true because of the way mission statements are phrased and other reasons.)
1 Two charities may have the same cause, but one might actually donate more than the other. Don’t be afraid to say no to the one that donates less! (This does not mean it is a bad charity. It simply means that there may be other places to donate at which your donation counts more).
2 Charities do have money! So, is your money going to make a difference in the total they have?
3 Research your charity. What do they do? What do their two big numbers look like? (Check their IRS reports).
4 You do not need to give to every charity.
As a charitable person, this last one shocked me. I have always donated to every charity I knew. However, King made me realize that it is good to give to the charities you feel strongly about. I did not really know at the time.
However, I know that the Pediatric Trauma Program, the Eliminate Project, March of Dimes, and Children’s Miracle Network top my list. Not only do they present admirable numbers, but they give what I wish to give to the world. And that is what truly matters the most.
from, your cabby
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE DISNEY PRINCESS? PRESIDENT | EMILY THANG MULAN! #girlboss #reflection #leasalonga #ihaveamulandoll SECRETARY | JERRICK WU
mulan ⚔ moana DIRECTOR OF ACTIVITIES | VEDIKA KOTHARI I love Jasmine! DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING | STEVEN CAO Mulan DIRECTOR OF KIWANIS AND MEMBER RELATIONS | ALANNA CHAN mulan <3!!!! HISTORIAN/TECH EDITOR & SERVICE PROJECT COORDINATOR | ASHLYN WONG rapunzel ! DIVISION NEWS EDITOR | MICHELLE KIM belle and rapunzel :D and mulan! SPIRIT COORDINATOR | JASMINE TAI jasmine "
VICE PRESIDENT & SPIRIT GEAR COORDINATOR | SAADHVI NARAYANAN Belle! TREASURER | AYUSH SHAH ayush cuz he would be an amazing princess or belle DIRECTOR OF ACTIVITIES | ALYSSA TRUONG Jasmine! DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING & EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT | SANIA USMANI Rapunzel SPIRIT COORDINATOR | LEIA OGAWA i love rapunzel, tiana, and mulan <333 HISTORIAN/TECH EDITOR | ISABELA ESTEBAN belleee ☺ FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR | ANIKA KASULA Mulan # # PUBLICITY COORDINATOR | ITZEL HUERTA
Rapunzel and Ariel
contact us social media whitneyhigh_keyclub Whitney Key Club! whitney_keyclub
cabinet PRESIDENT | EMILY THANG emilythang168@gmail.com VICE PRESIDENT | SAADHVI NARAYANAN saadhstar@gmail.com SECRETARY | JERRICK WU jerrickwu7@gmail.com TREASURER | AYUSH SHAH ayush98365@gmail.com BULLETIN EDITOR | ELIZABETH HOANG elizabeth.hoang8@gmail.com DIRECTOR OF ACTIVITIES | VEDIKA KOTHARI vedikakothar005@gmail.com DIRECTOR OF ACTIVITIES | ALYSSA TRUONG alyssa_truong@myabcusd.org DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING | SANIA USMANI sanusmani01@gmail.com DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING | STEVEN CAO stevenc1432@gmail.com DIRECTOR OF KIWANIS AND MEMBER RELATIONS | ALANNA CHAN alannamchan@gmail.com
SPIRIT COORDINATOR | LEIA OGAWA leiaogawa7@gmail.com HISTORIAN/TECH EDITOR | ASHLYN WONG ashlynwong01@gmail.com HISTORIAN/TECH EDITOR | ISABELA ESTEBAN isabelaesteban04@gmail.com
leadership team EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT | SANIA USMANI sanusmani01@gmail.com DIVISION NEWS EDITOR | MICHELLE KIM michellemkim6@gmail.com SERVICE PROJECT COORDINATOR | ASHLYN WONG ashlynwong01@gmail.com FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR | ANIKA KASULA anikakasula@gmail.com PUBLICITY COORDINATOR | ITZEL HUERTA itzel.huerta1510@gmail.com SPIRIT GEAR COORDINATOR | SAADHVI NARAYANAN saadhstar@gmail.com SPIRIT COORDINATOR | JASMINE TAI jasmineliewtai@gmail.com
advisors KIWANIS | MR. LAWTTON TEST lawttontest@gmail.com CLUB | MR. DARYL DAVID daryl.david@abcusd.us