Stuyvesant High School Key Club
The Locksmith Induction Issue
Caring—Our Way of Life
June, 2007
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
The Key Club Pledge! Farewells from the Old Cabinet
2-6
Flower Market
7
March of Dimes
8
NYRR Health Fair
9
AIDS Walk
9
Crossword
10
I pledge, on my honor, to uphold the Objects of Key Club International to build my home, school and community; to serve my nation and God; And combat all forces which tend to
Upcoming Events
undermine these institutions. Important Key Club Information! The Cabinet Richard Huang (President) Sue Yee Chen (Vice President) Anthony Choi (Secretary) Olivia Hu (Treasurer) Ashley Cheng (Editor) The Board Jane Yang & Shadia Kim (Advocacy)
Cissy Lin & Connie Liu (Art) Anne Tsay & Irene Kho (Fundraising) Joanna Chen & Pei Xiong Liu (Locksmith) Rachel Dekhterman & Judith Chow (New Projects)
Jing W. Xiao & Snigdha Das (Public Relations) Gavin Huang & Victor Ma (Web) Official Stuy Key Club E-mail stuykc@yahoo.com Send articles and pictures to locksmith@stuykc.org
Thanks for a Great Year! Farewells from the Old Cabinet Dear Key Clubbers, I’ll start with an apology, because I believe in a clean slate before any beginning or end. I’m sorry if you ever went to an event and felt out of place or super-bored. I never meant for things to be that way, and I wish I could have been there for you. I’m sorry if you could never fully comprehend the kind of passion we have for community service—how it makes me feel whole, like I’m completing myself by doing for others, and that I’m learning invaluable lessons I could never have learned on my own. I wish you all could know that feeling. I’m sorry if I haven’t learned your name, I’m sorry if I didn’t answer your questions, I’m sorry if you felt ignored or
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neglected by anyone in charge of this club. I’m sorry if this year has been difficult for you, like it has been for me, and if you’ve ever felt like giving up. All I can say is that the fight is worthwhile. The struggle is what defines you in the end. Now, for a more positive outlook: I am so incredibly proud of this club. We have done amazing things this year, and it has been in part to each and every one of you giving your time, your money, your enthusiasm, to our causes. My only wish is that you will continue to stay involved, enjoying high school and embracing this club. I’m especially proud of those of you who were continually involved, those of you who became part of our USACF committee, my active committee heads, those of you who are
still attending meetings, and of course, anyone who came to Convention. Those are some sure signs of dedication to me, and I can’t thank you enough for being such commendable members of this club. Thank you, also, for the laughter, the memories, the sense of companionship and community. Thanks to everyone who still says ―Hello‖ to me in the hallway, or even remembers who I am. I really appreciate that you notice how difficult it is—to run a club so large and complex. I’ve given it my all. I hope you will give it yours in the future. Because this is not just an end—it’s a beginning, too. Good luck!
Sincerely, Courtney
T H E LO C K SM I T H
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INDU CTION ISSU E
Looking back on my time at Stuyvesant, there are many memories I wish I could relive, numerous choices I would have decided differently upon, and countless tedious tasks (going crazy over SAT’s, AP’s, the entire college process) I am grateful I never have to do again. With graduation a few short weeks away I am bewildered by how four years passed by so quickly. After all, 10th period following an all-nighter seems to last an eternity. Yet when reflecting on my experiences with Key Club I cannot help but appreciate how much it has aided me in seeing a side of the city, myself and other Stuy students that I would never have encountered otherwise. Like everyone else wandering through the crowd at the club/ pub fair allured by candy bribes or threats of being rejected from college without extracurriculars, I signed up for at least a dozen clubs. Later, when participating in those clubs, I discovered that they were mere facades for their members to fill out their SSR sheets more easily. But Key Club was different from those other clubs; it re-
sembled an actual organization, with effective cabinets, committees and existent weekly meetings. After becoming more involved I learned that yes, indeed it was an actual organization and meeting with Key Clubbers from other schools at divisional formed something else, a sense of community. The first induction, when I had missed the 3000 point award by 2 hours I was determined to become more dedicated to the club. The first time I was project captain for an event I felt immense anxiety, thinking at some point or another I was going to do something wrong. However after that first time signing people in and guiding them over the cell phone through the labyrinth of Central Park, I attended events not for points but because I enjoyed the atmosphere…even when I thought my toes would freeze. Whereas before I shied away from positions of leadership, now I feel that when you are drawn to something it is in the natural course of the world to assume greater responsibility. And this responsibility is never carried alone. I will always re-
member Courtney, Khoi, Fanny and Lily for adding to the club their own approaches to solving matters, along with their quirks (hey, everyone has some) that made the Beaver Dance progressively less embarrassing. Thank you guys for pitching in whenever dealing with the school administration was a bit too much to bare, reminding me that there are people that still care about points and while not as important, thanks for introducing me to the snack wrap. Good luck to the new cabinet, I am confident you will continue making the Stuyvesant Key Club one of the best there is and take care of the members; after all, they’re Atrish’s babies. While I bid all of you farewell, I guarantee this is not a final goodbye, and hopefully I’ll get by the tightening security in the school to visit you many more times in the future. -Marius Orza
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INDUCTION ISSUE
Dear Key Club, I should feel awkward writing to a nonhuman being, but you have come to hold a dear place in my heart. I am sad that my time with you is soon nearing its end, but I will always remember your unique (though perhaps cultish) world. From now on, whenever someone asks me how I am feeling, I may have to restrain from answering ―I feel good, oh I feel so good, ohh!‖ and whenever someone shouts out ―Hey,‖ I may have to restrain from responding ―Boomba!‖ So many memories flash through my mind when I think of you – images of myself waking up before dawn to go volunteering, cheering on walkers with my friends, handing out
refreshments in the rain, cleaning up dirty streets under the hot sun, reading to enthusiastic children, and so much more. What gives me the most bubbliest feeling, however, is knowing that teenagers from all around the world have bonded together to help out their communities. Who will ever forget the awesome cabinet that I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a whole year working with? We will always, without a doubt, be your loving members forever. I have been through so much with those guys and with the friends and loved ones whom I have found through you that it was like having another family – the Key Club family. I never thought that this moment would ever come – the
moment where it all ends. My goodness, I feel so old. I just want to end this by telling you that you have inspired me in so many ways – inspired me to make my difference in the world, in life in general, and for that, I thank you. Much love,
I still remember my first Key Club meeting. At the time, meetings were still held in the Lecture Halls. And as I walked in, I saw masses of people toppling over each other, trying to find a seat. The cabinet members screamed at the top of their lungs to quiet down the crowd; they didn’t use microphones then. Tired of screaming from below, Emily Fung, the treasurer then, stood on the podium and caught the attention of everyone’s eyes. In an angry voice, she told us to shut up. Honestly, she scared me. But after several Key Club meetings, I grew to like and admire her quirky character. I aspired to be just like her. I dreamed of standing in front of a mass of Key Clubbers and yelling at them to pay their dues. At first, I was reluctant to the idea of attending Key Club events. I didn’t know a lot of people in Key Club and my parents were almost convinced I would get killed on the way to an event. I was particularly intimidated by all the upperclass-
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men. I got addicted to Key Club after I went to several more events. We bonded over cheering for walkers, setting up tables, handing out fliers, cleaning up Chinatown, and getting lost in Manhattan. It was during Key Club events that I ate my first donut (March of Dimes!), first ice skated at Chelsea Piers, learned how to waltz (during the JDRF), saw Breaking Benjamin perform (also during the JDRF), and mushed butter with Courtney at the JCC. I completely fell in love with Key Club and I wanted to be more than just a member. Gradually, I became more involved with the administrative work behind Key Club. My dreams of becoming the next Emily Fung (2004), Howa Yeung (2005), and Winnie Lee (2006) came true. And as the immediate-past treasurer, I must admit that we, the cabinet, have had our ups and downs. Despite each fallback, we managed to pull through. In retrospect, I am really in awe at what we have achieved. The cabinet fought
over deadlines and candy sales, among other things. At the same time, we bonded over Snack Wraps and karaoking. In a sense, we became a family. I am truly grateful for having known these wonderful and dedicated people. I have no doubt that cabinet and board members of 2007-2008 will do a great job. Wherever I go, Key Club will follow me. (That is true. I saw Kiwanis signs everywhere went I went to California, Arizona, and Wellesley. It’s kind of scary. Perhaps Key Club really is stalkerish.) Key Club has become a part of life and I will carry on the experiences I gained with me as I go on to college. As you are reading this now, I really hope you took something out of your experiences at Key Club. I hope Key Club means as much to you as it meant to me. Fanny Tang
THE LOCKSMITH
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INDUCTION ISSUE
Key Clubbers—
Freshman year, my goal regarding Key Club was to help make a difference in someone's— anyone's—life. I know for a fact that I surpassed my goal. I remember Meals-on-Heels, where we walked to numerous residential areas, delivering meals to the elderly. I remember Parkinson's Walk, where I saw Michael J. Fox and other notable people a mere two feet away from me, making motivational speeches that moved me and made me
sentimental about my own grandfather who had died of this disease. I remember when every time I thought I was doing something ridiculous and not beneficial, someone thought I was working for a worthy cause and thanked me for it. Key Club has been a huge part of me for the four years I've been at Stuy. I am also glad that I had the privilege of being the Editor. It was difficult not being able to follow a predecessor's footsteps, but I feel that I made a
decent start. I am confident that Ashley will do an excellent job and go beyond anyone's expectations. The new cabinet is amazingly dedicated and zany. It would only be your loss if you decide not to get involved with Key Club and have the opportunity to be around with such great, fun people.
One word to sum up Key Club:
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious -Lily Tsoi
Lunar New Year Flower Market Looking back at this Key club year, I realize that I haven’t gone to as many events as I should have. Sometimes, I couldn’t go to event because they just didn’t fit in my schedule. Other times though, they were far away and I was just too lazy to get up. Because of this, I don’t have as many Key Club memories as my friends do. I regret this. Hearing them talk about how much fun they had at certain events makes me feel like I should’ve gone alongside them. So I tell myself that I’ll go to the next event, but I always seem to find an excuse not to go. Either it’s too early in the morning or it’s in a really bad neighborhood. The excuses seem to go on endlessly. In the end, I ended up convincing myself not to go to the events and because of this laziness, I’ve missed out on a lot of awesome events. One event I did go to, however, was the Lunar New Year Flower Market at Columbus Circle. I haven’t been to enough events to know if it started off normally, but it was normal enough for me. Being one of the first to arrive, I looked around for things to do and was given the job of yelling at people not to come in before the designated starting time. As I stood near the door (and yelled at people), I waited for my friends and when they finally came, we were all assigned tasks and the first one I had was to man the welcoming table, along with my friend, Elaine. With was a girl called, Susan, whom we’ve never met before, but was ex-
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tremely friendly and nice, nonetheless, sharing her McDonald’s breakfast with us. This led me to realize that I missed out meeting a lot of nice new people by not going to more Key Club events and I regret this as well. The welcome table was not as easy as one would expect it to be. We were supposed to sell tote bags with Lunar Market logo and advertisement on them. People came over when we greeted them and showed them the bags, but they immediately left upon hearing that they cost money. This was really annoying and everyone kept asking if they were free. Eventually, we got some people to buy bags, although we found out later that they were giving them away. After manning the welcome table came a different task. My friends, Elaine, Anna, and I were sent out to be walking advertisements of the Lunar Market, with each of us holding a poster. Each poster had a map of the area with Columbus Park marked with a big star. On the way there, I slipped and fell, but got up laughing. We walked to our destination complaining of the cold, but happy and singing the whole way. This was yet another thing I missed out on by not going to more events. After a while, we got cold and we walked back to the tent, where we were greeted by a mass of people. We were assigned different posts and shortly after we got there, the lion dancers came! My friends and I walked around yelling at the adults to move out of the
way. Most of them listened, but there were a rebellious few who decided that they wanted to move. They simply could not wait until the lion dancers passed to do so. That was a rather frustrating experience. I walked around yelling as loudly as I could for everyone to move in multiple languages, yet people still paid me no heed. Finally, my friend, Annie, and I had to go up to individuals and tell them to move. Luckily when we asked them directly, they finally moved. The lion dancers were amazing and the drums loud and steady. As the lion moved past the mobs of people pressed against the stands, hands reached out to touch it, including my own. People followed the lions as they moved around the tent. Finally, thought, the lion dancers left and everything went back to normal. After a while, my friends and I were hungry and we didn’t know what time our shift was over. So, we just decided to sign out and leave then. We returned the volunteer shirts and went to eat. That Key Club event, although short, brings back many great memories that all surface at the mention of Key Club. All my Key Club memories, when combined, help me define Key Club. Key Club isn’t just a club where you can get service and help people, it’s also a club where you can have fun and hang out with your friends. I hope to make more of these memories and attend more Key Club events in the future. -Donna Koo
THE LOCKSMITH
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INDUCTION ISSUE
March of Dimes This was it, the first “project of the month”, March of Dimes. Since freshman year, I made it a tradition to go every year, prepared to go and meet up with my friends, maybe pass out free stuff to walkers, or just to cheer on the walkers until I lost my voice. Unlike previous years, we weren’t stationed at the checkpoints where water and other stuff were handed out; instead we were in between checkpoints to cheer on walkers. I was fine with that. Two years of past experience conditioned me for this. Going along with a friend to an area that had less people, we decided to help a particularly non-enthusiastic group cheer. As the first few walkers started to trickle through, we gave encouraging words to the walkers, telling them how great of a job they were doing and to keep it up. It wasn’t until the large groups of people came that the real fun began. Finally, a group of about 20 people were walking down the street. We could see them from about 3 blocks away. Here we go. My friend and I started speaking loudly, chanting cheerleader-ish cheers.
“Let’s go walkers, let’s go” *clap clap* We were delighted when some of them participated, clapping and wooting along. A few people even brought whistles along and blew them, as if they had been brought solely for this purpose. We tried to get the other non-enthusiasts to start cheering along with us, but it was no use. Oh well. As the crowd steadily grew larger, I taught my friend another chant I had picked up from previous years, “Hey hey, ho ho, saving babies is the way to go!” This usually went along with a line of people linking arms and kicking Rockette-style while cheering, but with only the two of us there, we weren’t able to get the full effect. However, we more than made up for it with our enthusiasm, swaying with the tune and waving around the pompoms that had been given out earlier that day. Some walkers took pictures of my friend and I jumping and cheering; someone videotaping the walkers turned the camera on us. The others who weren’t cheering just stared at us. About half an hour of cheering later, we were al-
ready starting to get tired. Hundreds of people were pouring in. We kept on cheering, jumping up and down and screaming until our throats were sore. But it was worth it. Walkers and other passer-bys smiled at us, giving us many thank-yous and exchanging banter with us. (“Why don’t YOU come down and walk with us?”) A few considerate walkers even gave us water and food they had received earlier in the walk. After two hours, the last of the walkers passed by. I was spent and tired, my throat completely sore. It was all part of the fun. For those two hours, I was able to let myself go, freeing myself from built up stress from that week. Jumping around and cheering my heart out seemed to be a good cure fro stress. Good exercise too. And on top of it all, I knew that I was helping the March of Dimes, helping to save premature babies. I walked onto my train, still smiling and recounting the day’s excitement. Then, I fell asleep. -Irene Kho
NYRR Colon Cancer Health Fair I have attended quite a few Key Club events this past year, and I have enjoyed most of them. However, an event that truly stood out in my mind was the NYRR Colon Cancer Health Fair, which took place in the food court of the Flushing mall. The tasks of the volunteers entailed little more than blowing up bal-
loons for the pink tables, moving around boxes, handing out fliers, and helping people interested in learning more about colon cancer. Nevertheless, I felt the event was a great opportunity for my fellow Key Clubbers and I to bond as we were helping the fair.My favorite part was probably drinking bubble tea
while blowing up balloons for the tables. I do hope that there will be similar events to the Health Fair in the coming 2007-2008 Key Club year. -Shayra Kamal
AIDS Walk On May 20, 2007 the AIDS Walk took place. Most people were walking this year, but instead I volunteered. Volunteering is rather tradition for me at the AIDS Walk; my friend and I have always done it together since freshman year. After arriving at Central Park at 6:45 a.m. and getting a nice fitting t-shirt (which always look nice), we got shipped out on a bus to our route-marshalling location. After our route captain Beverly told us what to do in her (awesome) British accent, she told us we had lots of time to kill before the walk began. Spying a playground, my friends and I decided to go and play around a bit. Activities included see-sawing, spinning on a carousel, and swinging on the swings. Afterwards, we went back to our station to get ready to cheer
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people. Rather, we did more than just cheer. It was a blustery morning, hence a lot of time was spent picking up cones that were blown down and chasing after boxes that were tumbling about. To ensure the garbage bags in the boxes wouldn’t blow away, my friends and I were allowed to use a staple gun, pinning the plastic bags to the cardboard Wet-PlatinumŠ boxes (100% Silicone! Guaranteed never sticky! (lubricant for those curious)). After waiting awhile it finally came time to cheer on the walkers. The crowd was very nice, and my friends and I had a good time cheering on the walkers as they strolled down. -Michael Chu
THE LOCKSMITH