The Locksmith, November 2017

THE LOCKSMITH New York District / Division 11 Volume 5 Issue 7

Stuyvesant High School Key Club November Issue

About Us What does Key Club mean to you? Featured writer: Tiffany Chen Since we have a spread sharing thanks in this Locksmith, I wanted to write what Key Club means to me! When I joined, I never thought I would love the club as much as I do now. I have met so many people with kind hearts, and I now have many friends from different schools. I also am very grateful that I can create this Locksmith every month with an amazing director, an active committee, and tons of submissions from you all! In addition, I’m grateful for my supportive Cabinet; it’s super fun to hang out (and scheme!) with you guys. Last, I enjoy getting to know each and every one of you, and I’m happy to be serving you all for the rest of the service year.

Give Us a Shout!

Cabinet Michelle Yang, President librasapphire2000@gmail.com Yuki Lau, Vice President stuyyuki@gmail.com

Contacts

Jenna Foo, Secretary jfoo@stuy.edu

Gilbert Papagayo, Faculty Advisor g.papagayo@gmail.com

Justin Chan, Treasurer jchan15@stuy.edu

Stuyvesant High School 345 Chambers St. New York, NY 10282

Tiffany Chen, Editor tchen8@stuy.edu Jason Lam, Webmaster jlam6@stuy.edu

Table of Contents Letters from Tiffany and Sammi Announcements from Stuyvesant Key Club Announcements from Division 11 Announcements from New York District Key Club Announcements from Key Club International Timeline of Past Events Timeline of Upcoming Events What We’re Grateful For Fun and Games Section Featured Key Club: NEST+m Photos and Articles

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Letters from Tiffany and Sammi Tiffany Chen, Editor

Sammi Lin, Locksmith Committee Director

Hey y’all! Like Sammi, I am so proud that this issue has over 100 pages!

When I became Editor, I would’ve never imagined this. Thank you so much, peeps. :) I’ve already said what I’m thankful for in the Contact Us page, but I’d like to reiterate how grateful I am of you guys (not just the people who submit, but the volunteers I meet at every event!).

Thanks for making my Key Club experience unforgettable. I hope you enjoy this issue! It’s a good one!

(Also, the What I’m Thankful For spread is amazing and you should check it out!)

Hey everyone! HOLY COW! 151 pages! You guys are awesome.

Thank you so much for contributing to the Locksmith, this month especially! I’m super thankful for everyone that continues to pull through with articles, photos, videos, and of course, the Locksmith Committee who helps put it all together. I can’t imagine how great the next issue of the Locksmith will be, or even how long it will be (haha), but I know it will be great because of all of the effort you guys put in!

Announcements from Stuyvesant Key Club Go to the Coco fundraiser tomorrow! Even if you’re not hyped for the film, you can go for the pool and ping pong afterwards! It’ll be from 11:30am to 5:00pm at Alpine Cinemas and Hall of Fame Billiards, both in Brooklyn. It is $11 for the film, $12 for pool and ping pong, and $20 for both!The fundraiser will be a great place to hang out with your friends and meet new Key Clubbers, especially since different schools will be at this fundraiser. You can sign up for it here!

Our Chipotle fundraiser was on Wednesday, November 22. I’d like to thank everyone who bought Chipotle and helped us by giving out flyers at the bridge.

It was great to see you all there.

Announcements from Division 11 The Division 11 Board is hosting two things at the next divisional: a Secret Santa exchange and a stuffed animal fundraiser! They’re going to be lit, so make sure to sign up! Both forms are due on December 8 at 11:59pm. The Secret Santa form is here and the stuffed animal fundraiser form is here.

LaGuardia Key Club is holding a movie fundraiser on December 10! They will be watching Wonder at AMC Loews 34th Street. Admission is $12, and it will be a great way to meet new Key Clubbers at a good movie. The sign-up form is here.

Announcements from New York District Key Club Thank you to everyone who attended Fall Rally on November 18! We were able to raise $2070 for UNICEF. Here’s a video of Fall Rally created by Fahad Nabi and Aaron Wu from Bronx Science Key Club!

Announcements from Key Club International Key Club Week was from November 6 to November 10! November 6 was Show Your K Day, November 7 was Kudos to the Key Players Day, November 8 was Dare to Care Day, November 9 was Random Acts of Kindness Day, and November 10 was Connect the Ks Day. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Check out the Key Club store here for cool Key Club merch!

You can now launch your own crowdfunding platform to raise money for your service projects! Learn more about it here.

November 17 is especially important because it is Prematurity Awareness Day with March of Dimes. Learn more here.

The Key of Honor is the highest recognition award presented by the Key Club International board, honoring either a person who has made a lifelong positive impact upon youth in general and KeyClub specifically, or an organization that has shown long-term support of youth and Key Club programs. Learn more about it here.

Here is the newly updated Brand Guide!

Thirsty 30 is a quick and easy way to make a HUGE impact this year! Find out how you and your Key Club can help fight the global water crisis and change the world here.

Minnesota Key Clubbers embraced the cold to bring warmth to the homeless. Learn more about it here.

Timeline of Past Events ●

November 4:

Walk to End Alzheimer’s

Time: 7:00am to 12:00pm Location: Kingsborough Community College Project Captain: N/A Description: We out and making sure that the entire event runs smoothly. We greeted the participants and worked in the advocacy tents that distribute educational materials to the runners. We also managed the food and drinks.

Leaf No Trace

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November 5:

Time: 10:00am to 1:00pm Location: Fort Greene Park Project Captain: Freya Zhu Description: We helped Fort Greene Park get ready for winter and keep the park clean! We helped out with raking and bagging leaves all around the park. Bronx Science Key Club was also at this event!

NYC Marathon

Time: 1:30 pm to 7:30pm Location: Central Park, East Drive and 61st Street Project Captain: Tiffany Zhong Description: We assisted with the setup, breakdown, and cleanup of the fluid station, which provided water and Gatorade to runners. We also cheered on the runners and gave them support. We received a rain poncho to protect our clothing, a volunteer pin, a thank-you gift, and a certificate of appreciation.

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November 11:

Fall Rally

November 12:

BT5K

Time: 9:00am to 3:30pm Location: Stuyvesant High School Project Captain: N/A Description: The conference is a fundamental part of the Key Club experience and is vital in training new officers in their positions and encouraging members to be active. There was guest speakers (including our President!) and various workshops such as officer training, arts and crafts, how to contribute to your community and even interactive service projects!

Time: 6:30am to 12:00pm Location: Hudson River Park Project Captain: Tomson Zhang Description: BT5K New York City is part of the American Brain Tumor Association’s (ABTA) signature Breakthrough for Brain Tumors 5K series. We assisted with event check-in, registration, refreshments, course marshaling, and a host of other things. We volunteered with LaGuardia Key Club!

Clean and Green

Time: 10:00am to 1:00pm Location: Greenspace on 4th - 207 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217 Project Captain: Evan Zou Description: Clean and Green is an event held by the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, whose mission is to maintain the beauty of the Gowanus Canal through cleanups and gardening. We planted trees and other vegetation in gardens along 4th Avenue.

Refreshments were provided.

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November 16:

Free Bird Gala

November 17:

Homeless Coalition Run

November 18:

Queens Half Marathon

November 19:

Brooklyn Marathon

Time: 5pm to 10pm Location: Union Square Ballroom - 27 Union Square W Project Captain: Amit Narang Description: We helped out at a gala hosted by A Free Bird Organization! There were live performances and a sneak peek of their perfume line! We acted as servers and ushers.

Time: 3:45pm to 5:45pm Location: Stuyvesant High School Project Captain: N/A Description: We ran along the Hudson to raise awareness on homelessness! All proceeds went to Back on My Feet, an organization that provides help to homeless people by connecting them with essential resources and providing them with various opportunities.

Time: 7:00am to 12:00pm Location: Flushing Meadows Corona Park Queens, NY Project Captain: Vincent Huang and Penny Wang Description: NYCRuns held its 4th annual Queens Half Marathon! We assisted with bag checks, festival assistance, and course marshalling.

Time: 6:30am to 1:00pm Location: Prospect Park - Center Drive Brooklyn, NY Project Captain: Michael Hu Description: NYCRuns held its 7th annual Brooklyn Marathon! We assisted with bag checks, festival assistance, and course marshalling.

Washington Square Park Dog Run

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Time: 8:00am to 12:00pm Location: Washington Square Park by the fountain Project Captain: Vincent Huang Description: We helped out at the Dog Run in Washington Square Park! We assisted with setting up booths, raffles and treat tables, making lists of dog owners who want portraits or psychic readings of their dogs, helping with registration, telling people where to go, and organizing the order of dogs in the parade.

November 22:

Chipotle Fundraiser

November 23:

Queens Turkey Trot 5K/15K

Time: 4:00pm to 8:00pm Location: Chipotle at Greenwich St Project Captain: N/A Description: We raised money for Project Solution, a charity that helps build infrastructure in developing communities, by partnering with Chipotle!

Time: 7:00am to 11:00am Location: Flushing Meadows - Corona Park Queens, NY 11375 Project Captain: Irene Chen and Penny Wang Description: We volunteered for the 5K/15K Turkey Trot.

We helped out with the water stations, course marshaling, registration, and giving cinnamon rolls out at the finish line. We also received a free t-shirt! This specific event supported Organization for Autism Research which is dedicated to promoting autism research and providing information to help individuals with autism.

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November 25:

New York City Turkey Trot 5K/15K

November 26:

Friends of Corlears Hook Park

November 29:

November Divisional

Time: 7:00am to 12:00pm Location: Firefighters Field - Roosevelt Island Project Captain: Kevin Chen and Jason Xiong Description: We volunteered for the 5K/15K Turkey Trot.

We helped out with the water stations, course marshaling, registration, and giving cinnamon rolls out at the finish line. We also received a free t-shirt! This specific event supported Young Survival Coalition, which is dedicated to critical issues unique to young women with breast cancer.

Time: 11:00am to 2:00pm Location: Corlears Hook Park Project Captain: Shuyu Cao Description: We helped beautify the park through planting daffodil bulbs, weeding, and raking leaves.

We did this event with Bronx Science Key Club!

Time: 5:00pm to 6:00pm Location: Hunter College High School Project Captain: N/A Description: We attended the November Divisional at Hunter College High School! We talked about what Division 11 has done in the past month.

Timeline of Upcoming Events â—?

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December 9:

Holiday Hoopla

December 10:

Big Apple Half Marathon

Time: 2:00pm to 6:00pm Location: 566 Nostrand Ave (2nd floor, Studio 10) Project Captain: *needed* Description: We will be helping out at one of NYSoM's holiday events, Holiday Hoopla! Volunteers will be assisting with setup and breakdown, wrapping and distributing gifts, and managing holiday activities.

Sign up here!

Time: 6:30am to 12:00pm Location: Central Park Project Captain: *needed* Description: Volunteers will be cheering on runners as they pass, assisting in the setup and breakdown of the water and Gatorade stations along the course, helping out with bag check, registration, food table, water station, or any other area that is in need.

Sign up here and here!

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December 16:

Cocoa Classic 5K & 10K

Time: 7:00am to 12:00pm Location: Roosevelt Island Project Captain: *needed* Description: Volunteers will be cheering on runners as they pass, assisting in the setup and breakdown of the water and Gatorade stations along the course, helping out with bag check, registration, food table, water station, or any other area that is in need.

Sign up here and here!

Winter Wonderland

Time: 2:00pm to 6:00pm Location: Jackie Robinson Educational Complex – 1573 Madison Ave Project Captain: *needed* Description: We will be helping out at one of NYSoM's holiday events, Winter Wonderland! Volunteers will be assisting with setup and breakdown, wrapping and distributing gifts, and managing holiday activities.

Sign up here!

What We’re Grateful For Recently, the Locksmith Committee has asked Key Clubbers what they are grateful for. Here are the responses.

Freya Zhu, Freshman: There are many things that I'm thankful for. Year to year, I'm always thankful for my family. They're always there in my time of need and celebrated with me in times of success. Another thing that I'm thankful for is my friends, especially those that came to Stuyvesant with me. From studying together and listening to each other's complaints (mostly mine), we've become each other's extended family. I'm also thankful for the new friends that I made in my short time here at Stuyvesant. They helped me through the hard tests and deathly amounts of homework. One thing that I'm extremely thankful for is, of course, KEY CLUB. It gave me something fun and productive to do on my weekends that doesn't include not doing my homework. I'm also thankful for the cabinet and directors for being so nice and welcoming and not scary and intimidating (they were at first). It's comforting to find upperclassmen who are way to dedicated to Key Club and weird like me!

Jessy Mei, Sophomore: I'm thankful for joining Key Club last year! Last semester, I started volunteering for the first time and I've learned that volunteering is a really rewarding and fun experience since I've had the chance to give back to my community and meet lots of new people. I've met people from Stuyvesant and other schools from inter-clubbing like HSMSE or Francis Lewis, and I've become a more social person because of that! Going to Key Club events helped me destress and made easing into freshman year a lot easier last year. I've learned how to balance school with other things, and went to events on the weekends in my free time! Some events have been really meaningful like the Breast Cancer Walk and some have just been fun to learn about, like the Chinatown Mid Autumn Festival. I'm also thankful that I had the opportunity to join multiple committees because I received exposure to new methods of fundraising and collaborating with other organizations to make events and fundraisers possible, and I've learned a lot from this experience. I'm thankful for a lot, but Key Club has definitely been one of them.

Stephanie Raza, Sophomore: This year, I am grateful for my relationships with all the people in my life who have been by my side and supported me through thick and thin. Also, I give thanks to Key Club for being a loving community.

David Shi, Freshman: I am thankful for many things, such as my parents and my friends. I am thankful for my parents for raising me to be the person I am today. I am thankful for my friends for being there and making my days at Stuyvesant better. I am thankful for being able to have a roof over my head and food to eat, as I know others do not have the luxury. But one thing I am very thankful for is Key Club. It's such a great and fun community, and Key Club brings all of us together! I am thankful for many things in my life, and these are just a few.

Amit Narang, Junior: I’m thankful for Justin Chan.

Penny Wang, Sophomore: I am thankful for everything I have in life, including food, a place to call home, and the high school of my nightmares as well as my dreams. I am even more thankful for my friends, who I can act crazy with, my family, who thinks I am crazy, and my classmates, who I can't act crazy in front of. I am grateful for the way my life revolves around them, through the good and bad times.

Terry Yang, Freshman: I am thankful for my new friends I made in Stuy because they helped me (especially the Big Sibs) navigate the system and brought me to where I am today. I am also thankful for the “family� I made in Stuy, and I know I can always confide in them about private and personal matters. Another thing I am thankful for is my love; she has brightened my life inside Stuy so much and pushed me beyond my goals to even further ones. She is the main reason why I am doing well in and want to push more in Stuy.

Michael Nath, Freshman: I am thankful for the small circle of friends that I have. Although it seems like I am friends with a lot of people, past events have proven to me who are close to me and who I trust. I also am thankful for my supportive family who have helped me through several life changing decisions and I cannot thank them enough.

Katherine Wu, Freshman: I’m thankful for my parents who’ve accompanied me through hard times.

Every single time I felt like I couldn’t do it, my family was there to motivate me, and push me to become who I am. They’ve shaped me so much. I may not always thank them verbally, but I’m so grateful for everything my family has done for me. There’s nothing that could replace my family because they mean so much to me. Sure, there are always ups and downs but it’s manageable. I’m thankful for the family who has raised me, and will always cherish them.

Benson Goldman, Junior: I'm thankful for my life. I am honored to be a student at Stuyvesant. I have done a variety of activities this year and it has been a unique experience. I enjoy this school and the supportive community. Every day, I walk into my high school and feel satisfied with the knowledge that my physics teacher, Mr. Lam, will say that we are all wonderful people. That is very nice.

Tahmid Chowdhury, Freshman: I am thankful for our parents and guardians. Without our parents, none of us would be attending Stuy, or even exist. We should be thankful for them, not just on Thanksgiving, Mother or Father's Day, but rather everyday. Some of us may feel as if we are lonely and isolated from society, but you must remember that there will always be one link that you will share and which will never be broken: the link you have with your family. Even in the toughest times, they will be there, physically, in your mind, etc. Therefore, it is our job to return the favor for them. Thank you, mom and dad. :)

Vincent Huang, Sophomore: I honestly have so much to be thankful for this year, one of which is definitely Key Club. Deciding to become a more active member this service year has proved to be really rewarding, and I met a ton of new people, not only from Stuyvesant High School, but other schools in our division. I met some amazing freshmen, sophomores, and upperclassmen that I wouldn’t have talked to if not for Key Club, which has provided a common ground for all of us. I hope that I can continue to be a part of the community, attending fundraisers, and waking up at five in the morning for events with the Key Club crew. I’m also thankful for my family, who put up with my late night sleeping habits and loud awakenings at the crack of dawn. I hope the rest of the year turns out well and that 2018 can match this year in greatness!

Jason Xiong, Freshman: I am thankful for my friends in and out of Stuyvesant.

These friends are the ones that put up with my bad jokes and puns. They are also the people that I can talk to whenever I failed a test or did something dumb. These friends are the people I can go to for help and also the people I go to for fun. People always say surrounds yourself with good people and I can't ask for a better group to surround myself with. Though some of them know me back since elementary school and others only know me for a couple of weeks, I'm thankful for each and every one of them. I know this kind of sounds cheesy but having these very gouda friends made my life grate.

Puns aside, I'm very thankful for them and what they have done to make (or didn't make) my life better.

Alan Guo, Freshman: What I'm most thankful for is my friends and family, especially my friends from junior high. I had a fairly strict Asian household, but my parents did what was best in their eyes. The relationship I have with my brother turned for the better as well; when we were younger, we had been bitter rivals, but now, we have made up and became closer as siblings. My friends have really helped me in 2017; I had transferred middle schools in 2016, but my classmates helped me fit in easily, which was nice since I had trouble fitting in before. After Christmas break and 2017 came, my relationships only increased and strengthened. I had been through some difficult things in 8th grade, but they was always somebody out there for me. Honestly I've changed much in 8th grade for the better, and I can easily say it was because of my friends. I'm extremely thankful for them.

I'm also thankful for my health and education, which is surprising to say since I was never really healthy or had a very strong education until 8th grade. I had always been overweight until I moved, which was when I decided to lose weight, although may it be in an unhealthy way, but today I accomplished my goal of achieving an acceptable body type. My education has certainly improved too, since my previous school paled in comparison to Christa McAuliffe (my 8th grade year) or the infamous Stuyvesant. However, these schools have both been challenging, especially the latter, but they have and will bring me greater opportunities in the future, which I'm thankful for.

Fun and Games Section In each Locksmith, we have a crossword puzzle and a word search for you to enjoy. Print them out, complete them, and send them to our email to get 5 points! You can only send one of each per issue. Have fun!

Directors Crossword Puzzle Across 2...Ask..her..for..k-drama recommendations.

5. A producer for All My Sons.

7. Hit her up to play some basketball.

9. Plays handball and likes going to..movies.

10. Played in the band for 1776.

Down 1...You..might find her at a museum.

3.

A kpop fangirl.

4. Enjoys eating and running.

6. You might spot her at Envirothon.

8. The person to go to for a game of badminton.

November Word Search

Words: BIRDGALA CHIPOTLE COALITION DOGRUN FALLRALLY MARATHON TURKEY

Featured Key Club: Cardozo In each Locksmith, we feature a different high school’s Key Club to spread awareness of our interclub activities and emphasize the large community Key Club fosters. This issue, we are focusing on Cardozo Key Club of Division 8.

Michele Wu, Editor: Cardozo Key Club has been striving to better the community throughout the month of November, attending various events around the city and helping to raise awareness for causes close to the hearts of our members. Our club walked to raise awareness for kidney patients and the National Kidney Foundation at The Kidney Walk on November 12th. Walking at The Best Buddies Friendship Walk on November 18th allowed us to help raise awareness for funding and supporting those with developmental and intellectual disabilities as well as for the importance of friendship. We had also volunteered to help out at the NYC Turkey Trot 5K/15K on November 25th, a huge event that needed many helping hands that Cardozo Key Club was happy to provide. Cardozo Key Club also attended Fall Rally on November 11th, an annual conference for Divisions 8, 8A, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, where Key Clubbers were able to learn more about Key Club, the importance of members, support fundraisers and charities, and running for higher office. Our November has been jam-packed with amazing events and we hope that we will be able to attend many more in the coming months!

Cardozo Key Club is planning on involving members more in our club, as we had recently started planning on new additions to our Committee Board.

Our Committee Board help us to bridge the gap between members and the board, allowing us to better our club and have the ability to call ourselves a family. We also plan on creating more fundraisers to raise money for the NY fgjhk

district endorsed projects. Additionally, we have been planning on having more events for our new members to interact more with the club.

I’ve gotten so much out of Key Club that I would not even be able to count—it has helped me so much in daily life and it has allowed me to help benefit my community. I joined Key Club as a mere freshman with the intent of exploring our city and helping do good around it. Not only have I gotten the amazing chances that I’ve had, but with the additional smiles that I’ve been able to receive from those who we provide service to, my mind has truly been opened and I’ve gained even more love and compassion for the people in our world. Without Key Club, I would definitely not be able to communicate with others half as well as I am able to today. Key Club gave me the confidence to make friends and start new conversations, something that I’ve always found very awkward for me. I’ve made so many new friends from schools all around New York and its truly incredible. Being apart of my Key Club’s board also pushed me into being a better speaker, as I’m now able to speak in front of our club without fail or - any - jitters! I’m sure this is true for my fellow Key Clubbers as well, as we all well know that Key Club is a force that unites us, one that pushes us together with a shared passion of spreading good and kindness throughout our world. Key Club helped me create many close bonds to those that I had once called only acquaintances and in return I hope that I can be an effective Bulletin Editor; to spread the word about our amazing club and the amazing acts of service that we do for others.

Cardozo Key Club at Best Buddies

Cardozo Key Club at Queens Turkey Trot 5K/15K

Pho & Artic

otos & cles

Leaf No Trace

By Freya Zhu On November 4th, I had my first event that I was the project captain for, and it was one that was definitely tiring. I had planned to be early and be professional, but that obviously didn’t go as planned. Getting a little lost seems to have become a routine for every event that I have gone to. Though my friends and I arrived early, we got lost trying to get to the visitor’s center and ended up being a few minutes late. Signing in the other members made me feel important for that short amount of time. After receiving our gloves, rakes, and apple cider, we made our way to a plot of land that was covered in a thick layer of leaves and got to work. It turned into a small competition to see whose leaf pile was the biggest, and I had to fight the urge not to jump into the piles. We then loaded the leaves onto a large square of tarp and hauled it to the place where the leaves would be composted. I learned a valuable lesson when carrying the leaves: leaves are way heavier than they look. We had at least eight people, yet it was still challenging to lift the leaves.

After raking and carrying the leaves five times, I sat down and ate some M&Ms while staring at my friend trying to get leaves out of his shoe. We then left the area that Stuy Key Club was assigned to as we wandered around until we arrived at the area where Bronx Science was assigned to and assisted them.

We made a good team, if I do say so myself. However, there was some screaming involved when the tarp ripped. What was not enjoyable was when the leaves were accidentally dumped on me when they tried to empty the tarp. I still find bits of dirt and leaves in my jackets and my shoes to this day.

Though I was frustrated sometimes with the spreadsheet as I couldn’t get it to work correctly and with the fact that I had lost my bracelet somewhere in the day, in the end, I’m happy that I had signed up to be project captain as I earned experience that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

By Jason Xiong The Saturday of November 4th, 2017 was filled with raking and carrying. At 10:00am, we arrived at Fort Greene Park for Leaf No Trace, and the goal was to rake up leaves in the 30 acres of the park. Of course, we didn’t make that much progress, but we did accomplish quite a lot. Everyone was at the visitor center to sign in and got their share of the warm apple cider they provided.

You won’t be-leaf how good the apple cider taste. I like to think they taste quite a-peel-ing. Anyway, we were soon assigned to work with a staff member to clean different areas of the park. We grabbed our rakes and headed to the assigned areas. We have to rake the leaves into a large piece of plastic that we later hold the corners of to carry it to where they want all the leaves to be.

After getting tired with rakes, I switched to a pair of bear paws, which is basically a pair of plastic shaped like bear paws used to scoop up leaves.

At first, we were just cleaning one small area and then we branched out from there. We cleaned all over the place, from the basketball court, to the playground, to the staircase, and underneath tables. We kept on scooping/raking, piling, carrying, and emptying over and over again. The process was quite tiring, but it was also pretty fun. Raking down the staircase was hard, but then we found a shortcut, which was to shove all the leaves down a smooth surface instead of raking them down one step at a time. What originally was peaceful cleaning soon turned into a competition as people started to compete to see who can rake up more leaves. We let our inner competitive selves take over as everyone raked and scooped up leaves faster than ever. Each school tried to compete against each other as well to see who can clean up more areas. Though being over-competitive is not good, it did help us clean the area a lot faster.

After we were done (well, we didn’t finish everything, but we were done for the day), we headed back to the visitor center to get some more apple cider and to sign out. We returned our gloves, rakes, and bear paws. Looking back at the park, it may have looked the same as it did before we started cleaning.

However, with all the volunteer’s help, there were a lot less leaves in the park.

Feeling very accomplished, we headed home after a long day of work.

Video taken by Vincent Huang

Video taken by Freya Zhu

Video taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Alan Guo

Photos taken by Alan Guo

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

NYC Marathon

By Jason Xiong On Sunday, November 5th, I went home smelling like Gatorade.

Let’s go back 6 hours to when I struggled to find mile 25, where I was supposed to be to help out the 2017 NYC Marathon. My friend and I just got off the subway and were unsure of where to meet up. After many phone calls, text messages, and lots of walking in the wrong direction, we found mile 25. Once there, we tried to sign in with the station support volunteers, but there were more issues. Just when I was ready to head home, a girl told me, “You’re good.” I then received a rain poncho to wear because it was raining and because at the drink station, people spilled water and Gatorade all over the place, so it was hard not to get wet.

I got assigned to rake and sweep the cups that the runners tossed onto the ground after they drank from it. I had to make a DIY trash can and sweep all the paper cups into the trash can. After a while, the ground was clean, so I decided to take a break, only for a lady to ask me to help at the water station.

At the water station, I put on a new pair of gloves to pour water and place them on the tables so the volunteers in front of the table could hand them out to the runners running by. The water station was in full force, but it was clear that the Gatorade station needed more help. I was not the only one that realized that because the same lady from before sent me over to the Gatorade station.

I started to fill cups with Gatorade, and then after having filled the table with cups of Gatorade, I started to hand them out. There was only one problem: no one (like barely anyone) wanted Gatorade. All you could see and hear was runners searching for water, and if they got Gatorade instead, they would spill it all over the ground. I got splashed in the face because someone just wanted the cup. After a good five hours of being soaked in Gatorade, I smelled like it, and it was not pleasant.

Though there were still people running toward mile 25, we started to clean up because it was getting really late. We dumped the Gatorade into a big bag in a bigger trash can. We used a separate bag to collect all the paper cups.

Cleaning up the water was a lot more fun since we could just dump it onto the streets. We started to stack cups on top of one another and the water would spill out and go all over the table, which would be tipped over to let the water gets to the ground. After repeating that for like 200 more times, we were done with cleanup. Everyone parted to go home after many hours of restless standing.

Photo taken by Tiffany Zhong

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken

by Jason Xiong

Photos taken

by Jason Xiong

Photos taken

by Jason Xiong

Fall Rally

By Tiffany Chen The first thing I noticed when I walked into Stuyvesant was the long line to sign in.

I quickly got in with Vincent and started talking to him about Key Club. I also saw some of my friends from different schools like Bronx Science and Midwood. One of them was carrying a Starbucks latte, which I took a sip from.

After signing in and paying, I went upstairs to the cafeteria to get some food.

They were serving bagels and juice, and I drank a bunch of apple juice in little cups. I also watched other people play Kahoot (I couldn’t play since I came in too late) and I was proud that I knew most of the answers. For a few minutes, I had to worry about signing Stuy Key Clubbers in, and I sent a bunch of Stuy Key Clubbers to Amit. However, once everything was done, the LTGs talked to the group for a little bit before we headed to workshops.

The first workshop I went to was Origami. I learned how to make a deer, which was really nice and cute. The second workshop I went to was Running For Higher Office, and I enjoyed learning about the process even though I can never run for higher office as a Key Clubber (senior problems!). The last workshop I went to was K-Family Relations, and even though I got annoyed because the presenter said that the Stuy building looked old (excuse you?! It was built in the 1990s!), I still was able to talk to them about our Kiwanis.

After the workshops, we listened to a speech by a representative from UNICEF. It was really nice to hear from her where our money would be going to.

Afterwards, we started Happy Dollars, and my entire row just kept yelling at Justin to go up and do it. It was so nice to hear everyone say what they loved about Key Club. Then, Fall Rally was sadly over. I enjoyed myself thoroughly, and I am very sad that this Fally Rally was my last.

By Freya Zhu It was my first Fall Rally. After we paid our admission, we headed to the cafeteria and waited for further instructions. They gave out breakfast and one of the choices was a rainbow bagel! Everyone went nuts over it. As we ate, we played Kahoot, and I can remember everyone shouting and asking for answers.

I ended up in 36th place, which I will admit is pretty bad, but in my defense, I didn’t bring my glasses, so I couldn’t see the questions and answers. We then separated to go to our prefered workshops. My friends and I went to the friendship bracelet workshop, which was very crowded. The instructions were unclear so I just improvised. I think mine turned out pretty good.

At around 11:10am, we went back to the cafeteria and did some team building exercises. We held hands and tried to unravel ourselves, played a game that involves following directions, screamed at each other, etc. It was really fun. Then, the pizza showed up and everyone just relaxed and ate some pizza. At around 1:00, my friends and I made our way to room 940 to attend the “We Are Key Club” presentation hosted by our lovely Key Club president and the president of Bronx Science Key Club. At first, it was informational, but then it turned into a game of jeopardy. Everyone started screaming at each other; it was hilarious. My friends and I stayed in the same room for the next workshop which was “Time Management.” Some technical issues came up and the presentation didn’t go as planned, but it was still fun. We did simple puzzles and I got a free coloring book that was colored by a single marker.

Near the end of Fall Rally, we headed into the auditorium and listened to the speakers talk about UNICEF. We then did happy dollars. We had to walk upstage and give in a dollar. Then we had to talk about why we’re happy.

When I walked upstage, I didn’t know what to say and just blurted something random out. It was nerve-wracking but I’m still glad I donated that one dollar. In the end, we raised over a thousand dollars and had fun at the same time. It was totally worth it.

By Jason Xiong November 11th was when I attended my first Fall Rally, and it was better than I expected. My friends and I were some of the first people to arrive, and we went to put our coats in our lockers. When we came back down, there was a long line of people signing in. After signing in, we headed to the cafeteria for breakfast, some opening speeches, and a game of Kahoot. I got 10th place, which wasn’t bad, but I messed up on some really easy questions. After eating the Instagram-famous (back in 2016) rainbow bagel, we headed to the first workshop. I chose to make friendship bracelets with my friends, and I completely failed at it. We went back down for K-Fair, which included activities like Human Knot, Rock-Paper-Scissors, and Soulmate.

Lunchtime came, and we all had many slices of pizzas since there were so many extras. The second and third workshops were a lot more informational than the first, especially the third workshop. For the third workshop, I went to public speaking, which is something I’m not so great at. Annie and Mandy gave some useful tips and tricks for when you are giving a presentation. Then, they asked for volunteers to go up to the front of the room to argue against someone about anything they are passionate about. The volunteers gave many great presentations, and though some friendships were ruined, it was a great learning experience.

The last part of Fall Rally took place in the auditorium where we met one of UNICEF employees. She talked about its goal, some of its projects, and what role Key Club plays to help UNICEF. The final thing we did was Happy Dollar, where you can donate a dollar to say why you are happy. At first, not that many people went, but the next thing you knew, there was a long line of people waiting to donate and say why they’re happy. All of the money we raised was donated to UNICEF. Going to Fall Rally was definitely one of the smartest decisions I made that week, and I cannot wait to go again next year.

By Vincent Huang This year’s Fall Rally was definitely something that I was looking forward to after attending the one last year and having an amazing experience. When I arrived at the event late, there was a huge line for signups, which made me regret taking my sweet time early in the morning. Once I signed in, I proceeded to the cafeteria, where I was greeted by rainbow colored bagels, a treat to the eyes. After meeting up with a friend, we attended the first meeting, where we learned all the tips and guides for applying to college and the fact that we were totally not ready for the process. After the informative session, K-Fair took place, and that was a fun experience, in matching birth months, playing an intense match of rock-paper-scissors, and yelling spirit chants. After lunch was served, we went to the second and third meetings, where we learned all about the job of a Webmaster and I finally faced my fears of public speaking. We ended the day in the auditorium, where there was a guest speaker who explained how the money from our UNICEF boxes was going towards eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus, a disease fatal to both mothers and their children. This event is always a highlight of my year, and I definitely look forward to next year’s Fall Rally as well.

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Clean and Green

By Jeffrey Chen If Trump won’t address climate change, then we will! The Clean and Green event was a chance for us to begin to take that initiative on a local level. We worked with the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, whose mission is to help clean up the all the pollution in the Gowanus Canal. Most of this trash comes from combined sewage overflow when rain overfloods the sewage system, forcing sewage to be dumped into the nearest body, which for Park Slope, Boerum Hill, and the other neighborhoods nearby, is the Gowanus Canal.

In response, the conservancy has advocated for better infrastructure and has worked on maintaining and planting trees to help mitigate rainfall. During the event, we helped with the latter, going down 4th Avenue towards Barclays Center from tree to tree, aerating the soil, picking up trash, and removing dead leaves and weeds. We would then place a fresh layer of soil and compost around the tree to complete the makeover. Altogether with the help of Murrow’s Key Club and other volunteers, we managed to care for the trees on about ten blocks.

Photos taken by Jeffrey Chen

By Sammi Lin When I arrived at the Gowanus Canal Greenspace, I was taken aback by how small the lot was. Most of the other gardening events I had attended occurred in large parks with vast, grassy areas. This time, however, the area consisted of a gated fence with a shed and a couple mounds of soil.

Nevertheless, when we walked in, we met three of the workers for the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, and after receiving warm coffee and cider, they began a small session where they discussed the problem of runoff in urban cities as well as how despite the benefits of water treatment plants in the city, during rainstorms, many of these plants end up overflowing from the excess water and unintentionally dumping the contaminated water back into our water sources, especially the Gowanus Canal. They then explained how this connects to the work we were going to do, and how by turning the soil of many of the trees lining the sidewalks, it would allow for less runoff as more water can be absorbed by the soil.

Afterwards, the volunteers were distributed along 4th Ave right outside the greenspace to begin turning the soil in the soil beds along the street. We picked up trash and helped weed, throwing any of the weeds we uprooted to a compost pile. Then, we dumped some more nutrient-rich soil on top of the beds and occasionally planted daffodil bulbs (although this was more difficult since the ground was too hard to dig any lower than a few inches). When we finished one soil bed, we moved to the next, as there were about two or three beds along each block. We worked on this the entire time, and when we finished, we headed back to the volunteers tent at the greenspace. In the end, we managed to turn the soil of the soil beds across seven blocks!

Photo taken by Jeffrey Chen

Photos taken by Jeffrey Chen

Photos taken by Rachel Joh

Photos taken by Rachel Joh

Photos taken by Rachel Joh

Photos taken by Sammi Lin

Photos taken by Kelly Chen

Photos taken by Kelly Chen

BT5K

By Freya Zhu After signing in with our project captain, we got our free shirts and ate our fill of bagels and coffee. We were asked to decorate a banner with pictures to commemorate those who are fighting brain tumors, those that have won their battle against brain tumors, and those who have died from brain tumors. Seeing the smiling faces of someone who has passed away ignited a spark in me that made me want to be able to help them more in any way I can.

As we put our finishing touches onto the banner, many relatives of the people who were in the pictures arrived. They oohed and aahed at the site of a familiar face, taking pictures and pointing out the pictures to their family members. My friend and I left them to mourn and celebrate their family members. To my surprise, one of my friends had signed me up for course marshalling when I already had a role. Thankfully, I wasn’t by myself whereas all the other people were. I was with this sophomore and he kept me from being bored. We talked about random things while directing the runners along a specific path. Near the end, two of my friends came running up to me and handed me multiple bags of nutter butter (I love these) and we then headed back together.

When the event was coming to a close, we helped clean up the place.

We folded up the tablecloths, chairs, and carried them to a certain area. It was fun to watch one of my friends run back and forth multiple times. After eating some strawberries and cake, we said our goodbyes and headed home. On the way home, we bumped into our project captain who was carrying bananas and bagels. We had a good laugh and finally went home.

By Jason Xiong Sunday, November 12th was BT5K. For anyone who doesn’t know, BT5K is a run/walk to raise awareness and fight against brain tumor (BT) diseases. I was really excited because I got to see one of my friend from LaGuardia because it was also a LaGuardia event (fun fact: she didn’t even come because she got the time wrong). After getting off the subway, we walked a long way to Pier 84.

We signed in at the volunteer tent and got our volunteer shirts to wear during the event. There were many different jobs for the volunteers. Some were put on registration and donations collection while others handed out food or acted as course marshals. I was assigned at first to registration and donations collection, but the lady at the volunteer tent left, so my new job was to sign in volunteers and give them shirts. I also blew up some cheering sticks (I have no idea what they’re called) that I used later to cheer on the runners and walkers. In the meantime, I didn’t have that much to do so I decided to fill myself up with a bagel and some coffee and also give them to volunteers that are hungry.

The runners were preparing to run as I blew up some more cheering sticks.

The volunteers at registration and donations collection were pretty much done, so they decided to join in the cheering. As soon as the race started, there were runners running at a very fast speed while others started slower, probably to save their energy. After a while, you could see the walkers who held up signs honoring those who lost their life to a brain tumor or those who suffer from brain tumor. Once in a while, I had to go back to the volunteer tent because volunteers would come in to sign in two hours after the event started. There were tons of snacks and beverages for runners and volunteers to thank them for showing up today. My inner foodie couldn’t stop me from eating Oreos and Nutter Butters. After most of the runners and walkers could no longer be seen from the starting line, the lady came back and I was free to go. I joined some of my friends who were course marshals and cheered on some of the walkers. I also brought them some snacks because they were standing in the middle of the street with nothing to eat for quite a while. When it looked like no one else was walking, we started to head back toward the volunteer tent.

Back at the volunteer tent, everyone was starting to clean up. The tables and chairs were folded up and stacked. Everyone gathered around to take a group picture and we even got cake from one of the tents. After filling ourselves with a big slice of cake, everyone said bye and went their ways toward home.

Photos taken by Alan Guo

Video taken by Alan Guo

Video taken by Freya Zhu

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Alan Guo

Photos taken by Penny Wang

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Homeless Coalition Run

By Jason Xiong Walking and running in the cold on November 17th is exactly how I like to spend my Friday afternoon. Just kidding, but it was really fun to get a bit of a workout after sitting in classrooms for seven and a half hours. After the 3:35pm end bell, I headed to get my jacket from my locker and to put away my book bag. At the lobby, there were Key Clubbers, track runners, and a lot of students.

Everyone was trying to sign in early so they can get a head-start on the run. A lot of people were competing against each other while some people were just walking to relax after a long week of school. I would consider myself the second type. Though I spent half of the time walking, I did run the other half. During the walk, I talked to other Key Clubbers, and we learned so much about each other. From homework struggles to test failures, it was easy to forget that we were actually in the middle of a walk. However, people quickly started to go back in the other direction and my friends and I were debating whether we should speed up. We then decided that we were gonna run until we got tired and resumed to walking.

We finally reached the two mile mark and turned around to head back.

The way back was also filled with fun as well. When we got back, the sky was a lot darker and the lobby was crowded with even more people than we started with. At the tables, there were so many people trying to take the chapsticks that they were giving out. After signing out, I headed back to my locker to get my book bag and went home after a not-so-tiring walk.

Photo taken by Jason Xiong

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Queens Half Marathon

By Jason Xiong On Saturday, November 18th, I woke up at 4:00am, the earliest I ever had to get up for an event. It took me about half an hour to eat breakfast and get ready, but the train ride from my house to Corona Park was 2.5 hours. When I got there, it was only 6:30am, which is a lot earlier than I expected. After checking in at the volunteer tent, I walked to bag check, which is where I was assigned to be at. A guy explained to the volunteers how bag check worked.

We had to clip the bag check tag to the clear drawstring bag and then tie it so nothing would fall out. We then put them in groups based on the last digit of the runner’s number. It was pretty easy to check in, but then the hard part came.

After all the runners were checked in, we had to put the drawstring bags in numerical order in each individual group. My strategy was to first put them together numerically by the first digit of their number and then putting them in numerical order after they are placed in even smaller groups. Using this strategy, we managed to finish our assigned bags quickly and then were placed on trash duty. We picked up everything that looked like it didn’t belong on the ground with our hands and then put them into a large black bag. When we were done cleaning, the runners started to come back.

As the runners were coming back, we had to give them their bags, and of course it turned into a competition as my friends and I raced to give the people their bags after their numbers become visible. Checking out the bags was a lot faster than checking them in and we were soon down to only a few bags.

However, the ground required cleaning again. My friends and I were once again called to do trash duty, but luckily, it wasn’t as dirty this time. After cleaning up, we got our volunteer shirt and filled ourselves up with bagels and hot chocolate after many hours and running around and cleaning.

By Freya Zhu This event was definitely the most nerve-wracking one. To make sure I had enough time to get there, I woke up at 4:00am. But as my luck goes, I was still late. The stations near me were closed, and when I thought nothing else could go wrong, the train ahead of us malfunctioned which held us back for an hour.

Even when my friend and I actually arrived at the park, it took us a while to get the site of the event. Eventually, we finally made it to the designated area. We signed in and headed to the bag check area. We organized the bags and then handed it out to the runners.

When the whole process started to slow down, we were asked by one of the coordinators to start cleaning up, and by that, she meant for us to walk around and pick up the trash. It was actually kind of fun. After we finished, we treated ourselves to hot chocolate that had cooled down, bagels and cream cheese‌ and multiple cups of leftover Gatorade and water.

We then signed out and got our free shirts. After taking our group picture, we began our long way home where I slept because I was so tired.

Photo taken by Vincent Huang

Video taken by Penny Wang

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Video taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Penny Wang

Photos taken by Penny Wang

Photos taken by Penny Wang

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Irene Chen

Photos taken by Irene Chen

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Washington Square Park Dog Run

By Jason Xiong I woke up early on Sunday, November 19th to go the Brooklyn Marathon.

However, the last thing I expected to see at 4 AM in the morning was an email saying I’ve been moved to help out at another event instead. However, I didn’t mind at all because the event was a dog run. Since the dog run started a lot later, I went back to sleep.

After arriving at the hotel, we helped the lady in charge load the things needed for the run into her SUV. We then walked to the park and unloaded the things onto the tables there. We went back to the hotel to load more things into the the SUV. After setting up, we waited for the dogs to come. They were dressed in cute costumes, and some owners even dressed up with their dogs.

There were many activities and tents available for the dogs and their owners before the walk started. The dogs and their owners quickly became friends with each other. Time flew when dogs were having fun. 12:00pm came faster than expected, and the doggy parade had just started. Our shift had ended and we headed home, with way too much puppy pictures.

By Freya Zhu I was looking forward to this event for the longest time. The first time I had signed up for this event, it was canceled due to the rain. What we didn't know was that this event was to be rescheduled. Previously, my friends and I had all signed up for to the Brooklyn Marathon. At 3:00am that very day, our treasurer contacted us and told us about the event. They had forgotten about the dog run and are now panicking to find people to attend. I had just woken up to prepare for the Brooklyn marathon when I found hundreds of text messages from my friends informing me about the present issue on hand. We decided fcgvhbvggfhj

that three of us were going to go to the Dog Run instead of the Brooklyn marathon. I was very excited because my love for cute animals is immeasurable which I’m sure you’ll know if you ask my friends. This did make me a little sad because it was my birthday and I was looking forward to spending it with my friends. Nevertheless, I went to back to sleep for an extra hour.

When we arrived at the meeting place, we loaded up a car with goodie bags for dogs and brought them over to the park, where we helped set everything up. It was pretty windy and we had to find ways to make sure that the linen won’t get carried away. Before we knew it, dogs with costumes started to arrive at the event. I found myself gushing over the dogs and taking five pictures of each dog. Some costumes were just hilarious and adorable. I remember the one in the toast costume which make me laugh. Then there were those that are just adorable. There was this bull dog that was dressed up as a fortune teller. It was sitting on a little wagon holding a sign that said, “I will make you smile.” This made me feel very happy.

My friend and I were wandering around the place when a girl with a cameraman walked up to us and asked us if we would like to sing a song. They said it comes with a free mic and I’m all for free stuff. Throughout the song, I couldn’t stop laughing since it was so funny. We made it through the song thought and I got a free mic! Shortly after, the parade was starting meaning it was time for us to go.

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Queens Turkey Trot 5K/15K

By Freya Zhu For this event, I was prepared. I was ready to get there on time and maybe even early. I woke up at 3:40am and was at the train station at 4:25am. I was determined to not be late. There was one problem that occurred and that was when I rode the wrong way once but I caught it before I got too off-track.

As soon as I got off the train, I realized how underdressed I was and really wanted an extra pair of pants. When we went to the park, I did still get a little lost because I didn’t know where the marathon was taking place. Eventually, I found it and I signed in. A guy in a van then drove us to the place that we were going to stay in for the next few hours. While waiting for the race to start, I practiced my dance routine. After some time, my friend and I started to see some racers. I stood in one lane while my friend stood in the other, directing them where to go and sometimes cheering them on. I remember racers in turkey headbands, hats, and even full-on costumes. A few hours went by and there were no more runners. Deciding that the van wasn’t going to come and pick us up, my friends and I walked the way back to the tents. Our treasurer greeted us with a happy smile and then left shortly afterwards. For the remainder of the event, we just chilled and relaxed. We got some free cinnamon rolls, granola bars, and boxed water. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a free shirt but volunteering is for bettering yourself and your community and not free things… right?

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Video taken by Daniel Liang

Video taken by Vincent Huang

Photos taken by Daniel Liang

Photos taken by Wentao Lin

Photos taken by Irene Chen

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Kelly Chen

Photos taken by Penny Wang

New York City Turkey Trot 5K/15K

By Jason Xiong On Saturday, November 25th, I decided that instead of spending Thanksgiving break sleeping, I would go out and get some cinnamon rolls to eat. I woke up early to take the subway to Roosevelt Island, and it was my 2nd time there. I had so much fun volunteering there the first time, so I was really excited about this event, too. This event was just like the Hot Cider Hustle, except for that runners get better clothes and better food. Upon arrival at 6:00am, there was nothing set up except for a few tables. However, we did have 2 hours because signing in the runners did not start until 8:00am.

In those two hours, we helped set up the tables and tents and organized the boxes of cinnamon rolls and hoodies, ready to be distributed to the runners.

At 8:00am, runners started to sign in at the sign in tables or register at the registration tables. They also checked their bags in at gear check. Upon signing in, volunteers would check them off and then give them an event hoodie based on the size they pre-ordered online. After everyone signed in, we moved the hoodie boxes away and brought forward the boxes with cinnamon rolls and started to take them out and on the table, waiting for the runners to come back and get one.

After what felt like a short time, the runners started to come back and got their things from gear check. Then, before you can say cinnamon rolls, there was a huge crowd of runners waiting to get one. Volunteers had to tear off the cinnamon rolls tag from the runner’s bib and then a cinnamon roll was placed in a bakery tissue and handed to the runners. That lasted a good hour. The volunteers were really excited because the leftovers went to them.

These cinnamon rolls tasted a lot better than the apples from the Hot Cider Hustle. After eating, we gathered for a group picture before heading home.

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Video taken by Carina Lee

Video taken by Vincent Huang

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photo taken by Carina Lee

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Photos taken by Stacey Xue

Photos taken by Annie Huang

Friends of Corlears Hook Park

By Freya Zhu As the clock ticked 11:00am, my friends and I arrived at a table with snacks, gloves, rakes, shovels, garbage, bags, and more. After putting on an oversized pair of gloves, I grabbed a rake and a garbage bag and went to the place I was assigned to. I started raking with my friend, but as time went on, more of my friends arrived and helped us. What was supposed to be two people raking turned into a group of five, but hey, the more the merrier. After we finished that area, we were deciding where we would target next.

Just then I saw some of my friends that didn't didn't sign up for the event. It was then that I found out the Environmental Club was also there.

After filling up multiple bags with leaves, we took a little break and I went to get pretzels, which I have been eyeing down for quite some time now, for everyone. The events that happened next were kind of odd‌ it involved stuffing people in the garbage bags. I had this very tall friend that was trying to compress a bag of leaves by sitting on it. Then he was covered in a garbage bag. My other friend “accidentallyâ€? pushed him and made him fall sideways. What happened next was a wild goose chase that made me laugh so hard; it was hilarious.

After that settled, we got back to work. I was raking when someone put a bag over me. Almost simultaneously, I kicked whoever was to the side of me. It led to another small chase that was stopped when I saw an adorable Shiba. Her name was Miku and she was just so fluffy. I started petting her and forgot about what happened. My friends came up behind me and started petting her too. It was great.

By Jason Xiong Sunday, November 26th was another cleanup event, but this time, it was for Corlears Hook Park (the other one was in Fort Greene). We did this event with Bronx Science as well, and many other clubs were there, too. We arrived at the park and signed in. There were a lot of food and water for us provided by the person in charge there. Our task was pretty straightforward: we raked up leaves, put them in the black bags, and brought them over to one of the entrances of the park. Everyone was assigned to a different part of the park and went by themselves to the different areas. We raked the leaves downhill, and at the bottom of the hill, we used shovels and even our hands to get the leaves into the bags.

After cleaning one area, my friends and I moved to a different area where no one had really cleaned yet. The whole process was basically a cycle of raking, putting in bags, and bringing the bags. Due to the fact that rakes are hard to use to pick up things and shovels are extremely heavy, we decided to use our hands to pick up a good amount of leaves. It was a lot of work, but when it was done, a patch of green grass with no leaves just made the Instagram picture a lot cuter. Together, all the clubs managed a clean up a good amount of the park and everything looks a lot cleaner. The shift’s end came pretty quickly and everyone gathered around to take a group picture.

Afterward, we returned our gloves, rakes, and shovels and then headed home.

Photo taken by Jason Xiong

By Sammi Lin As I made my way to Corlears Park in Lower Manhattan, I was relieved to know that I would not get lost this time, as I had already attended an event at this park for the Environmental Club. As a result, I arrived at the park right on time, but the few Stuy kids that were already there were rather confused on what to do, so we waited until the project captain arrived. Then, after signing in and receiving gloves and a rake, we were stationed to help rake and bag the leaves in a rather small area by the dog park. However, there was a slight misunderstanding among us, and we ended up having six people raking in the same area! I helped relieve some of the crowding by moving to the larger field adjacent to the dog park and raked leaves. I managed to create seven piles before one of my friends arrived, as she, like me the first time I made my way to the park, had gotten lost on her way there. Nevertheless, when she arrived, I helped her get set up with signing in, getting rakes and gloves, and giving her some snacks (as I was planning on taking a break right when she arrived). After we ate our granola bars, we chatted while bagging the piles of leaves I had already made. My friend employed a “chopstick� method when bagging the leaves: using two similar-sized rakes, she used the two rakes to hold a mass of leaves and deposited them into the bag, which I helped hold open.

After we ran out of leaves to bag, we went back to raking, making our way all the way down to the bridge by the highway on the far end of the park.

We took another break, reuniting with some of the other Stuy kids that were there. Nevertheless, the event did end up ending a bit early as the organizers deemed the park clean enough that we didn’t have to rake anymore.

Unfortunately, I ended up leaving a bit too early as the remaining volunteers had a group photo after I left.

Video taken by Freya Zhu

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Top photo taken by Freya Zhu Bottom photos taken by Vincent Huang

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Penny Wang

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

November Divisional

By Jason Xiong Wednesday, November 29th was the second divisional we held this year and also my second divisional. This divisional was a lot less exciting than the first, but it was still pretty fun. When we arrived at Hunter College High School, which was the location of our November Divisional, we all went into a room and everyone just sat there and chilled for a good hour. Due to the fact that a classroom is kind of too small to hold a divisional, everyone was asked to move to the cafeteria, which was not that much bigger. Everyone sat down as we proceeded with the call to order, the pledge of allegiance, the Key Club pledge, and roll calls. Like most divisionals, following next was old business, which was followed by new business. The schools talked about their big upcoming fundraisers and tried to get other Key Clubbers to go.

The big things discussed this divisional was LTC and LTG. LTC, or Leadership Training Conference, is going to be held in March; however, Key Clubs need to start preparing for it early. Another thing was LTG elections because our current LTG, Eric Zhao, is graduating. Another thing we talked about was the Halo Awards and LTC pins and shirts designs. After some board and social media updates, the divisional ended with the announcement of our December Divisional, which will be in Bronx Science.

Photo taken by Freya Zhu

Video taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Freya Zhu

Photos taken by Jason Xiong

Photos taken by Vincent Huang

Thank you for reading this issue of the Locksmith! Please send any feedback to locksmith@stuykc.org and continue to submit articles and photos.