the locksmith - october '06
DESCRIPTION
CONGRATULATIONS JENNY LIU! That’s the spirit of Keyclub! Happy to serve our home, school, and community.. *déjà vu* Actually, I have more to say: 4) The majority of the Cab went to Six Flags this past week and during the long lines for Nitro and Medusa, we have sweated over plans for the upcoming year. So brace yourself for a fantastically new and improved (can some- Besides, who would miss the chance to see Courtney get lifted into the air? =DTRANSCRIPT
A Note from the Editor: I have three things to say: 1) I am amazed by the great turnout in our weekly Friday meetings. I hope that it will continue to attract so many members and interested prospective members. Keep it up! 2) Go to events!!! I cannot stress this enough: Events make Key Club as successful as it is today. I encourage you all to attend the various events we have to offer, whether it be the walks, JCC, cleanups, etc. Do what interests you—and if everything interests you, go for it! 3) I hope you had a Happy Halloween! The Cab is ea-gerly awaiting those cash-filled UNICEF boxes that you dedicatedly stuffed in front of other people’s noses for contribution. Actually, I have more to say: 4) The majority of the Cab went to Six Flags this past week and during the long lines for Nitro and Medusa, we have sweated over plans for the upcoming year. So brace yourself for a fantastically new and improved (can some-thing be new and improved? -_-) Key Club! 5) We are always available for comments, concerns, etc. Just email us at [email protected]. If you want to sub-mit an article or pictures of any event, please submit it to [email protected] . We would greatly appre-ciate it and I’m sure you will greatly appreciate seeing your name in this wonderful newsletter, The Locksmith!
Lily Tsoi Y
Picture of the Month!
THE LOCKSMITHTHE LOCKSMITHTHE LOCKSMITH
A Note From the Editor:
ART:ART:ART:ART:
Jenny Liu
Connie Liu
NEW PROJECTS:NEW PROJECTS:NEW PROJECTS:NEW PROJECTS:
Melissa Wu
Michelle Wong
ADVOCACY:ADVOCACY:ADVOCACY:ADVOCACY:
Natalie Lam
Danna Wei
PUBLIC RELATIONS:PUBLIC RELATIONS:PUBLIC RELATIONS:PUBLIC RELATIONS:
Christopher Singh
Sue Yee Chen
FUNDRAISING:FUNDRAISING:FUNDRAISING:FUNDRAISING:
HuiZi (Anna) Lin
Sally Cheung
LOCKSMITHLOCKSMITHLOCKSMITHLOCKSMITH
Ashley Cheng
Richard Huang
Member of the Month Member of the Month Member of the Month Member of the Month
of Octoberof Octoberof Octoberof October
!!!CONGRATS!!!!!!CONGRATS!!!!!!CONGRATS!!!!!!CONGRATS!!!
Michael ChuMichael ChuMichael ChuMichael Chu
October, 2006
Volume 2, Issue 2
MSABC 2-3
Avon Walk for
Breast Cancer 4
JDRF/
JCC Operation
Chicken Soup 5
Memory Walk 6
WHY Key Club? 7
Caring—Our Way of Life
Inside this Issue
Have fun. Enjoy life. Don’t forget Have fun. Enjoy life. Don’t forget Have fun. Enjoy life. Don’t forget Have fun. Enjoy life. Don’t forget about Key Club.about Key Club.about Key Club.about Key Club.
F
WEB:WEB:WEB:WEB: Un Soi Chio Pawel Socha Articles? Pictures? Send them to: [email protected]@[email protected]@yahoo.com New Project/Advocacy idea? Email us at: [email protected]@[email protected]@yahoo.com LET THESE ADDRESSES BE YOUR NEW BEST FRIENDS!!!!!
q
Stuyvesant High
School’s Key Cl
ub
CONGRATULATIONS JENNY LIU! That’s the spirit of Keyclub! Happy to serve
our home, school, and community.. *déjà
vu*
The first big event of the year turned out to be a success thanks to the many Key Club members, both old and new, who turned up for the MSABC Walk on Sunday, October 15th in Central Park. After arriving at the Bandshell at 7:00am, we checked in at the volunteer tent and received our t-shirts, which were a bit oversized, as usual. Then, we were split into our sections to start pre-paring for the walk. My friends and I were put into Section 2 Route Marshalling. We fol-lowed our leader from 72nd St all the way past 80th St. The entire time we were unraveling a long roll of pink ribbon that we would later use to prevent walkers from straying onto the road. We each held on to a part of the ribbon to keep it up for many blocks. It took quite some time to space out the volunteers along the way, but in the end, we did it. After awhile, our fingers started to get numb from having to hold the ribbon in the frigid cold, but that soon went away as the walkers started com-ing at around 9:30am. After that, it was just a continuous few hours of cheers and smiles. We got our energy flowing
and spirits up with shouts of “Go
walkers!” and the walkers’ echoes of
“Go volunteers!”
After the last walkers had been greeted, we headed to the finish line where the other volunteers were to con-gratulate those who were still walking and those who had completed the walk. We all clapped and cheered as they passed under the arch of pink and white balloons. To reward everyone, paper bags filled with juice boxes, snack bars, ap-ples, and chocolate were distributed at the finish line. The MSABC Walk was a great way to lead off all the big events that will be coming up throughout the year. - Joanna Chen
What’s better than spending a Sunday morning volun-
teering at Central Park in Manhattan? Well, it’s volunteer-
ing with your friends that Sunday morning, of course! The
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC) Walk
proved to be, so far, the longest, most fun, and most at-
tended event of the year! Having been the first event for
many Key Clubbers last year, many members, both new and
old, were motivated to attend this year’s walk for breast can-
cer. The event occurred on October 15th, 2006 and
lasted from 7 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon.
There were around sixty Key Club members from
Stuyvesant alone! So, what exactly did this event en-
tail? The first thing that Key Clubbers did early that
morning was report to Project Captains Pei Xiong Liu
and Anthony Choi. After signing in with the enthusi-
astic duo, many proceeded to the volunteer tent to check in
and receive a shirt and a complementary breakfast. Then, we
just chilled with friends until it was time to disperse to our
assigned routes to cheer the walkers on. Whether by way of
thunder sticks and megaphones or by just shouting out
loud, our presence no doubt riled up the walkers that Sun-
day morning. Both at the beginning and then end of the
walk, we congratulated and thanked the walkers for their
contributions. A lunch of an apple, small drink, chewy bar,
and some chocolates was provided for us volunteers. Al-
though this wasn’t much, most Key Clubbers who went
would agree that the opportunity to spend time with their
friends and make new ones that very morning was priceless.
Besides, who would miss the chance to see Courtney get
lifted into the air? =D
-Valentin Hsu
L LOL!
COURTNEY! OUR
PRESIDENT!
MARIUS! OUR VICE-
PRESIDENT!
It was quiet and awfully chilly when I
arrived at an entrance of Central Park to at-
tend the Making Strides Against Breast Can-
cer Walk. I encountered few people on my
way to the bandshell and began to worry that
I had taken a wrong turn. But further down the
road, I was reassured by the sight of tents set
up in the distance. After checking in at the
volunteer tent I was greeted by fellow key
clubbers who had managed to come even
earlier than me. From the breakfast tent, I re-
ceived a muffin and lukewarm Starbucks cof-
fee. After most of the key clubbers that had
signed up (ninety-seven!) arrived, we set out
on our first assignment.
For the first assignment, key clubbers
had to stand along the beginning of the trail,
holding up a pink ribbon to guide the walk-
ers. Things were pretty quiet for a while but
when the cheer of a thousand of walkers sud-
denly filled the air, we knew it had be-
gun. The walkers marched passed like a pa-
rade. We tried to shout words of encourage-
ment, but most of them were drowned out by
the crowd. Sometimes we would succeed and
the walkers would cheer with us. Then we got
hold of a megaphone and things really got
loud. We gave shout-outs to different groups
of walkers that were identified by the signs
they were holding. The walk wasn’t limited to
adults either; there were many children, ba-
bies, and even dogs (there must have been at
least twenty Yorkshires that had passed by).
When the parade of walkers began
tapering off, we moved to where the real
party was—the finish line. There, we again
cheered on the walkers who had completed
the arduous journey. But this time there were
a zillion more cheerers, a woman with a mi-
crophone, humungous music-blasting speak-
ers, and a cheerleading squad! We were im-
pressed by the cheerleaders who did some
neat moves and tried to mimic them. After a
lot of struggle, we managed to get Courtney
into the air, standing awkwardly on the hands
of two daring key clubbers. The real cheer-
leaders approached us and we got
owned. One of the cheerleaders practically
hopped onto the shoulders of another, daz-
zling us and other on-lookers.
After six hours of service, even the
diligent project captains were feeling the
drag of waking up at 5:30 in the morning. But
before we took our leave, Courtney con-
vinced the lady with the microphone to give
Key Club a great—big—BOOMBA!
-PEI XIONG LIUPEI XIONG LIUPEI XIONG LIUPEI XIONG LIU
On October 15, 2006, I, along with other key
clubbers, route marshaled (directed walkers) for the Mak-
ing Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. As usual, it was a
very early event (I think it was 7 o’clock), but it was worth
it. We had saved up our spirit sticks from the Avon Walk
for Breast Cancer the week before and used them during
this walk to cheer the walkers on. We were in charge of
cheering at the starting line and at the end of the walk. It
was so much fun; every time we saw a banner with a
name we would scream to the top of our lungs until we
totally lost our voices. I also remember how me and my
friends began singing "Because of You" and the Pokemon
theme song. It was VERY FUNNY! MSABC should be an
event on everyone’s calendar next year, rain or shine.
~Nelson Chiu
MAKING STRIDES AGAISNT
BREAST CANCER!
Right: People
from all over the
city gathered to-
gether at Central
Park to walk and
fundraise for this
spectacular event!
Left: A quilt of
hope.
For two days along 39 miles, men, women and children walked to raise money for the many people affected by breast cancer. The pink banners an-nouncing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer could be seen from just about any-where in the city. Stuyvesant Key Club was there at the finish line at South Street Seaport to cheer on the walkers. Even though I got there late, the energy was still unbelievable. As I walked in the street towards Seaport, many people were under the impression that I was a walker and cheered me on with such great enthusiasm. When I finally arrived at the finish line, I was hit with a sea of pink. Everybody there was lined up on the street. They had these pink balloon noisemakers and were banging them together as loud as they could—and believe me, they were
LOUD. Screams and whistles pierced the air as each walker made it past the finish line that was marked by pink balloons. Just for the heck of it, I joined in with my own screams and balloon-banging. It was great to see the joy on each walker’s face as they passed the finish line with the encouragement of everyone around them. Because of this joy and the overall enthusiasm, I will definitely come again next year.
-Alex Tam
The 2006 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer took place
on a sunny day that was made even more wonderful by
the people assembled at South Street Seaport, participat-
ing in the fight against breast cancer. The dedication that
these people possessed for their cause radiated throughout the walk. It could be seen in hilarious
t-shirts that people wore that said things like “Save the Boobs” and “F*©k Cancer.” It could even
be seen in the funky hats that walkers made especially for this walk and in the people who stood
at the finish line cheering on walkers dressed as a pink bunny and a metrosexual cow. There were
team names like “The Grateful to be Alives” and even the sobbing cries of survivors who had
crossed the finish line could be heard. The enormous amount of luggage at the baggage check
showed that people had come from all over the nation to walk on that day.
Key Club volunteers were timid and quiet at first, but soon evolved into a roaring wave of
support for the walkers. With their team sticks, Key Club made sure that the walkers knew that they
were doing something truly special when they crossed the finish line. Volunteers inspired the walk-
ers, causing them to cheer even more loudly; likewise, the walkers encouraged the volunteers. It
was an amazing sight to see. I will forever remember the extraordinary effort that Key Clubbers
put into cheering for the amazing people who walked that day.
By Yuliya Feldman
DDDDD
People say that chicken soup
heals the soul. Although JCC's Operation
Chicken Soup probably will not repair your
soul, it can definitely reenergize a stressed
out Stuy Key Clubber after an intense day
of academics. JCC's Operation Chicken
Soup gives volunteers a fun way to get to-
gether and have fun while cooking meals for homeless shelters through-
out the city. Whether it’s hearty minestrone or a
delicious batch of fudge brownie cookies
that we are cooking, one thing is certain:
everyone will enjoy themselves and no one
will be left out of the fun. And if extra food
is made, guess who get to “clean” it up?
At the end of the day, everyone
who participates in this program receives a
certificate recognizing the volunteer’s ef-
forts and time. Occasionally, we even get
guest passes for future visits to the JCC,
giving access to JCC’s gym and even the
pool.
Although signing up for the event is
a little more complicated than the other
ones, the experience is totally worth it. (Or
as I like to say, the juice is worth the
SQUEEZE). Anyway, the next time you get a
59 on a stupid AP Chemistry test (or some-
thing like that), drag yourself to the JCC
and unwind with your friends while cooking
delicious foods for a great cause.
-William Qiao
What could be better than starting off your Sun-day morning with multiple service changes and train delays? Nothing, of course! JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Re-search Foundation, one of the first walks of the year, has always been one of the coolest Key Club events! This year was no exception. We were stationed at the food tent which of course meant free food and soda! We started off by setting up the tables for breakfast. Who knew stack-ing apples could be so much fun? But then as the walk-ers left Battery Park, it started to rain pretty hard, and that’s just an under-statement. It was still fun though since we had a nice warm tent and a bunch of corny games to pass the time (i.e. Bobby’s World, Samurai Slap, and Black Magic). Then, as the sky cleared up, we got prepared for lunch. I’d like to give a big thank you to Subway for providing us—I mean the “walkers”, with plenty of delicious sandwiches! There was also a live band and a DJ that kept playing 70’s music. Of course, we set him straight and he started playing a few of the songs from our awesome play list! And to top it all off, I think we were on TV! Whoo hoo!
-Anthony Choi
On Sunday, October 22, 2006, Stuyvesant Key
Club showed its support for those with Alzheimer at the 18th
Annual Memory Walk at Riverside Park. On that day I
arrived at 7:30 AM on a cold (as usual) fall morning. After
signing in and getting my volunteer t-shirt, I was briefed on
what my task would be: route marshalling. Our coordina-
tor told us Bob would be in charge of assigning us positions
along the path. However, we were not needed till 10:00, so
that gave us time to walk around.
For a little while my friends and I played at the nearby
park, going on the swings and monkey bars and indulging in our
adolescent selves. Afterwards we got food at the breakfast
area, chomping on a mini muffin and a danish while watching
little kids practice for a soccer game. This may not sound like
much at all, but it was a relaxing way to pass the time.
Soon after 10:00, we were lead to the area where we
would be marshalling. The walk was short, about a mile
long. Stuyvesant Key Club obtained a spot near the begin-
ning and end (route was a loop around the park), laying out
orange traffic cones and getting ready to cheer on walk-
ers. At 11:00, it finally began. Key Clubbers could be seen
rooting on the people as they walked in the beautiful crisp morn-
ing (fortunately, it had warmed up). We were able to buoy
both walkers that had just started and walkers that were fin-
ishing up, getting joyful shouts as responses as we encouraged
them on.
-Michael Chu
If the Key Fits: My Doorway into Key Club
I’m a freshman looking for extracurricular activi-
ties that will look good on my transcript, and what bet-
ter place to turn to than Key Club? When I first heard
about Key Club, I admit that I thought it had something
to do with actual, metal keys. Hah, what a misconcep-
tion!
A friend of mine who goes to Brooklyn Tech was
the first to tell me about such a club. She told me to
join the one in Stuyvesant, which at the time I didn’t
even know existed. On October 6th, I spotted a sign
saying, “Key Club Meeting, cafeteria, after period
10.” I begged my friends to stay [much to their annoy-
ance], and when the time came, we headed towards the
cafeteria.
Perhaps it was an awkward day to hold a meeting,
because when I first stepped in, I saw seniors in their
pajamas with stuffed animals or pillows. “Is this the
right place? Are only seniors allowed?” I asked appre-
hensively, ready to leave right that moment. But my
friends persuaded me to stay, and I’m glad that they
did.
The members of the cabinet had listed the upcom-
ing events on an enormous and brightly decorated
whiteboard. My eyes scanned the list briefly, wonder-
ing if I was really cut up to devote so much of my time
to Key Club and the various events it offered.
As a freshman, there is no doubt that I am nervous
about organization of time, and more importantly, lack
of it. Would I be able to study for tests, do my home-
work, finish projects, have a social life, and still do the
Key Club events on weekends? It seemed impossible.
I was introduced to the idea of committees, the
ratio of 1 hour to 60 points, and “BOOMBA.”
Strange as it may have seemed to be, I began to grow
more comfortable with each passing moment, thinking
to myself, “Hey, maybe, just maybe, I can do this!”
Now, barely a week has passed, and I’ve begged
classmates for change [for Unicef’s trick-or-treat
event] and volunteered for route-marshalling at the
MSABC [Making Strides Against Breast Cancer]
Walk, a fundraiser for breast cancer research held an-
nually at Central Park. Even in this short period of
time, I’ve begun to realize how significant Key Club is.
Not only is it a great way to socialize and earn credit at
the same time, but it’s an amazing way to help out the
community and do our part in this ever-changing
world.
There will be clubs that I may join half-heartedly,
but Key Club takes dedication and true ambition. In a
way, I see it as a challenge, but I assure you, it’s a chal-
lenge that I accept.
- Bette Ha
The first time I ever heard about Key Club
was last year, in Junior High. To be honest, I
didn’t think much of it then. I only knew one
person in that club, a classmate of mine called
Jacky. As much as I would like to tell everyone
about what a sexy, muscular hunk Jacky was, I
can’t because he really wasn’t. In fact, you could
say that he was the exact opposite: quiet, lonely,
and generally unsexy. Yet that never stopped
him from attending every club meeting. Every
Monday he would sacrifice his lunch just to wait
in a stuffy library room and even now I’m not
sure why he did it. Maybe he wanted it on his
applications for college. Maybe he actually
wanted to help people (uh huh). Maybe he was
forced to join by his sister and his two cousins
that were already in the club. Whatever the rea-
son, Jacky devoted himself to Key Club and I
sort of admire that.
The fondest memory I have of Jacky is when
he walked around during homeroom asking for
money. He kept shaking his orange UNI-
CEF box, as if the more he shook it, the more
we would feel like donating. In fact, he told me
once that if I didn’t donate, he wouldn’t help me
do my homework. Now, that was creative AND
effective marketing.
All in all, the reason I joined Key Club was
not to help people nor was it to get service credit
for college apps, even though that’s always
a plus. I joined Key club in the hopes of meeting
more people like Jacky, people I could easily
befriend and have fun with. Therefore, the next
time you decide to skip an event or even a Key
Club meeting, please think of poor Jacky.
The walk was short, lasting for about an
hour. After the walking had deceased, we headed
back to the breakfast area and cleaned up around
the coffee tables. Of course the fun didn’t stop,
with ranging activities including water flicking
at others, a certain person eating sweeteners, and
people getting strongly fumed from coffee as the
coffee makers were being emptied. We finally
finished up the job at 1:20 and headed out of the
park, going our separate ways. I’ll make sure to
remember the Memory Walk in my mind, keep-
ing its silly follies and wondrous accomplish-
ments treasured in my memory.
-Andrew Huang
WHY Key
Club? r ? ?