File - TCNJ Circle K

THE CIRKULATION
TCNJ Circle K’s Official Publication
Volume 1 | Issue 6 | February 2014
ROARING
INTO 2014
Page 1
THE
CIRKULATION
TCNJ Circle K’s Official Publication
Volume 1 | Issue 6 | February 2014
Letter from the editor
Hello everyone!
I hope you had a great winter break, and welcome back! Even
when off from school our members don’t stop serving others. In this
newsletter you’ll find exceptional stories of how our members spent
their break to better the world we live in through service. It’s also nice
to know what everyone’s been up to!
We’ve also got exclusive coverage on Kanga and Roo’s winter
break, which they spent with yours truly. We had a blast!
Of course we cover the event that has had the ENTIRE NJ DISTRICT
raving, the 2014 Winter Social that was hosted by our club! The event
was a huge success, and we’re so grateful for everyone that shared the
night with us!
This issue our member spotlight covers two lovely ladies who put
a lot of planning and hard work into winter social this year, I wonder
who it could be....
Be sure to check out District Secretary Dawn Kreder talk about the
biggest event of the year, coming up this March...District Convention!!
Read on, fellow CKIers, this is an issue of The Cirkulation you won’t want
to miss!
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@tcnjcircleK find us on facebook Page 2
Volume 1 | Issue 6 | February 2014
The Inside Scoop on A Roaring Evening
By Kelly Krickus
Decadence, flappers, rapid progress and eco-
the time, it was great to see some pros swing dance, re-
nomic growth all marked the 1920’s era and TCNJ CKI did
ally bringing a sense of the 1920’s to life, as frank Sinatra
it justice with a fantastic winter social. I helped start the
sang in the background. But enough Sinatra-let’s get
evening by setting up. Lots of preparation went into the
back to the line dancing!
social, with the club having booked the room 4 months
in advance. Table clothes were set, centerpieces arranged
Finally the evening winded down with desert
and worries discussed over the slippery snow falling
and penny wars. I am a vicious penny wars competitor,
outside. I was fortunate enough to live on campus so the
honing my skills and strategy with each competition. The
social was a quick two minute walk away, but I thought
last time TCNJ competed we were blown out of the water
the weather might keep some people home. Neverthe-
and I was determined not to be embarrassed on home
less, the true spirit of CKI shone through, with a record
turf. TCNJ and Rider both went to the back to get rolls of
turn-out, keeping almost each of the twelve tables filled
pennies. And while I was optimistic, things didn’t quite
with lively gossip and photo-snapping friends.
turnout as anticipated, with TCNJ coming in second, and
ACCC coming in first. Best-dressed awards were also
To kick off the evening dinner was served from
given out and well deserved-a good number of people
catering by a nearby Italian restaurant. I usually am a
turned up in 1920’s garb, even though I just wore a sim-
fairly picky person, but the food was absolutely fantastic!
ple LBD and cardigan.
I sampled some penne vodka, salad and eggplant parmesan, all of which was delicious. The best part of the night,
Overall, I have to say it was an excellent night
of course, was the dancing! I danced almost all night, to
that exceeded my expectations and raised $945 for Elim-
new favorites like Katy Perry, mixed with good old party
inate. It was also my first winter social and I had a lot of
starters like the Spice Girls and Cotton Eyed Joe. CKI
fun helping out. It was great to see new, tried- and- true,
showed that it really knew its line dancing moves.
and alumni club members. I especially want to thank
TCNJ’s E-board and our Social chairs-Thank you for a
In order to expand all of the guests dancing
move repertoire, TCNJ Swing Club stopped by to give a
lesson or two. While I hate to admit that I can’t count a
beat and was completely lost about seventy percent of
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f
it’s sparkling cider, relax!
great time!!!
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THE
CIRKULATION
TCNJ Circle K’s Official Publication
Volume 1 | Issue 6 | February 2014
Serving New Orleans
By Sarah Shepp
On January 4th one hundred other TCNJ
each day. Some days we cultivated plants in a nurs-
Alternative Break Club members and I packed into
ery, others we planted trees in a marsh, cut branches
cars and began our twenty three hour drive to New
and picked up pollution in an environmental center
Orleans, Louisiana. I was excited to explore anoth-
that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, demolished
er part of the country and curious to see for myself
a shed, and helped restore a two hundred year old
the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. After
historic fort.
travelling through 7 states and the nation’s capital
we spent the night of the 4th sleeping over at Saint
Giles Church in Greenville, South Carolina. Then at
I did was wetlands restoration which is extremely
6am the following morning we continued on our way,
important for multiple reasons. Firstly wetlands are
crossing into the central time zone and arrived in
buffers to the mainland and help prevent flooding
NOLA!
during storms. Wetlands also helped protect oil
The main emphasis of volunteer work that
reserves and help fisheries capture shellfish.
Upon arrival at NOLA ten other TCNJ stu-
dents and went to the Common Ground Relief Site
in the Lower 9th Ward. The other 90 TCNJ students
volunteered at Project Homecoming, a site focused
mainly on construction. Common Ground Relief is a
non-profit organization that focuses on wetlands restoration, construction and repair of neighborhoods in
the lower 9th ward and bayou district of the city.
At Common Ground I worked with volun-
teers from all over the country from states such as
California, Wisconsin and Mississippi. The volunteer
Sarah!
work that we did at Common Ground Relief varied
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@tcnjcircleK find us on facebook Volume 1 | Issue 6 | February 2014
Serving New Orelans (continuted)
In NOLA I got to witness the destruction
from Hurricane Katrina firsthand. It was amazing to
see houses that have been halfway built and others
that are boarded up because people abandoned them
eight years ago during the storm and have not come
back. There are giant spaces of empty land where
houses, neighborhoods, stores, and life used to be prior to Katrina. During the storm, houses had up to 17
feet of water in them and many simply floated away.
I am thankful that I got to spend a week of
my winter break helping out in New Orleans. The
other TCNJ volunteers and I accomplished a lot, but
there is still much work to be done. However, piece
by piece, step by step, mission by mission, we can rebuild, restore, and remedy the damage caused by this
atrocious disaster and recreate a stronger and more
united city.
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THE
CIRKULATION
TCNJ Circle K’s Official Publication
Volume 1 | Issue 6 | February 2014
An interview
with
Kanga
and
Roo
By Kerrin McLaughlin
The lovely lady sitting across from me is quite the
trooper. She’s very well known amongst TCNJ Circle K and
has gotten to know many of the club’s members fondly. She
tells me that her job is never done, but she loves exploring
the lives of members from the club she holds so dearly to
her heart.
“I’m glad I finally get to talk about my experiences from a
first hand perspective”, Ms. Kanga chimes from atop the
stack of books she’s resting on, in order to see me at eye
level, “It’s nice that the members always explain what I’ve
been up to, but sometimes they get the details wrong!”
I laugh politely as Roo, Kanga’s young son, pipes up “A lot
of the members don’t want to mention all the trouble I get
into, but they’re leaving out the best parts!”
It’s true that past member accounts have labeled Roo as a
bit of a trouble maker, but his mischievous attitude only
makes him all the more lovable.
“So, guys, can you tell me about your experience with, well,
me, over winter break?”
“Oh, Kerrin” smiles Kanga, “You’re always a joy to be around.
I remember the first time we were together, last year. I
wasn’t sure about you at first, I thought you might just be
the boring nerdy type, but it turns out you’re a lot of fun!”
“Wow, Kanga...kind of harsh first impression, do I really
seem that dorky?”
with his little voice.
“Oh yes,” continues Kanga, “It was marvelous to explore
Florida with you, though I didn’t really appreciate being
kept in a backpack for most of the journey...”
“Come on Kanga...I didn’t want you two to hop out of my
sight! You got plenty of air...”
“Very true Kerrin, once again, I’m only joking.”
“Okay, so what were some of the highlights of the trip for
you guys?”
“Well”, started Kanga, “I really did like the fact that your
family has so many..Australian things! We met your bearded
dragon Sydney, and your bearded Uncle Peter!”
“I even made friends with a koala my size, mom!” pipes Roo
“What’s important” Kanga continues “Is that when we visit
every member it’s our duty to congratulate them on being
a great CKI member, it’s truly an honor for both of us to
spend time with such extraordinary people. Thanks for being such an amazing club, and we look forward to spending
time with all of you!”
There you have it folks, our beloved mascots speak out.
Thanks for all you do, Kanga and Roo!
Kanga, Roo, and my
bearded dragon,
Sydney!
“Oh, I’m just joking, only a little! The truth is, winter break
was one of the best experiences I’ve had with a member
throughout this whole journey. I mean, you took us on
vacation!”
“She took us to DISNEY WORLD!” Roo practically screeches
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@tcnjcircleK find us on facebook Volume 1 | Issue 6 | February 2014
Member Spotlight: Our Social Butterflies
By Kerrin McLaughlin
They’re the dynamic duo swooping in to bring some fun
to our CKI family. Possibly the most revered committee chairs,
In her free time, Mary enjoys listening to Taylor Swift, lusting over
these two ladies are responsible for uniting our members togeth-
Peeta from The Hunger Games, and reading John Green novels.
er not only as allies in service, but as friends. You may be familiar
with their previous hits, such as “Six Flags Extraordinare”, “Adven-
Jayde Pang is a sophomore open options business ma-
tures at Terhune Farms”, or “Night of the Service” but their biggest
jor, she may be a new face to a lot of members who just joined,
success is definitely “Roaring Twenties: The party of the Decade”.
because she spent the last semester studying abroad in England!
Yes, you know them, you love them, this issue’s member spotlight
Nonetheless, Jayde is a valuable part of our Circle K family.
is honoring our two Social Committee Chairs: Mary Kennedy and
Jayde Pang!
Mary, who is also Jayde’s roommate, told me that Jayde
has a hipster air to her. She’s on the cutting edge of fashion and
Mary Kennedy is a sophomore psychology major who
does a lot for the club. Here’s a word from Mary herself!
likes “music I’ve never heard of”. Recently she was at a Yellowcard
concert, one of her favorite bands. “She’s also really hard working
and fun to be around”, says Mary. Jayde used her artistic abilities
“Helping to plan the Winter Social has been one of my
to create the centerpieces for the social, and had a lot to do with
favorite things I’ve ever done in Circle K. We worked hard with the
the decorations of the night. Jayde’s favorite service project is
e-board to plan out this large event so we could make it the best it
Learning Lab, where she tutors kids, and she recommends it for
could possibly be. The formal turned out very successful and I am
everyone interested in helping children.
so happy that so many people came and had a great time.
Thank you Mary and Jayde for all that you do!
My favorite thing about being one of the social committee chairs
is planning events to get everyone together outside of normal
meetings. I really love promoting fellowship in the club and
helping to make events that can help everyone bond. Something
interesting about me is that I went to Berlin, Germany over Winter
break and had the chance to experience a lot of the German culture!”
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THE
CIRKULATION
TCNJ Circle K’s Official Publication
Volume 1 | Issue 6 | February 2014
Odds & Ends - District Convention
By Dawn Kreder
You may have heard us mention “DCON” during
board position, and so much more!
these past few meetings of the spring semester, but just
what is it? DCON, or “District Convention,” is an annual
This year’s DCON theme is “The Golden Anniversa-
celebration where all of the Circle K clubs in New Jersey
ry,” since it has been 50 years since the New Jersey District
come together to celebrate the Circle K Service Year (April
of Circle K International was instated. I hope that you can
to April).
join us in what is sure to be an unforgettable event, with
multiple guest speakers and many notable alumni in atten-
It is at this event where clubs get the opportunity
dance! For more information, be sure to check out http://
to learn more about Circle K with informative workshops,
njcirclek.org/dcon-2014 or email me at njckisec@gmail.
have a chance to win numerous awards, showcase their
com. I cannot wait to see you there!
singing and dancing skills at a talent show, run for a district
K-Family Relations & other news
Ewing Kiwanis Meetings - Every Thursday Night, 6:30 at The Erini Restaurant in Ewing Township
Ewing Aktion Club (newly started!) - Meeting date TBA, at the Arc Mercer
We are collecting books for Mott Elementary school and clothes for Homefront, a homeless shelter in Mercer County!
Information on the tomorrow fund - http://www.circlek.org/Service/TomorrowFund
What to look forward to
Thursday, February 13th - Zumbathon for Eliminate
Saturday, February 15th - Rider’s Fashion Show For Eliminate
Wednesday, February 19th - 2014-2015 Officer Nominations
Wednesday, February 26th - Elections
Friday, March 14th - Sunday, March 16th - District Convention
Friday, April 4th - TCNJ Relay for Life
http://circlekattcnj.weebly.com
President - Christine Rehm (Rehmc1@tcnj.edu)
Vice President - Danny Kaplan (Kapland1@tcnj.edu)
Secretary - Lana Rahal (Rahall1@tcnj.edu)
@tcnjcircleK Treasurer
- Kathleen Lok (Lokk1@tcnj.edu)
Editor - Kerrin Mclaughlin (Mclaugk3@tcnj.edu)
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