Rotareminder - May 28, 2024
President Asad Khan welcomed Rotarians and guests.
David Dix led us in singing My Country 'tis of Thee followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The second song was a medley of military songs in recognition of those who have served in any branch of the military.
The invocation was offered by Paul Organ.
VISITING ROTARIANS
Kaleena Gharky visited today from the Aurora club.
GUESTS
President Asad introduced his many guests including his wife Beth and all three of their children - Adam, Simon, and Sarah. He also introduced Jeff and Shelley Loofboro along with their daughter Nina.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dennis Campbell shared that the NOPEC Chambler luncheon will be held on May 30 at North Water Brewing, catered by Erie Street Kitchen. Tickets are only $5. There is also a Woman to Woman luncheon in partnership with the Stow Chamber on June 6. Tickets for that event are $25.
Larry Lohman reminded Rotarians about the upcoming Tequila Tasting at Battleground to support the club's water project. Tickets are still available for the June 5 event. It starts at 5:30 pm. He needs more people to attend so the club can earn $1,300 for the project.
President Khan, having shared a joke about attorneys at the District Conference, invited Carol Crimi to share a joke today. She only found 11 physicist jokes online and invented one to share.
HAPPY BUCKS
Paul Organ is happy, though tired, having spent 5-6 days hiking and camping in the Smokies. Larry Lohman was glad to spend time with his daughters and their boyfriends this weekend. Anne Monneypenny honored three relatives who served 25 years each in the military. Nelson Burns gave a shout out to club members past and present who served. Sarah Khan found a dollar in her purse and was happy about Carol's joke about her dad. John Flynn noted and thanked former club members like Leon Fenstermacher and Fred Gressard among others who served in WWII.
Asad Khan is happy to have been a host family for Maria, along with the Loofboros.
PROGRAM
President Asad introduced the club's Rotary exchange student Maria Clara Zanoni from Brazil. Maria, a senior at Theodore Roosevelt High School for the 2023-2024 school year, lived with three host families this year. Today, she presented a summary of her time in Kent.
Maria arrived at Cleveland Hopkins Airport on August 8, 2023. There she met two of the host families and counselor Kathy Myers. Following her arrival, Maria jumped head-first into the life of an American teen. Here are the highlights from her year:
The year started by joining the XC team, but she quit after one week when she discovered she didn't like to run. Maria tried out for the fall play but did not make it. She attended football games and went trick-or-treating 5 times to celebrate Halloween. She went to the homecoming dance with a group of kids she barely knew, who became her best friends. Some of her activities were with other Rotary exchange students including attending Guardians, Monsters, and Cavs games. They also spent time at the Rotary camp in Akron. Maria enjoyed her first snowfall while trick-or-treating. She went on camping trips with her host families. In the winter, she joined the school's bowling team. She spent Christmas at the Khan household where she had her own stocking. New Year's Eve was spent in Hocking Hills. Winter brought an opportunity to go ice skating. Her birthday was on January 29. She had the chance to attend winter formal and prom, which she did once in Kent and once at Stow. She enjoyed Valentine's Day, watching 8th-grade basketball games with the Khans, and taking an anatomy class during which she dissected a chicken wing, a sheep kidney, and a cat. She traveled to Pittsburgh and participated in the senior trip to Chicago, which was cold but fun. Spring break was spent in North Carolina. She enjoyed watching the solar eclipse with her host family and friends. In the Spring, Maria joined the boys tennis team. She attended the Rotary district conference. Finally, it was the last day of school. She earned a seal of biliteracy in Spanish, attended the senior class picnic, and participated in graduation where she was the last of 211 students to cross the stage.
What's next? Next week she travels on a vacation to Lake Placid with the Loofboros. When she returns she only has one week left in Kent before leaving on a whirlwind trip to the West Coast including San Francisco, Arizona, and other destinations. She returns to Brazil on June 30 and plans on attending college, but she's not sure where yet as there is a national test that she has to take when she returns.
Following Maria's presentation, club members thanked Maria for her presentation, and enthusiasm for experiencing American life and noted that her English is outstanding.
Carol Crimi was the responder to today’s program.
Respectfully submitted,
Stacey Richardson
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