Torch: U.S. LXXVI Fall 2026 | Page 6

Fall 2026 · Torch: U.S. · SERVICE RECAP

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Coin Craze and Service Recap

For this year’s service project, we collected hygiene products for a Bloomington antipoverty organization and wrote cards for local seniors. Convention attendees brought in a truly-gargantuan amount of conditioner, shampoo, soap, and deodorant (plus a pair of sunglasses); thank you to everyone who made space for those items in their carry-ons, squeezed them into car trunks, or however else you brought those items along on your journey Indiana.

This year’s service sessions had 407 people attend, 232 of whom made cards and 175 of whom picked up trash on the I.U. campus. It was wonderful to peek at your creative designs, gaze upon your impressive calligraphy skills, and hear about how you came up with games incentivizing trash-collecting. Thank you so much to everyone who made space in their already-full week to participate in any of these sessions.

This year, we split the money raised during the annual Coin Craze fundraiser between two organizations: the Hoosier Environmental Council, which works to provide all Indiana residents with access to clean water, natural lands, pure air, and affordable clean energy, and JNCL-NCLIS (the Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages and International Studies), which advocates for legislative changes promoting language-learning and fights against the cutting of in-school language programs. Through a combination of in-person collecting and the all-new Venmo donation option, we raised over $2,400!

This year, the “loser” of Coin Craze was 2025-26 NJCL Communications Coordinator Ameera Ramzan, who accumulated -39,803 points. Their punishment was reciting a secret speech written by the National Committee, which was revealed to be Marc Antony’s “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech by William Shakespeare, translated into Brainrot.

Once again, thank you to everyone who brought in hygiene products, participated in the service project, and/or donated to Coin Craze. I’m so excited to see where Aurelia takes Service next year!

Sophia Kantsevoy, 2025-26 NJCL Second Vice President