STAFF WRITER: NOELLE BODENHEIMER
Hello spring semester!
If you are a returning student or this is your first semester, there are so many opportunities to look forward to – the first being the Penn State Western Region Day of Service on Monday, January 15th, which is MLK Day!
This year, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus is proud to be the host site. Students, staff, and faculty from Penn State Altoona, Penn State Beaver, Penn State Behrend, Penn State Dubois, Penn State Greater Allegheny, Penn State New Kensington, Penn State Shenango, and Penn State World Campus will join us at Penn State Fayette to conduct community service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While we do have the national observance day off from classes, this event allows us to participate in a “day on” of service.
The impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
On the third Monday of January each year, the day is observed to honor the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., who was a prominent leader in the American civil rights movement. 
He was a Baptist minister and a key figure in the fight against racial segregation and discrimination in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. It is a day to reflect on the principles of equality, justice, and civil rights – the very ideals that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to promoting.
Martin Luther King Jr. played a crucial role in advocating for nonviolent civil disobedience and led numerous peaceful protests and marches, most notably the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. His efforts and leadership contributed significantly to the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
This year, MLK Day falls on Martin Luther King Jr.’s actual birthday – he was born January 15th, 1929, and it would have been his 95th birthday.
Want to Participate?
Cost to participate is free to all students! Make sure the fill out the registration packet and return it to your Office of Student Affairs by Wednesday, January 10th. Registration includes transportation, meals, and a MLK Day or Service toboggan.
The schedule is as follows:
9:00 a.m. – Check-in/ free continental breakfast
9:30 a.m. – Welcome and viewing of “The Dream Speech”
9:45 a.m. – Keynote speaker
10:15 a.m. – Group photo/receive site assignment
10:30 a.m. – Depart for work at service sites
12:30 p.m. – Boxed lunch will be provided at service sites
1:00 p.m. – Continue work at service site
3:30 p.m. – Return to Penn State Fayette for Reflection
4:15 p.m. – Depart for home campus
The service projects may include animal care, cleaning/organizing, elderly care, painting, office work, and physical labor/maintenance. Make sure to wear comfortable and weather-appropriate clothing (it gets pretty cold down here!).
“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.”
