By Karla Fonseca
Staff Writer
As part of the Legacy of MLK Series, on Jan. 28, faculty, staff and students of the College worked together to organize a campus-wide service project to commemorate the life of Martin Luther King Jr..
Despite the limitations of the Covid-19 pandemic, the “MLK Committee,” as titled by the Director of the Bonner Institute, Althia Muse, worked hard to ensure a safe environment for the volunteers.
“We just wanted to make sure we were safe and socially-distancing people while the campus is virtual,” said Muse, who is part of the planning committee for this series.
The MLK committee that planned this legacy series consisted of 10 staff members, one faculty member and three students. Lakshmi Gurram, a junior biology major and Intercultural Affairs intern, took notice of the increased involvement of the College’s administration in events such as these.
“There’s a difference between students coming together and organizing something like this, whereas having administrative support, and I think that was what TCNJ lacked in previous years,” Gurram said.
Junior women, gender and sexuality studies major Mo Gonzalez, also an Intercultural Affairs intern, added that it “shows the students that the administration does care about making this kind of impact and giving us more opportunities to [contribute].”
“I think it’s a start, but I think every year, it feels like there are more opportunities to reach out and help and do community service,” Ambar Grullón, a student in the 5-year English graduate program said.
This event provided an opportunity for students, faculty and staff alike to become directly involved in service.
“Now that we’re seniors in our spring semester, maybe we should start doing more since it’s the last time to do it,” said senior marketing major Maya Erdenberger, acknowledging the effect of Covid-19 on the ability to do community service.
This day of service consisted of four stations that each focused on making a specific “kit,” which involved either literacy kits for children, PPE kits, food kits or supply kits for teachers. Kits included items that ranged from pencils to hand wipes.
These kits will be going to local partners, including Arm in Arm, a nonprofit organization that seeks to financially support families and individuals; El Centro, a Catholic charity that aims to support the Spanish-speaking community; the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen; Urban Promise Trenton 35; GGrant94ft Academic Sports Academy, Inc.; the Ewing Township Public Schools; Millhill Child and Family Development; Mercer Street Friends Community Schools and the TRIO Upward Bound program at Mercer County Community College.
Finished supply kits for teachers (Karla Fonseca / Staff Writer).
“I figured when I was an undergrad, I didn’t really help out as much and I wanted to do something different this year,” Grullón said.
Although the event was shortened to two hours and was moved to the Education Building, a large number of kits were made by the College community, something that was made possible by volunteers.
Eric Van Eck, an alumni of the College and a staff member of the Collegiate Recovery Program, said that an event is only as good as the people that support it.
“There are still good people in the world and it restores my faith in humanity,” he said. “This [event] definitely inspires me and I’m hoping to continue to provide opportunities for students to be inspired and to inspire others. It now becomes your [generation’s] job. The future is in your hands.”
There are a few upcoming MLK Series events, including an oration competition that runs until Sunday, Feb. 6 and an upcoming discussion about prison reform and education.
