RSU student Houston Gaither participated in the reading event at Claremont Elementary School on Jan. 23.
More than 160 members of the Rogers State University family engaged in community service activities earlier this month to celebrate the life and legacy of civil rights pioneer Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Students, faculty and staff participated in a variety of campus and community activities as part of RSU’s Martin Luther King Jr. Week of Service from Jan. 19-23.
In conjunction with the week’s activities, RSU also hosted its fourth annual MLK Poetry contest with Whellyn Carroll, a community counseling senior from Johannesburg, South Africa, winning the contest with his work, “Bonum Est Nos Malum.” Second place in the contest was awarded to Matthew Rahn, a communications junior from Claremore, for his piece, “Undying Ideals.” Tessa Hill, a liberal arts senior from Claremore, and Courtnye Neice, an elementary education sophomore from Adair, both received honorable mentions.
The university’s MLK week kicked off on Jan. 19, the federal holiday honoring Dr. King, with service activities at Rogers County Youth Services, Claremore Veterans Center and the Wild Heart Ranch.
On Jan. 20, a remembrance ceremony on the RSU Claremore campus featured presentations from RSU students, faculty and staff to commemorate Dr. King and his legacy. Performances featured students Adriann Annan, a sociology junior from Henryetta; Matthew Rahn; Roderick Crisp, a corporate communications junior from Claremore; Jacquelyn Jackson, a corporate communications senior from Tulsa; and Whellyn Carroll. That afternoon, a team of RSU students, faculty and staff volunteered at the Claremore Nursing Home.
The RSU Honors Program hosted a Jan. 21 blood drive through the American Red Cross with 35 attempted donations, including eight first-time donors registered. The week’s activities concluded on Jan. 23 with members of the RSU community reading to students at Claremont Elementary as part of the university’s Hillcub: Partner in Education program with the school.
For more information on the MLK Week of Service activities or future community service events, contact the RSU Office of Student Affairs at 918-343-7579.