News
Cheyney University Students, Staff and Their Families Joined Community, Civic, and Business Leaders in Day of Service in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
January 31, 2012
Cheyney University students, staff and their families joined community, civic, and business leaders in a day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 16. The activity was sponsored by City Year Greater Philadelphia, a national organization which unites teams of young people for a year of service in high-need urban schools, and mobilizes its 2,000 corps members nationwide and thousands of volunteers each Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. City Year considers the holiday a day on, not a day off, for its staff and corps members.
Approximately 275 City Year Greater Philadelphia staff, including some Cheyney University alumni, and approximately 1,200 area volunteers worked on projects at Germantown High School in Philadelphia. On this day of powerful service, volunteers worked on a variety of projects including light construction and painted approximately 100 murals.
Led by student leaders Lindsay Johnson, Desmond King, Latoya Riley and Tyrik Thorn, the Cheyney University contingent painted two murals in a math classroom. The colorful works depicted “Road to Success” on a classroom wall and a series of geometric shapes near the classroom entrance. According to Desmond King, “this was a great way to demonstrate Cheyney pride and also fulfill the ‘Dream’ of Dr. King.”
Also instrumental in coordinating Cheyney’s involvement were Sharon Thorn, Director of Student Activities and Rev. Elisha Morris, Internship Coordinator. Morris, a Germantown High School alum, said “I am especially proud to be part of this project with my Cheyney family. Not only can I give back to my high school, but it involved Cheyney students, colleagues and fellow alums.”
Eric R. Almonte, from the Office of the President, and 6-year-old daughter Sofia also participated. Sofia was especially proud of the City Year day of service certificate and took it to “show and share” at school the following day. Recent Cheyney University alumni Dantawn Nicholson and Kwanzaa Parker participated. Parker talked about “how as a current teacher, she sees the importance of keeping Dr. King’s message alive by providing service to others to teach them about history.”
The Cheyney University Day of Sharing participation is another example of Cheyney University’s partnership with the community and how students step up when they are called into action. Dr. King would have been very proud.
