In the Spirit of Dr. King

Kohawks make our days off days on, and MLK Day 2010 was no exception.  In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 150 people, including 8 faculty and staff, participated in the various events sponsored by the Office of Service-Learning and Campus Engagement.

            The morning began with an Issue Breakfast in the Clark Alumni house where over 50 were in attendance.  The breakfast featured excerpts from some of Dr. King’s most inspirational public addresses, performed by seniors Cassie Morgan and John Sherrod and Professor Barnett of the Theatre Department.  This year’s keynote speaker was Nancy Ziese, a local social worker and civil rights activist. 

            With the helping hands of 60 people, approximately 9,072 meals were packed for Kids Against Hunger.  The meals will be shipped off to Haiti to offer aid to families and children who are still suffering as a result of the devastating earthquake that struck the island nation in 2009.  Also, while the meals were being packed, some volunteers chose to try their hands at sewing and made a total of 7 fleece blankets that will be given to local shelters.  In addition, the Coe Crafters are still working on some t-shirt mats that will hopefully be completed in the coming weeks.

            The day concluded with the annual Spring Poverty Simulation where 27 students participated and 20 volunteers helped facilitate the event.  This event has always been one my favorites because it really gives participants a first-hand experience of what it is like to live a month in poverty.  While some students start off seeing the simulation as a game, they soon catch on that for many families nationwide, it is reality. 

            Dr. King’s dream was simple:  that people would not be judged by their appearance, but rather by the “conflict of their character.”  It is in this spirit that we come together to spread a little bit of love and offer our hands to the service of others in the world who, unlike many of us, have tasted the bitterness of poverty, hunger, discrimination, and selfishness.  Let the dream continue.

-Tyler Heisel

My Service at the Alzheimer's Association

I chose to fulfill my 20 hour service-learning requirement at the Alzheimer's Association. They are a non-profit organization which works to advance research and awareness of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. I had never heard of this organization until I attended the Service Fair. Jill Carlson explained to me that they were looking for individuals to serve with clerical duties and any other miscellaneous office needs. Initially, I wasn't sure it would be that enjoyable. I had never done a desk job before, though, so I decided to give it a try. I was assigned to organize their monthly newsletters which had been deemed undeliverable for various reasons. I used their database to either change or delete addresses that were incorrect. During my time at the Alzheimer's Association, I prepared newsletters for delivery, organized donation envelopes and created Excel inventories, first for envelope sizes and then a large inventory of their library. The library inventory involved taking a Word document of titles and organizing them into an Excel file, a project that took four weeks.  

To my surprise, I found my service at the Alzheimer’s Association to be a good change of pace from my classes and campus life at Coe. I worried that all of the clerical duties would be boring, but instead I found the projects exciting and rewarding to complete. From my work in the library, I got to learn more about the purpose and goals of this organization. I also experienced their purpose first hand when I got to interact with a lady who came in one afternoon concerned about her aunt’s dementia. This showed me the importance of this service beyond just a requirement to fulfill. I felt appreciated there, knowing that the things I was doing were projects that they didn’t normally have time for. As I got closer to finishing my service requirement, I began pondering if this would be a good career for me. I entered Coe planning on being a music teacher. However, my experiences with office duties have made me think that a music secretary might be a better fit for me. This way I can combine my love for music with my office skills to serve others. As all of these thoughts were swirling in my head, I was approached by my new supervisor, Paige Knebel, about if I would like to participate in an internship with the Alzheimer’s Association next semester. Starting in January, I will be doing an internship there focusing specifically on office work and computer programs. I will be more active in putting their newsletters together rather than just stuffing them to send. Service-learning has been a good experience for me as it has revealed a potential career for me. I have enjoyed my service-learning experience at the Alzheimer’s Association this past semester, and look forward to my internship with them next semester.

-Amy Smith