Author: Lindsay Palmer
The Oxy-sponsored Martin Luther King Jr. Challenge Day this past Saturday was a great example of student collaboration. Many times, service days such as this sound better in theory than in implementation. Surprisingly, this was not the case with Oxy’s MLK day. Volunteers were given a goal to complete within a set time frame, and the highly organized nature of these projects really contributed to their success. There were some volunteers, though, who complained about not having enough direct interaction with the beneficiaries of the work on MLK Day.
While I understand where these complaints were coming from, I believe that this did not detract from the necessity or value of the work we did. For example, I worked at the Salvation Army in Pasadena, cleaning a canteen truck that travels through the town to serve food to homeless people. Although we never got to see the recipients of the food, we all recognized that disinfecting and organizing the truck was essential to its function, and that a working canteen truck is necessary to this part of the Salvation Army’s mission.
Although I recognize that I can’t speak for every participant, I was able to make a positive impact on the community by teaming up with friendly and like-minded individuals. Therefore, I think that MLK day was a huge success within the Los Angeles area and Oxy community.
The concept, preparation, and organization behind the event was one reason the day unfolded so well, but the turnout on the day itself spoke volumes of Oxy students’ dedication and sincere desire to help others. Even with sites chosen and leaders in place, the success of the day relied on the attendance of volunteers. I have been a part of service days where participants were required to attend, and therefore gave half-hearted efforts. This day, however, wasn’t a requirement for any of the volunteers. This boosted morality and work ethics, which led to increased productivity and a greater benefit to the community overall.
It’s easy for students to say that they would like to help others or participate in days such as MLK Challenge Day, but many times, talking about it is as far as they get. I am guilty of this just as much as anyone else. The abstract idea of community service is an appealing one. I personally enjoy the image of myself as an involved, service-minded person. But it is not often that the desire to help other people ever goes beyond this self-aggrandizing fantasy. In fact, volunteer service days can sometimes appear to serve the volunteers more than the recipients.
In terms of MLK Challenge Day, I don’t find this to be the case. If volunteers, who show up and work by choice, can unite toward a common goal, they can make a real impact. The idea of volunteer service days can sometimes seem insignificant, especially if the projects seem trivial or impersonal, but they do matter. There is no doubt that they are tasks that need completing.
Beyond exposing some Oxy students’ truly volunteerist spirits and the necessity of service, great or small, the day was a success in other surprising ways. Again, while it’s a nice idea to think that volunteers randomly assigned to groups will meet new people and get along swimmingly, that expectation is rarely met. Realistically, forced situations don’t usually forge immediate friendships or have happy endings.
I can only speak for myself when I say that at my MLK site, it seemed, as volunteers shared the hard work, that they naturally grew together. On a personal level, while I might not call upon my fellow volunteers from the Salvation Army to socialize, that day we experienced something together – something that will hopefully inspire all of us to continue service work. The day was a great opportunity to meet fellow students we might not have met otherwise.
Overall, the day was a success. But we should not stop there. The positive, volunteer spirit expressed on MLK Day is a start, but should continue with student volunteering. From Greek Life to Olive Branches, the Center for Community Based Learning to the Neighborhood Partnership Program and many others in between, there are a plethora of service groups committed to bringing Oxy students together in order to better the community. Programs such as these, while successful in their mission, consistently need more volunteers.
The MLK Challenge Day was a surprisingly positive experience, and will hopefully be just a small part of Oxy’s contribution to the greater Los Angeles area. As students, we should continue to step out of the Oxy bubble and participate in more community service projects, broadening our horizons and building better relationships with those who live around us. In other words, let’s not make MLK Day the only time we show a real desire to serve and better the community.
Lindsay Palmer is an undeclared first-year. She can be reached at palmer@oxy.edu.
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