Penn State Hazleton plans events to honor King’s legacy

Penn State Hazleton will mark the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with several activities and community service projects.

The Office of Student Engagement will host its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and lunch from 12:20 to 1:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 17. The event will be held in the Black Box Theater in the Slusser/Bayzick Building.

Guest speaker for the lunch is Alex Kenney, counselor in the Multicultural Resource Center at University Park. In addition to his counseling role, he helps facilitate two student identity groups, B.O.T.H. (Blends of Traditional Heritages) and BLMEG (Black and Latino Male Empowerment Group).

Prior to joining the Multicultural Resource Center, Kenney spent three years as a counselor with Penn State’s Upward Bound program. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in communication arts and sciences and a master's degree in higher education from Penn State and is pursuing a doctorate in higher education with a focus on racial equity.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 21, when no classes are scheduled, students will take part in events that demonstrate the importance of volunteering. Several students will volunteer at Ruth’s Place, a shelter for homeless women, assisting with a variety of tasks.

The Office of Student Engagement will hold a volunteer fair in the upper lobby of the Charles T. Butler Teaching and Learning Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Day from 1 to 5 p.m. Students will be able to take part in a variety of activities, including making sandwiches for foster organization Brandon’s Forever Home and making scarves to be donated to another shelter.

To learn more, contact Robert Knight, coordinator of student engagement, at 570-450-3160 or [email protected].