Saint Xavier University hosted a week of events to honor and celebrate the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The first event was Day of Service, hosted on Monday, January 21st by Rush Medical College.
The Day of Service was dedicated to support the underrepresented minority medical students of Saint Xavier University. This event calls attention to the needs of underserved communities, and boosting the number of clinically excellent, culturally knowledgeable and socially aware physicians in the Chicagoland area and beyond.
“I personally loved that we were able to take Pre-Med students to participate in Rush University’s day of service specifically at the medical college. This was a great opportunity for SXU students to network with current Med students, get to know staff and faculty at Rush University Medical College and participate in a large services project while honoring MLK,” said Alexa Zaharris
On Tuesday, January 22nd Tracy Crump, Ph.D., assistant professor of Criminal Justice and director of AfricanAmerican Studies, assisted a panel discussion on the tenets of Dr. King’s dream.
Crump presented the impact of the civil rights movement on African-Americans and society, and made suggestions on how we can move forward.
“I believe that SXU honors MLK by holding service as a deep part of the mission of the institution. Service to others was very important to MLK and this idea lives out in SXU’s values as well,” said Alexa Zaharris.
On Wednesday, January 23rd to honor the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fellow students read their favorite excerpts from King’s speeches. Following the the excerpts readings, viewing of a civil rights photojournalist, Flip Schulke, was available for participants.
The final event was SXU Speaks: His Dream Continued, which was held on Friday, January 25th.
When asked if she thought they had properly done this holiday justice, Zaharris replied, “I think that is up to the students to answer; as the events and celebrations are largely planned by students, for students.”
Students were welcomed to join Paige Samuels, vice president of diversity and inclusion on SXU, in an exploration of King’s philosophy after the famed “I Have a Dream” speech.
When asked how the next MLK week would be followed up for next year, Alexa Zaharris replied, “Every year, a committee plans MLK events. I look forward to bringing together another committee next year to improve upon things we need to, and continue to do the things that we do well.”
Alexa Zaharris said, “I hope that students were excited to be a part of a larger service project, and I hope that the visit made them excited for their own futures and future careers in the medical field” as a response to what they planned to accomplish through this event and what they hoped students were able to take from this.
Saint Xavier University is proud of its core values that were founded by the Sisters of Mercy, and looks forward to hosting more events like this that uphold the mission that the Sisters of Mercy started.
Kylee Rus
News Reporter