Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Dear Wolf Pack Family,

As we near the beginning of the spring semester, I hope the holidays were a time of reconnection and reflection for all of you. I hope it was a time spent with those who are important to you as well as time given to considering the potential for the new year.

On Monday we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day throughout our country. This important day provides us all with an opportunity to honor the life of an extraordinary American whose exemplary life furthered the ideals of community, justice and service. Dr. King’s legacy remains one of hope – that in the effort to form a stronger and more just world, all of us can bring out the best in others through our own actions. Dr. King understood the vast potential that all human beings possess, and his life was one dedicated to ensuring that all people can experience the hope of possibility throughout their lives. “I believe,” Dr. King said during his speech accepting the Nobel Peace Prize on Dec. 10, 1964, “that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.” He also said then that there was still much work left to do: “This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom.”

It is in this spirit that MLK Day has also become our nation’s Day of Service. I would like to encourage our entire Wolf Pack community to consider serving in some form on Monday. There are numerous opportunities throughout northern Nevada to do so. The Center for Student Engagement will be partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows for a Day of Service on Monday, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The Center for Student Engagement and University volunteers will help the Boys and Girls Club team lead art activities to create marching signs, participate in a march around the Boys and Girls Club facility and will also read the children a story about Dr. King and have a discussion afterward regarding why Dr. King’s birthday is such an important date to commemorate.

Whatever you choose to do, let us continue to be mindful of Dr. King’s example on Monday and throughout the coming year. The ripples that are created from acts of service, kindness and thoughtfulness are substantial, and can lead all of us to reaffirm the inalienable and inherent potential and goodness of all people. Dr. King’s message still rings throughout our land, beckoning us to do more, to care more for others, and to help all of the members of all of our communities find their highest and best calling.

Go Pack!

Sincere regards,

Brian Sandoval

President