Oregon State University will hit a milestone on Jan. 20 as its Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration will be one of the longest running events in the school’s history.
This year marks 43 years of honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and students making OSU a better place for each other.
The commemoration will kick off on Jan. 20, with a peace breakfast at 9 a.m. that “Commemorates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. while honoring members of the Oregon State community who carry his message and work forward in the present.”
After the peace breakfast there will be a peace march starting at 11 a.m. through the Corvallis campus. The event will include activities like sign making and writing chant sheets, with the meeting area being the CH2M Hill Alumni center. The march will end at the Student Experience Center and will include refreshments and a short program.
One of the bigger events during the commemoration at OSU will be the day of service on Jan. 25. Students will have the opportunity to participate in one of the school’s longest running days of service: Helping and performing services for the Corvallis community that students call home.
Event Coordinator Libia Marqueza Castro gave some information for students interested in participating.
“We always recommend wearing comfy clothes you don’t mind getting dirty after all, some of our projects can get hands-on. Closed-toe shoes are a must for safety, no matter the activity. And don’t forget, it’s January in Oregon. Rain is basically guaranteed, so layer up and be ready for the weather, especially if you’re outdoors.”
A highlight of the commemoration will be the keynote speaker Dr. Ruha Benjamin on Jan. 30. Main Event coordinator Miguel Arellano Sanchez said, “This year, we are excited to have Dr. Benjamin Ruha as the Dr. King keynote speaker. Dr. Ruha’s expertise in the intersection of technology, artificial intelligence, and social change, a timely speaker given the accelerated pace of efforts at OSU connected to AI, data science, computation, and many other related disciplines.”
To participate in the breakfast, day of service, and keynote register with your ONID at the OSU MLK Commemoration website. Every event is free for OSU students and the peace breakfast has limited seats.
