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The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
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The CSC Eagle Newspaper – Chadron, NE
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Honoring The King

Spike Jordan
CSC students gather in the Student Center Monday to attend a roundtable discussion in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., and his contributions to the civil rights movement. More than 150 students and community members attended the event. — Photo by T.J. Thomson
CSC students gather in the Student Center Monday to attend a roundtable discussion in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., and his contributions to the civil rights movement. More than 150 students and community members attended the event. — Photo by T.J. Thomson

Across the nation Monday, millions of Americans observed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which also coincided with the inauguration ceremony of our first African American President’s second term.

But the life and lasting legacy of Dr. King inspired the Chadron State College Diversity Committee to diverge from previous year’s programs during the holiday’s 27th anniversary.

As a walk-on member of the Diversity Committee, David Nesheim, assistant professor of history, wanted Monday to be more about service, embodying the spirit of struggle and progress born from the Civil Rights Movement, and assumed responsibility for a majority of the coordinating for CSC’s Martin Luther King Day festivities, on and off campus.

The scheduled events began on Sunday afternoon with a screening of the film “Soundtrack to A Revolution,” which chronicles the powerful music sung by activists and marchers during the 1960s civil rights movement.

Monday opened with a roundtable discussion which featured Brek Brixius, Community Service Director, Northwest Community Action; Marguerite Vey-Miller, Executive Director, High Plains Community Development Corporation; Shaunda French, Asst. Professor, Communications And Social Sciences; and Richard Kenny, Asst. Professor, Social Work Program Director; Counseling, Psychology and Social Work.

The panel’s discussion ranged from economic opportunities and housing rights covered under the Civil Rights Act of 1968 to volunteer work for civic development and community involvement.

Hundreds of students from Chadron’s public school system, as well as campus community members, sing songs commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Monday in Memorial Hall’s Auditorium. — Photo by T.J. Thomson
Hundreds of students from Chadron’s public school system, as well as campus community members, sing songs commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Monday in Memorial Hall’s Auditorium. — Photo by T.J. Thomson

“I wasn’t really familiar with the needs and issues of a small, or should I say small-ish, community like Chadron.” Nesheim said.   “We invited leaders from service groups in the community for a round-table discussion, we would be better able to find out what exactly the problems are that we need to address.”

In the afternoon, CSC students, faculty, and community members, as well as students from the Pine Ridge Job Corps, conducted an MLK Day march down Chadron’s Main Street to Memorial Hall.  After filing inside to the auditorium, guests received an opening speech from CSC President, Randy Rhine, and a music presentation by students from both Chadron elementary schools and Chadron Middle School led by music teacher Chris Dickerson.