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Students from St. Andrews University help archive an extensive music collection from the civil rights era at Scotland Youth Development during the Day of Service.
Stephanie Walcott | The Laurinburg Exchange](https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/130302168_web1_thumbnail_IMG_3506.jpg)
Students from St. Andrews University help archive an extensive music collection from the civil rights era at Scotland Youth Development during the Day of Service.
Stephanie Walcott | The Laurinburg Exchange
LAURINBURG — Scotland Youth Development and St. Andrew’s University joined forces for a Day of Service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“It is a longstanding tradition at St. Andrew’s to partner with the community on this day. We look for opportunities where our students can participate and be helpful,” said Daphne Davis, SAU Dean of Students.
This year, SAU decided to work with Scotland Youth Development and more than 20 volunteers, including football and volleyball players, wrestlers, other students, and even a coach, came out to lend a helping hand.
Scotland Youth Development Director Rena McNeill appreciated their help.
“We have an extensive music collection here from the civil rights era,” McNeill said. “The albums were donated by families that participated in the movement. We also have some books related to that era. Today, the volunteers are going to archive these items and get them organized so our SYD students can more easily find information when they need it.”
After a meal of spaghetti, bread and salad, the SAU students were ready to get to work. Asked about their motivations for coming out, most students said they had the day off from classes and they enjoyed being helpful, so they answered Dean Davis’s plea for volunteers.
Student Madison Taylor’s answer went a little deeper.
“We read ‘Letter From a Birmingham Jail’ in SAGE class and saw videos of what happened in Birmingham,” Taylor said. “It was terrible. The Day of Service is a nice thing to do to counteract that.”
Aaron Christian, another student, said, “Volunteering here is a way to voice my support for MLK’s movement. His “I Have a Dream” speech embraces that everyone is equal and you shouldn’t be discriminated against because of the color of your skin. That’s why I thought it was important to participate.”
MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities, according to Americorps. For nearly 30 years, the MLK Day of Service has grown, and its impact has increased as more Americans embraced the idea that citizenship involves taking an active role in improving communities.
Stephanie Walcott is a freelance writer for The Laurinburg Exchange.