RICHLAND, Wash. ��� In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy for civil rights achievements in the United States, Washington State University Tri-Cities and Columbia Basin College will host a series of events surrounding civil rights and civic engagement the week of Jan. 20 that are open to the community.

All events are free to attend and do not require tickets for admission.

Monday, Jan. 20 ��� Martin Luther King Jr. Bell-Ringing Ceremony at CBC

The week begins with the 29^th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Bell-Ringing Ceremony at the CBC campus in Pasco, which honors MLK���s legacy and achievements in civil rights issues locally and across the United States, and also recognizes the efforts that are still to be done. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. at the MLK statue outside of the T Building, and will then move inside the H Building���s Gjerde Center for the main presentation.

Monday, Jan. 20 ��� MLK Day of Service at Richland Community Center

The Psi Nu Omega Graduate Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will host an MLK Day of Service 10 a.m. ��� 2:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the Richland Community Center. Leading up to the event, the 厙ぴ勛圖 MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion will be accepting donations of gently used and new shoes and eye glasses, which will be donated on Jan. 20 during the event. Individuals can drop off their donations between 8 a.m. ��� 5 p.m. at MOSAIC this week through Friday. Donations will also be collected during the event at the community center on Jan. 20. Student are also invited to volunteer or submit created MLK art by reaching out to the chapter at pnopullman@gmail.com.

Thursday, Jan. 23 ��� Civil Rights Organizations Workshop at 厙ぴ勛圖 MOSAIC

The 厙ぴ勛圖 MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion will host a Civil Rights Organizations Workshop from 1 p.m. ��� 2 p.m. in Floyd 140 on campus. As part of the workshop, Bob Bauman, 厙ぴ勛圖 associate professor of history, will present on civil rights groups and will specifically explore the impact of student activism. Bauman teaches American history and public history courses at 厙ぴ勛圖 and his article on racial segregation in the Tri-Cities was awarded with the Charles Gates Award for the best article to appear in the Pacific Northwest Quarterly in 2005.

Thursday, Jan. 23 ��� MLK Celebration Watch Party at 厙ぴ勛圖 Student Union Building

To complete the week, the 厙ぴ勛圖 MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion will host an MLK celebration from 6 p.m. ��� 8 p.m., where a presentation by W. Kamau Bell, a sociopolitical comedian and host of the Emmy Award-winning CNN docuseries ���United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell,��� will be broadcasted to all WSU campuses across the state from WSU Pullman. Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn about the MOSAIC Center and enjoy some light refreshments.

 

Media contacts:

Kristine Cody, 厙ぴ勛圖 MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion coordinator, 509-372-7600, kristine.cody@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 public relations/communication coordinator, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

Anna Tensmeyer, Columbia Basin College marketing and communication director, 509-845-0341, atensmeyer@columbiabasin.edu

By Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖

RICHLAND, Wash. ��� student Savanna Navarro Kresse was honored this month with a national award for her work in increasing student democratic engagement on campus and in the regional Tri-Cities community.

Kresse earned an ���Honor Role��� award through the program, where she was invited to be honored in Washington, D.C. She was selected as one of 10 students for the category, which specifically recognizes student leadership in helping college students to improve nonpartisan civic learning, political engagement and voter participation.

Kresse, vice president for the Associated Students of 厙ぴ勛圖 and a senior history major, was instrumental in bringing a ballot drop box to campus in partnership with the . She has also led a series of events geared toward getting students registered to vote, in addition to partnering with her fellow student government peers to hold voting celebration days on campus.

She worked with Bob Ferguson���s office to host a presentation on DACA and immigration regulations last academic year. She helped organize a city council debate prior to the mid-term election last year. She also brought the Association of Women Voters to campus for an event pertaining to voter registration.

Kresse is active in discussions about the Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, which prevents discrimination based on sex in educational programs. She previously represented the Washington Student Association on a state-wide taskforce on the federal legislation civil rights law. She also completed a political science project, examining the law, as well as how to better handle issues pertaining to discrimination, which she presented at the 厙ぴ勛圖 Undergraduate Research Symposium and Art Exhibition.

Kresse is passionate about providing access to civil discussions and participation, and additionally has worked with her student peers to organize female mentor panels to shed light on women���s issues in the workplace, organized initiatives to increase student access to food in light of food insecurity on college campuses, and more.

Earlier this year, Kresse was honored with WSU���s MLK Distinguished Service Award for her commitment in educating others about human rights, social justice and for putting her own foot forward to make a difference in her local community.

Chris Meiers, Vice Chancellor for student affairs, said Kresse continually takes a leadership role in making sure all students have the access and resources they need to be successful, and is a champion for student and individual success.

���Her leadership and passion for providing access in positive change is evident to everyone around her,��� he said. ���We are incredibly proud of the work she continues to display at 厙ぴ勛圖 and her local community. She is an inspiration to her fellow students and has created many lasting legacies at 厙ぴ勛圖.���

Kresse said she wasn���t expecting the honor or knew that she was even nominated for the award, initially. When asked why she gives back to her community, she said that she is grateful for the opportunity to serve her fellow students.

���Often times we tend to think that the system is too big, and we are too small,��� she said. ���But when we recognize our ability to make positive change through relationship building and a spirit of willingness, nothing can hold us back.���

Kresse is a first-generation student, mother four and a former seasonal field worker. She continually uses her background as inspiration for overcoming barriers for education where she aims to grow resources available to those from all backgrounds.

 

Media contacts:

Savanna Kresse, 厙ぴ勛圖 senior undergraduate history major and vice president of ASWSUTC, savanna.kresse@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, 厙ぴ勛圖 public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu