T h e D r . M a r t i n L u t h e r K i n g L e a d e r s h i p Pr o g r a m

P r e s e n t s :

The Center for Community Research and Engagement was established in 1997 to develop partnerships that integrate Seton

Hall University Faculty, students, and

our neighboring communities through

applied research, active learning, and

action projects, aimed at enhancing both the learning environment

and community capacity.

“Reaching for a Spirit of Service”

.

MLKSA Orientation— July 23rd-25th

Last July we had our summer orientation. This was the first time we all got to meet each other since the interviews. As fresh-men we were all nervous walking into the

Chancellor’s Suite, not knowing what to expect. When we got there we automatical-

ly felt the family atmosphere as everyone was so warm and welcoming. One of the first things we did was ice breakers. Nor-mally ice breakers feel so forced and bor-ing, but the ones we did were actually en-

joyable. After the ice breakers we sat down and watched all the classes present their

PowerPoint slides about one another. This was a great way to get to know the scholars better, especially the ones who were unable

to attend orientation. Over the next few days we did various activities such as going to Buffalo Wild Wings, playing mafia, and discussing controversial topics. Overall we had an amazing time at orientation. That

weekend confirmed to us that MLKSA was the right place to be, and that we

would have an incredible four years here at Seton Hall University.

Written by: the Class of 2015

To that point, during each activity scholars culti-vated a spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. They assisted one another with tasks and worked together to answer different questions. The se-cond night was “the bonfire” - where senior scholars had the individualized opportunity to give gratitude to classmates and leaders like Pro-fessor Forrest Pritchett and advisors for their un-yielding support. The night was filled with tears, smiles and delicious s’mores.

My “bonfire” experience was more than I could have imagined. It was a beautiful moment to hear the growth within my class. If I were to choose my most monumental retreat experience, I would choose this past year. This decision is based merely on my connection with my class and the scholarship as a whole. There was a spirit of uni-ty like no other - a joyous energy that spurred laughter.

When I first thought of a “bonfire,” without ef-fort, I thought of wood lit up into flames in the middle of nowhere. Now, when I think of a “bonfire,” I think about the MLKSA “bond” and the “fire” it has ignited in me to be more than I could ever imagine.

Written by: Wendy Ekua Quansah, Class of 2012

Fall Retreat— September 23rd-25th

Upon reflection, all of my efforts for the last four years have been, in part, to experience “the bonfire.” You see, one month into my MLKSA experience, the most memorable moment was the annual MLKSA retreat where the entire scholarship had an immeasur-able opportunity of escape into the pits of Pennsylva-nia mountains and fellowship as one unit. It was there that I first witnessed the warmth of the wood-lit fire and the cool fall breeze that teased my face as I sat on a damped bench and feverishly listened to a number of seniors reflect on their undergraduate life as an MLKSA scholar. The joy and gratitude that glistened from their faces sowed an everlasting seed in my heart. This very seed has nourished during my last four years and inevitably given me the opportunity to finally experience “the bonfire.”

Early this semester, MLKSA experienced its annual retreat. The retreat began with a two hour bus ride from Seton Hall University to Pennsylvania. Upon arrival, scholars fought for bunk beds and became ac-quainted with their new home for the next two days. Seniors who’d been there for a few years exercised their seniority and claimed beds from previous years, while Freshmen anxiously awaited to begin this new tradition. For the remainder of the day, scholars so-cialized and began their bonding experience waiting for the second day activities: breakfast, jeopardy, boundary breakers and of course “the bonfire.”

Every Friday when the MLKSA members, including myself, walk into the cafeteria of Mt. Vernon

Elementary School, we are greeted as celebrities by our third grade students. Our arrival is the highlight to

their day. It is amazing to see that just by giving two hours of our time each week we can truly make a differ-

ence in the lives of these fifteen to twenty children.

Huge smiles are plastered on their faces as they race to the tables where the MLKSA scholars are sit-

ting, ready to get down to business. We first do homework with the students and help them understand con-

cepts that they may be struggling with. They also participate in peer assistance since they are always trying to

help one another. But most of them breeze through their schoolwork so that they have time to sit and chat

with “the cool college kids”. They absolutely love to talk. It is what they do best. They ask all kinds of ques-

tions and we always give them honest answers. Whether it is about their literature homework or about the

pirate worn on our sweatshirts, they are always engaging us in conversation.

After we talk, and when the majority of their homework has been completed, we usually do a fun ac-

tivity. Just recently for Halloween we brought in munchkins for them to snack on while they were working,

then brought them outside to play and run around. This change of pace was huge hit. The kids loved being

able to let of some extra steam before having to return to the constraints of the classroom. Providing them

with fun yet structured activities is a way to engross them in learning while having a fun time. This week it

will be my turn to plan and run the activity for the children. The theme is about the fall season, so we are go-

ing to bring the children outside and collect different types of leaves. When we return to our tables we will

make leaf impressions on a piece of paper using crayons. Doing activities like this gives the kids an outlet to

let loose but at the same time learn a lesson in a new way.

I never would have imagined the strong bonds that were created so quickly with these children. They

know us by name and whenever a scholar is unable to attend there are at least two or three kids who genuine-

ly miss them and constantly ask where they are. They notice everything, so if someone is not present they

will definitely pick up on it. Many of the children have tough home lives and are unable to do many of the

things we view as leisure activities. For instance, many of the children were not allowed to go trick-or-

treating so having munchkins made up for it, even if it was just for the moment. When we go, we try to in-

corporate as many fun games and activities into the two hours that we are there as possible. None of our acts

go unnoticed. The kids appreciate everything we do for them and they pay us back in hugs, smiles and laugh-

ter.

Our time spent with the children each Friday is not only a treat for them, but for us as well. We learn so much from being around such vibrant and energetic groups of kids. They are always a pleasure to be around to teach and play with. I can see the difference the MLKSA scholars have made already by the im-provement in the children’s homework and overall attitude. By attending the school each week we have made a difference in their lives. I truly enjoy going to the after school program and hope that as the years go on more organizations on campus will join us in our efforts to assist the children of our community.

Written by: Francesca Laracca, Class of 2015

“Life, misfortunes, isolation, abandonment, and poverty are battlefields which have their heroes, obscure heroes, sometimes greater than the illustrious heroes” (Victor Hugo). The whole purpose of the Martin Luther King Schol-arship Association (MLKSA) program, Homes for the Homeless, chaired by Tatiana Charles and Christian Powe, was to recognize some of the heroes in New Jersey who conquered poverty, homelessness and other hardships. Ms. Sherrie Clark and Delores Wright, the director of a homeless shelter, Project Solution, came to Homes for the Homeless to share their stories with MLKSA and the students of Seton Hall University (SHU). Ms. Wright ex-plained how she lived on her own without a home for over twenty years. In order to overcome her situation, Ms. Wright finally made the conscious decision to work hard to maintain a job and her own place with the help of Pro-ject Solution. After she got on her feet, Ms. Wright realized that there are many other people who needed the same help and guidance that she did. As director of Project Solution, Ms. Wright has helped a whole lot of peo-ple including Ms. Sherrie Clark.

To celebrate their accomplishments, Ms. Wright and Ms. Clark were given certificates and a few SHU organizations and students including, Silent Praise, African Student Association Dance Troupe, Jessica Town-send, and Ekua Quansah all gave spectacular performances to make Homes for the Homeless a successful event. At the end of the night, we saw how much of an impact Homes for the Homeless had on the audience by the responses that each table gave about a specific issue about homelessness. Sammantha Fabian, a freshman student at SHU, said, “Learning that ‘Homelessness persists because of stagnant or failing incomes and less se-cure jobs which offer fewer benefits’ made her realize that homelessness can happen to anyone and that many people spend too much time emphasizing the ‘American Dream’ when really people need to focus on the neces-sities—food, shelter, and family support services.” After hearing the students’ concerns for homelessness, MLKSA was inspired to raise money for Project Solution to show concern for homelessness and our appreciation for people like Ms. Wright and Ms. Clark.

Written by : Ariel K. Snell, Class 0f 2015

ISSUE 1

~Meet the Class of 2012 ~

Jehmeesah Walker, Wendy Quansah, Elizabeth Dudley

Jehmeesah Walker — “Aside from ex-panding my knowledge base as it pertains to po-litical science and phi-losophy, I’ve participat-ed in a number of or-ganizations during my time at Seton Hall. Needless to say, perhaps the most important is the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Association, in which I am currently the repre-sentative for the Senior Class. In addition to

that, I’ve been running Division I Big East Cross Country for Seton Hall. I’ve served on the E-Board for the Political Science Student Association, as well as for the West Indian Student Organization. I’ve been the manager for EXPOSE dance group since it began in 2009, and I’ve become a member of Chi Al-pha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society. I’ve also been the representa-tive for SHU Women’s Cross Country on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. As a result of these experiences, and those outside of school, I’ve learned so much and have been enriched by the seasonings that are life and its experiences.

After graduation, I intend to enjoy my last free summer and to gear up for law school in either New York or Georgia, God willing. I look forward to maintaining the bonds I’ve made here in MLKSA.

Wendy Ekua Quansah —

Wendy is an aspiring broadcast journalist, writer and entrepre-neur. In the last four years, Quansah has been actively seeking a career within the me-dia industry and since has in-terned with notable media out-lets including WBGO Jazz.88 FM, Government Access New-

ark Television Channel 78, WABC-TV Channel 7, and Clear Channel Communication, Inc. Post-graduation, Quansah plans to obtain a Masters in Media Studies from NYU and gain practical expe-rience working in the industry.

Elizabeth Dudley— I am a student at the John C. Whitehead School of Diplo-macy and International Rela-tions. Beyond my participa-tion in MLKSA, I am the Speaker of the Senate for SGA, a member of SHUNA and SHUMUN. I am writing my thesis on U.S. Policy on Statebuilding. Immediately after graduation, I will be working for the Maryland Democratic Party, and then I will hopefully be doing

something related to National Security. I plan to obtain my Masters in Public Policy focusing on National Security Studies.

~Meet the Class of 2012 ~

Charles Farmer, Omar Ahmad, Alfred Merritt

Charles Farmer— Hello, my name is Charles and I

am a senior Biology major with aspirations to attend medical school and be-

come an emergency room physician. In addition to being the current vice-president of MLKSA I

am also a Resident Assis-tant in Boland Hall, the current President of Al-

pha Epsilon Delta and a member of the National Residence Hall Honorary and the Pre-Med Pre-Dent Plus Program. For the past two summers I have conducted scientific research at New York

University School of Medicine and Cornell Medi-cal College. I am currently in the process of inter-viewing at several medical schools such as Cor-

nell, Columbia, and NYU.

Omar Ahmad—is a student of Di-plomacy and In-ternational Rela-tions with a focus on the Middle-East Security is-sues. Omar served on the E-Board twice, first

as the Vice-President and secondly as the Treasur-er. He also is the Station Manager for Seton Hall’s college radio station, 89.5 FM WSOU. Some of the internships he has been involved in have in-cluded 1010 WINS at CBS Radio, the United Na-tions, and Roadrunner Records. His plans for post-undergrad are to continue at Seton Hall for two masters, one in Diplomacy and International Rela-tions and the other in mass broadcast communica-

Alfred Merritt— Alfred Merritt was born in

Panama, and is the eldest of three children. In his spare time he enjoys listening to music and spending time with his family. His true passion is community service, Alfred recently founded an outreach pro-gram by the name of Operation X. The aims of the program are to educate adolescent males on the im-portance of brotherhood, academic excellence, and community service. Alfred is a Finance major within the Stillman School of Business. He is also a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., where he currently serves as the Iota Rho chapter’s treasurer and sergeant at arms. Alfred was recently initiated into Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, and was given the honor of being a part of Seton Hall’s chartering circle, he also serves as the organization’s treasurer.

daughter, friend, and student; and my favorite

memories are those that have allowed me to

grow. My post grad plans are to spend a year

developing my servant leadership skills through

some form of service and preparing myself for

grad school. (hopefully NYU for a masters in

Global Health).”

Latisha Harris— “I entered

Seton Hall University as a

psychology major with the

goal of one day becoming

a child psychologist. After

completing multiple se-

mesters and taking several

psychology classes, along

with involving myself in numerous student ac-

tivities, I realized that my passion lies some-

where else. I wanted to play a more active role

in changing the lives of young people. In to-

day’s world child psychologists are involved

more in the psychological testing and making

referrals, than counseling and providing support

and encouragement to students. I began re-

searching numerous non-profit agencies which

provide the services that many public schools

are unable to afford. These same agencies are

ones whom directly impact the students and

families of underserved communities. I began

taking classes, and finally declared Non-Profit

Studies as a minor. Currently I am looking into

working for a non-profit agency until I am able

to attend graduate school.”

Marcus Gerald— “In undergrad I have pursued a degree in biology and it has been both a challenging and rewarding experience. While not completely sure about where that would take me, I found out during my second semester that I have a love for formal laboratory re-search. I started working in a virology lab trying to under-

stand the genome of Kapsoi's sarcoma herpes virus and whether or not a certain gene was involved in DNA condensing and packaging. I am now work-ing in a Physiology lab classifying the morphology of the reproductive system of a whole specie of fly and its subgroups. I hope to continue my research and classes next year here at Seton Hall Universi-ty.”

Ashley Perez– “Undergrad has been the most exciting, stress-ful, and insightful 3 1/2 years of all my 21 years of life. You nev-er can prepare yourself to learn as much as you do during the 4 years you spend in college, and if I had to tell someone why I think it is important to go to col-lege my top reason would not be

because you get a degree. As weird as it sounds I think people who leave this place having attained simply a degree really wasted their money. I am truly blessed to say that I am nothing like the per-son I was when I moved to 112 Boland South in August 2008, I have grown to be a more humble

~Meet the Class of 2012 ~

Marcus Gerald, Ashley Perez, Latisha Harris

Every semes-ter, Dr. Mar-tin Luther King Jr. Scholars, apart from being re-quired to complete a

minimum of 20 hours of community service, take part in a community service social with the purpose of ful-filling our mission of servant leadership and engaging the Seton Hall campus in taking an active role to better our surrounding communities. On November 5th, 2011, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Asso-ciation (MLKSA) participated in a Service on Saturday (S.O.S) session organized by the University’s Division of Volunteer Services (D.O.V.E). In the spirit of the power of unity and action to instill positive change, MLKSA joined other student organizations and student leaders in a day of service and reflection.

The various teams were dispersed around the different service sites in the Essex County area. MLKSA was assigned to a Tree Conservatory in Jersey City. The Tree Conservatory plays a very important role in the community because it provides residents with the opportunity to adopt a tree, thus improving the city’s environmental condition. It was very enlight-ening for all of us to learn about the way in which the environment is linked to other economic and social issues. In the suburbs, there is a vast amount of trees and green areas, something that is not seen in urban neighborhoods. Many children in urban areas suffer from asthma due to the lack of clean air. The mission of the Tree Conservatory of New Jersey is to improve the city’s living conditions by promoting a healthy en-vironment. Our original task was to assist in the plant-ing of trees. However, when MLKSA and other volun-teers arrived to the site, there was only one tree left to plant. Nevertheless, MLK Scholars and other volun-teers helped clean up the streets, by picking up garbage in the soil that was left from planting trees, because there is always something to do. We got our hands dirty. As MLK Scholars, we know that the road to change is never an easy or clean one.

Written: By Norah Rivera, Class of 2013

Fall Community Service Social

On Unions

Today, many politicians have been saying that unions are no longer relevant and some are say-ing that unions are harming the United States. That is not true. Union workers earn 30% more than non-union workers and are more likely to receive health care and pension benefits then those who do not have a union. Unions were instrumental in passing laws to ban child labor, establishing the 8-hour work day, promoting worker’s safety; they helped create Social Security, unemployment insurance, and minimum wage. As long as corporations put profits over their employees unions will be vital to employees. As long as employers want to reduce employees health care, or reduce pensions, and reasonable work hours, then employees will need to make sure their voices are heard. Unions fight not only for their rights but the rights of all people. When minorities are faced with discrimination from their employers, unions are there. When GLBT persons face discrimination and can be fired just because they are gay, unions are there. Unions work every day to ensure that every person is able to work safely and after they work for 30 or more years, then they should be able to live out their lives comfortably without being afraid that they will not be able to afford their rent or health care or food. Unions are there for everyone and it is im-portant that everyone stands with unions.

Written by: Elizabeth Dudley, Class of 2012

...After much deliberation, I've concluded people say that surety is pride, or so it would appear or seem. So pardon me if I say it, but I swear to keep the truth naked, but I think I know what you really mean: What they say or try to clearly imply is that "arrogance is not bowing down on your knees to men who'd wish to keep you down and just keep you around and make life worse than it seems. Oh yeah, you can dream alright, but dream within our means, dream with your voice on mute, unless you dream of what's ap-proved Do what's been done--do what's been proved. In conclusion, arrogance is not standing up, and humility is not sitting down. The latter's not a front, the former's not a smile, and neither has a voice to sound. People fear what they don't understand, I thank God that I can, my head's high because I lay in His hands, if that's something to hide, pardon my foolish pride, but I think I'll just stand strong where I am. Because arrogance is not firm belief and it certainly is not being who you are, no, arrogance is closely assessing someone who you've only watched from afar.

Written by: Christian Powe, Class of 2013

I got something on my mind, so much I want to say so many questions I want to ask and feelings I want to convey, to ask you what you see-- (since to me the mirror's reflection's so commonplace)-- when you take a look at me... But before we get to that, let me digress a bit off track, as hopefully you'll answer this one question for me: What is arrogance? Can you spell it? Is brash self-confidence or blatant intelligence? How could you tell if it was plausible, because someone articulates thoughts to make it clearly audible? What would you call self-conceit? The swagger in my walk or the strength in my talk when I speak? Oh I understand, maybe it's misconstrued, was I not supposed to disagree or have a different view? I'm sorry, pardon me if I reach for a star and truly believe I could reach it or tell you that the world is round and actually believe it, having found a cause worth fighting for, and not be afraid to dream it out loud, out-powering the clamor of your doubt... the heat held within, the fire ablaze without. Was it arrogance when I spoke of the pride of Africa? No, but of course it is when you persecute and don't see me backing up...

Multi Cultural — November 15th, 2011

This year MLKSA presented The Multicultural Expo: Cultur-

al Exodus to the Seton Hall student body. This event gave the

students a chance to showcase, share, and express, the differ-

ent cultures of the world and where they, themselves come

from. Not only did this portray the different cultures and plac-

es around the world but it also showed the different talents

the students at our school possess.

This event took the audience back in time to the story of the

Tower of Babel. People were gathered together in an attempt

of making a tower that will get them closer to God. They all

spoke the same language and were able to communicate with

one another without any trouble. God did not like that his

people were making this tower and punished them by dispers-

ing them around the world and giving them all different lan-

guages making it impossible for them to communicate to each

other. Two of the people in the Expo show were asleep dur-

ing these events and when they woke up they did not know

where they belonged. They traveled all around the world to

different countries and exploring different cultures to see

where they fit. A performance done by WISO, West Indian

Student Organization, showed an aspect of the West Indian

Culture. They showed through dance how some traditional

and present West Indian cultures practice Vodou and believe

in zombies. Another country shown was Asia. One repre-

sentative of Asia was a student in FLASH, Filipino League at

Seton Hall. She showed her Philippines culture by sharing a

song in Filipino.

Students showed their talents and cultures through dance,

song, poetry, music, step, and so much more. Everyone

worked very hard on their performances and it really showed

the night of the event. Each performance was amazing and

everyone involved in the showcase did a wonderful job. This

event was truly something special this year and I, personally,

am very excited for next year’s Expo to come.

Written by: Amanda Saunders, Class of 2015

Multi Cultural Exposition

Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship Association

Seton Hall University

400 South Orange Ave. South Orange NJ 07079 Pro-gram Director: Dr. Forrest Pritchett

Tel.: 9732752760

Thirty two years ago, on a beautiful spring day of 1978, an incredible leader was welcomed to Seton Hall University. Subsequent to an intensive search by the University to find a great leader and a program coordinator while teaching at the College of Arts and Science, Dr. Forrest Pritchett was unquestionably the absolute fit for such an intriguing posi-tion. Born and raised in Atlantic City, Dr. Pritchett became the first one of his family to obtain a college degree be-

fore earning his Master’s and Doctorate in Sociology. As a professor, Dr. Pritchett has taught at Princeton University, Rider University as well as other prestigious universities in New Jersey before escalating aboard Seton Hall’s great

journey.

With great expectations looming ahead, Dr. Pritchett embraced the challenge as a formality. In 1978, in coordination with the Black Studies Center, Dr. Pritchett enhanced the Community Research Internship Seminar which emphasized

mainly on giving back to the community. Two decades later, the ideology instigated by the Community Research Internship Seminar influenced the creation of a similar program; that was the Center for Community Research and

Engagement.

When thinking of service, “giving to others, coming out of self to make the world a better place” are the things that come to Dr. Pritchett’s mind. As a servant leader himself, Dr. Pritchett believes that “those who are inspired to be

servant leaders, should first serve others.” According to him, because most of what we do comes from within, inter-acting with people who are different from us may significantly change our world. Community service is extremely

important. Although we may not be able to assist everyone nor will we be able to shift everyone’s paradigm, we should always leave the opportunity to assist as many as possible.

“By taking people out of their comfort zone, it allows them to grow tremendously. In that sense, when people get off that college campus, they can impact a person’s life and sometimes they are the ones who end up getting changed” Dr. Pritchett said. Few years ago, he recalled a diplomacy student, from Denmark who taught in Newark for several years

before he became a diplomat due to a paradigm’s shift that he had experienced because of community service.

Dr. Pritchett who is currently the program director of the Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship Association is well aware of the different daily adversities that people are facing within our world. As a person who has spent a great deal

of time helping others, he reminded us that there may be adversities along the way but we cannot allow them to be distractions. He assured us that with dedication and full commitment we shall overcome.

Written by: Franck David Nelson, Class of 2013

The Martin Luther King Scholarship Association was founded in 1969, the year following that of Dr. King’s death. Over the years, through this illustrious and prestigious fellowship of scholars, students have been given opportunities to pursue careers to better their world. We scholars of MLKSA have sought to better our community, on a local, national and global scale through community service and outreach programs promoting social and global awareness.

While we MLKSA scholars make it an objective to acknowledge Dr. King, our aim is to embody his legacy and his mission—which is to improve the world using academic excellence, global conscious-ness and a genuine, unconditional love for mankind. While all inductees of the Martin Luther King Scholarship Association are inducted in their senior year of high school, we humbly ask that you help us in our effort to change the world around us. If you would like to contribute in any way, whether through attendance, promotion or even monetary contribution, please reach out to our program director Dr. Forrest Pritchett. Thank you and have a blessed Holiday season and a Happy New Year 2012.

The Dr. Martin Luther king Scholarship Association

400 South Orange Ave.

South Orange , NJ 07079

Program Director: Dr. Forrest Pritchett

Tel: 973 2752760

Email: forrest.pritchett@shu.edu

~Closing Remarks~

Class of 2014

Class of 2012

Class of 2013

Class of 2015

Staff & Contributors

Editor in Chief: Franck David Nelson

Newsletter Committee: Franck D. Nelson, Shanei A. De-berry, Monica T. Arismendez, Wendy E. Quansah, Ariel

Snell & Elizabeth Dudley

Photographers: Shanei A. Deberry & Norah Rivera

Special thanks to Charles Farmer, Monica Arismendez and Christian Powe.