Oklahoma State University: CEAT Celebrates The Legacy Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Press release from Oklahoma State University:

2022-02-07

The College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (CEAT) celebrated Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. by participating in several activities and events held in the community
and at Oklahoma State University.Seven CEAT students entered the MLK Essay Contest — five undergraduate and two graduate
students. The prompt given to students was based on how students intend to work toward
a more equitable society and how the university could support those efforts. There
were 32 entries overall, 17 from graduate students. Of these entries, two CEAT students
were awarded the first and third place scholarships. Shelby Maggard, who is a civil
engineering major junior, placed first in the contest and was awarded a $1,500 scholarship.
Junior civil engineering major Robert Owens III placed third in the contest and was
awarded $500. The scholarships were funded by OSU’s Vice President for Institutional
Diversity, Dr. Jason Kirksey.CEAT senior architecture major Doreen Adesola, was one of the nine winning submissions
selected in the 2022 OSU Advocacy through Artivism Contest. This year’s competition
aimed to highlight the stories, experiences and histories of diverse and underrepresented
peoples through visual art. Adesola’s piece, “The Black Woman’s Strength,” symbolized
the strength of African American women in the community.

Members of CEAT also participated in the activities held the week approaching MLK
day. On Jan. 17, CEAT members attended the collaborative march formed by Stillwater
Community United and OSU in honor of Dr. King. “An Evening with Soledad O’Brien” was
held on Jan. 20 in The McKnight Center for the Performing Arts where the well-known
journalist was interviewed and the winners of the annual art and essay contests were
announced. O’Brien was the keynote speaker for OSU’s 2022 MLK celebration week.OSU’s MLK Day Celebration concluded with more than 100 OSU students spending the weekend
on a tour of the Greenwood District in Tulsa on Jan. 22. CEAT students learned about
Black Wall Street and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The tour explored the entirety
of Black Wall Street, Ellis Walker Woods Memorial and Greenwood Rising. While campus was closed for MLK Day, many students spent the holiday volunteering
at service projects for Habitat for Humanity, Mt. Zion Baptist Church and the Family
Resource Center (FRC).A full list of the winning essay and art contest submissions can be found here: https://news.okstate.edu/articles/communications/2022/famed_journalist_obrien_speaks_about_life_and_legacy_of_mlk.html

Story By:
Bailey Sisk | basisk@okstate.edu

This press release was produced by Oklahoma State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.