“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King Jr.

On Jan. 16, 10 Siena Heights students took time out of their day to complete service. Monday was an observed holiday recognizing and celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. The students at SHU were given the day off.

However, these 10 students chose to look at the day as a day on, filled with service, not a day off. They spent their morning at the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore, working on projects using recycled materials.

Alexis Comden, a junior, summed up why she does service in one simple sentence: “It feels good to do something totally and completely not for yourself.”

This ideal gets at the heart of what Martin Luther King Jr. is preaching about in his quote above. He is known to have said that everybody and anybody can be great because they can serve. Andy Mikulski, a freshman, commented on why Monday was rewarding for her.

“We were able to actually try to build something for other people,” she said.

Mikulski said she has worked with Habitat on other projects before, so this was a new experience for her.

“I was pretty happy that there was something to do on MLK day because I got to go out and do something useful and be around other people, rather than sitting at home doing nothing,” she said.

As MLK Jr. pointed out, people need to be less concerned with themselves and more concerned about what they are doing for others.

Stefan Wilkinson, a senior, said “volunteering for Habitat was a great way to take some time to help others on MLK day, a day for service.”

Service doesn’t have to be complicated or a big show. It can be something as simple as volunteering at the local Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club, Food Pantry, etc. Students worked on creating patio chairs from old wooden pallets and repurposing an old wooden wire spool into a table and bench chairs to accompany it.

Sharmaine Wills, a sophomore, said she understands the importance of service to not only people, but her community.

“I serve because I was raised to give back to my community,” she said. “Although I am from Cincinnati, Ohio, being away at school I consider Adrian my community now.”

What do students think is the best part about service? People can always walk away with something: insight, gratification, skills, memories, etc.

Wilkinson said he “learned new skills by making the chairs and felt proud of the work he did.”

In the words of MLK, “everyone has the power for greatness, not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by service.”