Malvina Farkle Day Celebrates Service, LWC's Ties to Community

COLUMBIA, Ky. -- For Lindsey Wilson College junior Meghan Humphress, Malvina Farkle Day is a reminder that a college campus should extend beyond physical boundaries.

Humphress was among more than 1,000 LWC students, faculty and staff who departed from their regular schedules on Wednesday to celebrate the college's annual community service day. The day is named in honor of a former mythical LWC student and staff member who was dedicated to community service and good times. Malvina Farkle Day is also a chance for the college and community to grow closer, Humphress said.

"It gives us a chance to give back to the community," said Humphress, who is from Louisville, Ky. "We spend all of our time on campus enveloped by our classes and social lives, and we often forget about the community around us. It's hard to remember to help the community out while we're at college."

Residential students were roused from their rooms before 7 a.m. CT on Wednesday. Following a college-wide breakfast in Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center, LWC President William T. Luckey Jr. dismissed classes in exchange of a day of community service from students.

"This is an important part of what we do at this college -- community service and trying to go out and make a difference in the world are part of who this college is," Luckey said.

Humphress, who spent part of her day at Mountainview Rescue Center, said she loves a day without classes because it allows her to focus on giving back to the community.

"I love to volunteer," she said. "I get to get up, not go to classes and be able to do something I love."

LWC freshman Trey Benson of Lexington, Ky., spent part of his first Malvina Farkle Day cleaning the parking lot in front of the IGA grocery store on Jamestown Street, which was part of a PRIDE cleanup project. Benson said the project helped him achieve two goals.

"It makes the community look nicer, and it is good for the environment," he said of his project. "Also, being a freshmen, it helped me became familiar with the town."

Malvina Farkle Day also introduced LWC freshman Wendy Price of Berea, Ky., to a part of Adair County "that I normally wouldn't get the chance to work at or even visit."

LWC junior Kendall Sewell of Somerset, Ky., said Malvina Farkle Day also fosters a strong sense of school spirit among students.

"It encourages a sense of community and unity amongst the freshman," he said. "I like being able to set up this day for the students. It's good to organize a day of good and wholesome fun. It feels great being able to make Lindsey Wilson feel more like a community. … It breeds tradition and better moral values for our students. It makes the freshmen feel more united."

Price said she is already looking forward to the next Malvina Farkle Day.

"I will look forward to it because it helps remind us that there is more to our lives than college and getting good grades, studying and on-campus activities," she said. "We have the power and number to get out there and help the community and make a difference. (The day) sets Lindsey Wilson apart from the other colleges, and it creates more well-rounded students and citizens." 

***

The following organizations and locations were served on LWC's Malvina Farkle Day:

Adair County Garden Club
Adair County Elementary School
Adair County Head Start
Adair County Public Library
Bull Run Road trash pick-up
Café on the Square
Colonel William Casey School
Columbia-Adair County Food Pantry
Columbia United Methodist Church
Dollhouse Daycare
Dunbar Cemetery
Eldercare
Family Resource Center
Green River Animal Shelter
Homeplace on Green River
Kentucky Highway 80 trash pick-up
New Community Center Cleanup
Ole Homeplace Adult Daycare
PRIDE Cleanup
Roadside Park cleanup
Sugar Foot Animal Rescue
Summit Manor Nursing Home
Trinity United Methodist Church

More ...
Click here to read about Malvina Farkle Day aligns with the values of LWC intercollegiate athletics.
Click here to see pictures from Malvina Farkle Day.