UC Merced students beautify park to honor MLK

Scores of UC Merced students decided to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday by donating their time to beautify Applegate Park.

The students broke off into small groups to paint buildings, clear flowerbeds, spread bark under swing sets and perform a number of other projects in the park, Kiwanis Kiddieland and Applegate Park Zoo.

Christian Chapman, 19, a freshman at UC Merced, used pruning shears to clear out dead growth on rose bushes. He worked alongside one of his teammates from the Bobcat basketball squad.

The team decided they wanted to participate to give back to Merced, the Oakland native said.

“I look at it (the service) in honor of Dr. King,” he said. “He, obviously, did a lot for other people.”

Others took time out of their day to remember King by doing something kind for others. “People all over the country are engaging in projects to improve the quality of life in their communities,” said Vernette Doty, associate director of the Office of Student Life at UC Merced.

She said close to 100 students were expected to participate in the park cleanup before the day’s end. The group picked Applegate Park, she said, because it wanted to partner with the city on the project.

Another basketball player and student, Michael Pierick, was in the park spreading a fresh layer of bark on a playground. The 21-year-old junior, from San Diego, said he hoped the cleanup would help build the relationship between the city and the university.

“Interacting with (the community) and stuff is always a positive thing,” he said.

King also preached unity and equality, he noted. People working together to beautify the park is an example of that, he said.

Along with the basketball team, clubs, individual students, faculty, staff and their families took part in the cleanup.

This story was originally published January 19, 2015 at 3:28 PM with the headline "UC Merced students beautify park to honor MLK."