1/17/2011 11:30:00 AMMartin Luther King Jr. Day celebrated at Lincon West High School

January 17, 2011, 11:32 AM

By Leila Atassi, The Plain Dealer

Although students had the day off at Cleveland's Lincoln West High School, the buildings first floor was bustling with volunteers, sanding and painting hundreds of lockers for students in the school's Community Wrap Around Academy.

Principal Maria Carlson said in many ways the project -- which was born of the initiative of about a half dozen students trying to beautify their deteriorating school -- reflects the spirit of King's message.

"This all began with a small group of people trying to make a big change," Carlson said. "And that's how every great movement starts -- with an inspired few."

Before this school year when Lincoln West was divided into separate academies, the building's first floor had earned a reputation as the setting of violent fights and a haven for delinquent students skipping class, Carlson said. Over time, as lockers fell victim to vandalism and disrepair, the floor was nicknamed "the projects."

Then a small group of students who had just entered the Academy, approached Carlson to complain. The principal suggested they work together to improve their surroundings.

So the seven students stayed for hours every afternoon after school to sand down lockers and layer on shiny fresh coats of beige paint. The work was slow-going. But the students persisted for months, and Carlson said she noticed something remarkable stirring among the student body.

Despite some of her colleagues' admonitions that their work would only be destroyed by vandals, the lockers remained pristine, and students grew proud to call the first floor home.

City Year heard about the students' efforts and wanted to join them. Another 80 volunteers from American Greetings and 10 from Frito-Lay also helped out Monday.

Sophomore Elizabeth Semidei, 15, who sanded lockers alongside her friends, said spending the holiday in service and finishing the hard work her fellow students started honors King's edict to rise above the naysayers.

"Those people who told our principal, 'Don't bother,'" Elizabeth said. "Can you imagine where we would be if we had those people running our school? Martin Luther King fought for everyone to be equal. Without him I wouldn't be here today -- in these halls, getting this education. And this is giving back, letting everyone know we have conquered our limitations. And we did it together."