LEGOs build a bridge between students and the community

More than 60 community members and college students united over construction and creativity at the second LEGO Club event on Jan. 16. LEGO Club is a partnership between the Knox County Board of Developmental Disabilities and MVNU, designed to “bridge the gap between individuals with disabilities and the general community.”

Event coordinator Brody Boggs of Knox DD said that everyone who attends LEGO Club events is on one of two paths. “Either they like to do their own thing and be creative, or they like to follow directions on a book and build that specific thing,” he said. To account for this, there are hundreds of “random pieces for people who just want to build,” and also several full construction kits.

CoSMO student coordinator Mike Mohnasky said that the community members who attend the event “have a lot of fun, and they really look forward to it,” and that LEGO Club is a great opportunity for MVNU students to “connect with and spend time with people who we might not otherwise interact with.”

The most recent LEGO Club event on Jan. 31 provided a “cool opportunity to meet others and to be kind, compassionate, and have a good time,” said Boggs. “Everybody’s different, but yet, we’re all the same, we’re all God’s children.” Mohnasky encourages the campus community to get involved. He said, “The point for us is inclusion. It’s a fun and easy way to learn how to be sensitive to and appreciate our differences. We all love LEGOs.”