Day off should still be day on

President's Day was high school. Students don't get the day off for Columbus, either.\nThere is only one day during the whole school year IU cancels classes for a holiday dedicated to an individual.\nMartin Luther King Jr. Day. And for good reason.\n King was born Jan. 15, 1929. He was shot and killed April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn.\n He made instrumental strides in his lifetime. He led a year-long boycott of Montgomery, Ala., buses beginning Dec. 5, 1955. King headed instrumental marches that led to his infamous "I have a Dream" speech Aug. 28, 1963. He would find himself in prison for leading these peaceful marches but never used violence as a means to end segregation -- a step we all need to take note of.\nKing was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December 1964. \nWhile his efforts did not go unnoticed then, they continue to make a big impact today.\nDr. Martin Luther King Jr. was pivotal in paving the way for a more equitable nation. There have been many strides taken toward ending segregation, but there is still room for improvement. \nWe are not as diverse a nation as we need to be. We can only improve this one step at a time. \nThere are plenty of opportunities around campus and the Bloomington community to get off the couch and be involved. Take advantage of these chances. IU has taken strides to bring Marion Berry, a keynote speaker, to campus and make Monday "A Day On, not a Day Off."\nWe are not so far removed from a time when classes took place Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In 1997, students and faculty protested that Martin Luther King Jr. Day should be honored. But the ideology of these protests was not to have a reason to miss class. Ultimately, the trustees of the University passed a resolution allowing for a day to honor the steps King made to end hatred among fellow Americans.\n"His place in history is so profound that it can't even be measured yet," Robert Johnson, former president of the Afro-American Students Association, said in an April 5, 1968, article of the IDS.\nThere is no class Monday because the University feels that Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an important enough event the day should be honored.\nBloomington and the IU community do an excellent job of providing opportunities for students who do not have class to do meaningful things Jan. 21. \nTake advantage of this privilege.