Events honor leader's legacy

At 6 a.m Monday morning, senior Brandi Vardiman will be prepping for her busy day.\nClasses may be out, but this isn't a day off for Vardiman. She will attend a full agenda of events -- both on and off campus -- to commemorate the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.\nSeveral sponsors have organized well over a dozen activities to celebrate the slain civil rights leader's legacy, including volunteer projects, a Union Board screening of "Bamboozled," a celebration concert and a keynote speech by Patricia Williams on Monday.\nVardiman, a commUNITY educator in Teter Quad, is passionate about King's legacy and has even organized her own civil rights re-enactment event that will take place a week from today called "Freedom Riders."\nThe event will begin at 6:45 p.m. at the Collins Living Learning Center, where students will begin the march. Dressed up as leaders from the past, such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Angela Davis, the group will make the trip around campus, hoping to pick up others along the way.\nThe march concludes in Teter Quad, where a student acting as Martin Luther King Jr. will give a speech, with a reception to follow.\n"The most important thing about these events is answering the call, because what does it really mean if you're not internalizing the essence of who they were and the principles for which they stood," Vardiman said. "We need to use his principles as a starting point and take them a step further in these events, because this way we can delve deeper into (King's) purpose and make his legacy more tangible."\nOther activities include a poetry slam tonight at 6 p.m. in the Foster Quad Library, where there will be readings of African-American poetry and a discussion about the Civil Rights Movement. \nA birthday celebration lecture at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater will be held Monday evening as part of "A Day On! Not a Day Off!" which involves 40 different service projects around IU and Bloomington.\nCraig Brenner, special projects coordinator in Bloomington, said he sees this project as a way to continue King's passion for serving others.\n"On other holidays people relax and have barbecues, but we want people to look at what they can do to make this a better community," Brenner said. "This is the only holiday that celebrates an African-American person, and that's significant, so this is what we're doing to perpetuate King's legacy."\nPatricia Williams, Columbia School of Law professor, race relations activist and writer will give the keynote speech at 6 p.m. Monday evening in the Whittenberger Auditorium. Her speech will serve as the University celebration of the holiday and was organized by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee.\n"This celebration is a time to be reenergized, a time for learning, and a time to examine social issues and conditions that impact our community," said Gloria Gibson, chair of the MLK Jr. Celebration Committee. "IU offers a variety of activities for faculty, staff and student involvement including films, lectures, panel discussions, an essay contest and volunteer opportunities."\nGibson, who also serves as IU's associate chancellor for multicultural affairs, said the celebration of King's legacy includes bettering the community and turning his words into action.\n"His legacy is not one of complacency, but a time for involvement. What can each of us do to make our world a better place?" she said. "Every effort is important, and Williams' lecture will not only reflect on the vast accomplishments of Dr. King, but it will also challenge us to continue to find ways to make his dream a reality"