No Kirkwood Labor Day parades

Since 1894, the first Monday of September has been a national holiday in our country. Labor Day celebrates our nation’s workers and their contributions to the social and economic success of the United States. It is a tribute to important labor movements that have helped raise the standard for treatment of workers and has been historically celebrated with parades and speeches on streets.

Labor Day is an important national holiday like Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Memorial Day, set aside to give everyone a chance to take a break from their work to serve their community and learn about groundbreaking achievements in our nation’s history.
Unfortunately though, IU’s administration has decided not to give students and professors a day off to recognize this holiday. I think it is important that in future years that classes be canceled on Labor Day to give students and professors a chance to read about labor movements and to celebrate their achievements.

This is not a subject that should be overlooked, especially in times of financial instability. Rather than holding classes, we could be parading down Kirkwood in celebration of the great contributions workers have made in this country.