As the commemoration events for Martin Luther King Jr. begin today, so does the debate about whether the University should close its doors for the day to honor the late civil-rights activist.

If statewide government offices are closed to honor King, the University should also be closed, said Keitha Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr. interest house resident assistant.

"It still hurts me personally that Penn State doesn't give us the day off," Robinson (senior-industrial engineering) said. The University "doesn't believe that King should have his day," she added.

Erica Dean (sophomore-management information systems) agreed that the University should take the day off to celebrate King's achievements.

"I view it as a very important holiday, especially for African Americans," Dean said. "Martin Luther King went through many struggles to uplift the black race, but I think more needs to be done."

But University President Joab Thomas said Penn State does give King his due. It is much more appropriate to have the commemoration spread out throughout the week to let a majority of faculty and students attend than to celebrate all in one day, Thomas said.

"If we cancel classes for that day, most students would leave town on Friday and not come back until Tuesday," he added.

And King favored productivity and education rather than personal remembrance, said Lawrence Young, Paul Robeson Cultural Center director.

"If you understand Dr. King's philosophy, he was a person that didn't go for laurels and individual praise," Young said.

But despite differing opinions about how to celebrate, the spirit of the day will not be lost -- both student and University-planned events will mark the importance of King's message and life work.

Events kick off at 6:30 p.m. today with a candlelight march from Pollock Halls to Eisenhower Auditorium. The event was organized by the Martin Luther King Jr. interest house and is a way to honor what King stood for and "to say thank you," Robinson said.

The events will continue at 7:30 p.m. today at Eisenhower Auditorium with a speech by Walter E. Fauntroy. Fauntroy worked for King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1960. He also helped King organize the historic 1963 civil rights march on Washington, D.C.

The events tonight will include performances by theatre arts students and the NOMMO Performing Arts Company, as well as a combination of choirs from the school of music and the United Soul Ensemble.

"I hope from attending the commemoration that (students) will get a sense that Dr. King's message is universal . . . and not limited to the African-American community," said Myrna Munchus-Bullock, assistant director for community education and outreach for the Center for the Performing Arts.

King dedicated his life to fighting for social equality for the black community. As the target of police harassment and physical threats, he was arrested 16 times and stabbed while signing a book between 1956 and 1967.

On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis by James Earl Ray. 1986 marked the first year that King's birthday was officially observed.

Events will continue on Thursday, when Pulitzer Prize winner David J. Garrow will present a lecture at 3:30 p.m. in 112 Kern. Garrow is the author of Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. All events are free and open to the public.