Submerged in a time of uncertainty and pending war, the peaceful theme underlying the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service may be especially appreciated by students.

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. will be honored today with many events, including a speech by civil rights leader Diane Nash and the completion of 63 off-campus service projects.

Adam Tarosky, MLK Day of Service co-director, hopes students will take advantage of the wide-range of activities that the day has to offer.

"We have a two-fold goal," Tarosky said. "We want to honor King's legacy but also continue his work."

Fourteen workshops and presentations will take place in the HUB-Robeson Center and commons areas throughout campus. Activities include a student debate that will explore issues of diversity related to the Village, the week-long student protest during which, students questioned the way Penn State dealt with issues of racism and tolerance.

Attendance at the day's activities is expected to be impressive, said Tarosky, who said nearly 1,500 people attended the closing ceremonies last year.

Off-campus service projects will reflect the theme "We Won't Stop Here," which was taken from the speech King gave the night before he was killed, said Nicole Sandretto, MLK Day of Service co-director.

"Service projects are the best way to continue King's legacy and to celebrate his accomplishments with all members of the State College community," she said.

Activities are geared toward promoting issues of tolerance, she added.

One project will include a team of members from Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA) and Womyn's Concerns. The group will speak to middle school students about the importance of being open-minded in the diverse world of today.

"It's important to talk to students about these issues now before they reach more diverse communities like high school and college," said Jahnna Harvey, FMLA president.

Students do not have to be a member of participating student groups to complete service activities. Smaller service projects will be offered in Alumni Hall from noon to 4 p.m. and will include tasks such as assembling bags of food for Meals-on-Wheels, Sandretto said.

Additional on-campus events include the AIDS Project's presentation of "People of Color Living with AIDS" and a workshop on healthy body images presented in conjunction with the student group Allies.

Kenneth Lehrman, director of affirmative action, will address the history and implications of affirmative action at colleges in the HUB Auditorium during an afternoon presentation.

The day's festivities will conclude with an evening celebration in Eisenhower Auditorium featuring civil rights leader Diane Nash. As a college student, Nash played a key role in the 1960s civil rights movement and helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

"She is someone who will be deeply inspirational, especially to people of our age group," Sandretto said.