Today is a day to honor the dream of Martin Luther King Jr., a man who dedicated his life to service.

Although Penn State has class on this national holiday, it still is possible for students to pursue King's dream.

There are service projects organized by many groups on campus, providing students with the opportunity to become involved despite attending classes today.

Professors should accept university-approved absences for service projects today, but they must also understand it might have been difficult for students to obtain excuses to participate in volunteer activities.

The deadline to file for an excuse for the day of service was last Monday, the first day of classes this semester. This made it difficult for students to find out about service projects and file a request just days after returning from the winter break.

Professors should be lenient with students who want to attend service projects today, knowing that it might have been difficult for some students to obtain excuses. It is important that professors see this as a day of enrichment outside of the classroom.

In the future, the university should push back the deadline for obtaining university-approved absences to make it easier for students to participate in service projects.

While it would be beneficial to not have class today to make it easier for students to participate, we understand that a day off might actually decrease volunteerism.

If classes were cancelled, some students might use the day off as an opportunity for a three-day weekend.

As Coretta Scott King said, it's not a day off, it's a day on. It is important that students remember the man and the reason behind today's holiday.