I recently heard about an online petition to implore the Penn State administration to cancel classes on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, occurring on Mon., Jan. 17. By refusing to cancel classes on this national holiday, the importance and meaning behind the day often goes unnoticed, and inevitably falls secondary to the classroom agenda. I sincerely admire the job that the Undergraduate Student Government, as well as other organizations on campus, have done in planning events to celebrate the life and attitudes of King. However, I find myself in an uncomfortable position, standing at a moral crossroads of attending the events and missing my class work, or skipping the events to stay up on my studies. Though it stands in opposition to "fostering diversity" at Penn State, this is not a racial issue at heart.

The principles that King stood for still warrant much contemplation by all students. Unjustifiable violence continues to exist, and ethnic and minority groups are still assaulted with hatred and prejudice.

It is important that Penn State makes its stance on these issues of injustice clear by honoring the man who vigorously opposed them. I recognize that giving days off affects the balance of the semester schedule, but if the university seeks to continue its 150-year-old tradition of "making life better" for all of its students then this flawed policy demands revision. Please, sign the petition to make MLK, Jr. Day a holiday at http://www.petitiononline.com/free2005/petition.html, and send this urgent message to the administration.