Today isn't just an ordinary day.

Today we celebrate the legacy of a man who was assassinated for simply standing up for what he believed in.

He inspired a push for equality among all people, and as we know, his dream was for people not to be judged by the color of their skin.

The civil rights movement he led continues in part even today, as blacks struggle for treatment they deem appropriate.

Many of those racial issues occur here at Penn State, an institution that appears to try very much to paint itself as a school that promotes diversity.

So, then, why does Penn State continue to have classes today, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day? Take a close look around campus, and you will see that it's not an ordinary day. An entire week of celebration begins with the MLK Remembrance March at 6 last night.

But one thing missing from these events is the people. In past years, attendance at many of the celebrations has been very low compared to the large campus we attend.

This is one reason Penn State does not -- and perhaps should not -- cancel all classes today. If few students attend the events now, why would a day off drive them to do so?

The vast majority of students would treat the day off as just a three-day weekend, and not give so much as a thought to King or racial issues.

But avoiding making today just another holiday has the effect of making it just another day. And that is worse than the holiday option.

There needs to be something the university could do to set today -- a federal holiday -- apart from all other days, instead of making it business as usual.

For example, the university could suspend class for an hour so students can attend a remembrance celebration on the Old Main lawn.

With classes cancelled for the purpose of attending a specific event during a specific time, more students might be compelled to attend. Students might feel like they should attend, rather than simply having a choice among several events over several days.

Having classes isn't working to get students to these events. We need to try something new.

The university certainly means well with its business-as-usual policy, but when it is so concerned with diversity, having class is not the best move.

At the very least, it would be a largely symbolic act of respect to suspend class. At best, it would help the student body better observe the day.

Today should not be treated as an ordinary Monday, because it most certainly is not.