This year, Penn State students will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in a way they never celebrated it before -- with a day off from classes.

Government offices, post offices, banks and most schools across the country have been shutting their doors every third Monday in January since 1986 when Martin Luther King Jr. Day was first celebrated as a federal holiday.

However, Penn State has never canceled classes before this year. In recent years, Penn State and Northwestern have been the only schools in the Big Ten who have not had any time off from classes.

Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said that in previous years, administrators were worried students would give themselves a three-day weekend instead of participating in MLK Day events.

"We don't make policies based on what other schools do," Kendig said. "We make decisions based on what's best for our students."

Kendig said student suggestions helped to sway the administration in its decision to cancel classes. The university now hopes that having the day off will offer students more opportunities to get involved in MLK Day activities, he said.

"Having the day off is something we thought would be in the best interest of students, by giving them more service opportunities without missing classes," Kendig said.

Some students think that the day off will be used as a chance to catch up on sleep or prepare for the new semester.

"I hope students will go and look at the activities to see the impact of Martin Luther King on society, but I don't know how many will actually want to get up from bed and go out on their day off," said Stephanie Giannotti (freshman-kinesiology), adding that she was looking forward to attending one of the events.

So far, MLK Day planners say more students are getting involved in the events than in previous years.

"This year, our numbers are dramatically increased," said Denise Ziobro, who co-chairs the Undergraduate Student Government's (USG) Day of Service.

Ziobro said more than 300 students have signed up for service opportunities, far exceeding participation in previous years. Sign-ups are continuing in the HUB-Robeson Center until tomorrow.

"By having this day off, not only can students participate in service, but they can participate in the first Peace Service, the commemoration march and the Social Justice Dinner," Ziobro said.

These activities and many more are planned over a nine-day period beginning today and featuring keynote speaker Rev. Jesse Jackson on Wednesday.

One of the first events of the commemoration is the Human Race Machine, which includes a skin-color assessment, which maps participant's skin tone to a different region of the world. It also creates computer-generated images that can change a participant's facial features into different races.

Monday marks the daylong celebration of Penn State's MLK Day of Service. The day begins with an American Red Cross blood drive, where students can give blood or volunteer. There will also be a Penn State Forum with Roslyn Brock, vice chairwoman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), for which tickets are required.

At 4 p.m., the Peace Service will end the MLK Day of Service with students reading excerpts from some of Dr. King's speeches. Following the Peace Service, there will be a march from the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center to the HUB-Robeson Center, MLK Day co-Chairman Theodore Jackson said.

The day will conclude with a Martin Luther King Social Justice Dinner to thank the volunteers, focus on social responsibility and remember the contributions made by Rosa Parks, Jackson added.

Monday night also marks the opening of the Tunnel of Oppression, an interactive display of various forms of oppression over the years.

Mark Rameker, who worked on a room in the Tunnel of Oppression, said the event is "thought-provoking and a good way to learn about other people in a very hands-on way."

Jackson said that on Tuesday, a MLK speech contest will be held at the HUB. The theme will be "Wake Up! Realize the Dream." The winner will be awarded $250 and the runner-up will get free school books, he said.

"Dr. King was undoubtedly one of the greatest speakers of all time, and this contest will allow students to move the audience with a speech centered around this year's theme," Jackson said.

On Wednesday, a reception will celebrate the historical marker that commemorates King's 1965 visit to University Park's Rec Hall.

The MLK Day of Service Celebration will conclude the week's commemoration at 7 p.m. in Eisenhower Auditorium, Jackson said.

"We plan to conclude with a night of entertainment and excitement," he said. "This event will celebrate Dr. King through the arts and will feature Jesse Jackson as the keynote."