While many participate in the events celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day, NIU could do more to ensure students fully understand the meaning of this national celebration.

Before college, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was talked about every year in school; however, I always heard the same facts and stories. Here at NIU was the first time I ever realized there was a way to celebrate the holiday and not just take an extra day, but students need to be better informed about how to honor this day.

“Having the day off gives everyone an opportunity to stop their everyday business as usual to really concentrate on the philosophies of King and to perhaps serve,” said Chief Diversity Officer Vernese Edghill-Walden.

In college it is difficult to get every student involved, but in order to reflect on Dr. King’s philosophies it is necessary to know them.

Throughout the week, it would be beneficial to simply take some time to talk about the topic in classes. Because this holiday falls so close to the beginning of spring semester, students may be otherwise occupied and not realize the journey that led to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Illinois was the first state to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a state holiday in 1973. As students attending a state school, this seems like information that we should know. It is not enough anymore to take the day off with a few words about ‘I have a dream,’ because many students may end up just sleeping in. The more informed people are, the more interested they may be.

“DeKalb is depicting his need for collaboration, his need for humanness on this particular day,” said Regina Curry, Chairman of the Martin Luther King Steering Committee.

King’s birthday became a federal holiday thanks to the efforts of many people in 1983. Getting involved is the most important lesson to learn from this holiday, and it is a lesson that I was never taught before. The Center for Black Studies recognizes that students may not be informed about Dr. King and several events held by the center are informative as well as voluntary.

The lack of involvement could be solved with more awareness within the NIU campus. When it comes to students who do not attend events held in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it is very possible they were uninformed.

NIU President Doug Baker said in his Baker Report on Jan. 14 that, Dr. King’s prescient words continue to resound as our country still struggles to achieve racial harmony on city streets and college campuses.

That message of harmony needs to be spread to those students who are not involved. This could be done by having classes on Martin Luther King Jr. Day; however, that is unfair to those who really support the collaboration. Therefore, schools need to take that extra step in the journey to make sure everybody understands the meaning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.