Dr. King

My college never ceases to amaze me, and today's celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is no exception.

I have to preface this rant with the acknowledgment -- and appreciation -- that we even have a celebration. This is only the second year for Susquehanna to observe the holiday, and while that's a terrible reflection on the school, it is an improvement over years past.

Rather than cancelling classes, our school chooses to create a modified class schedule to reserve an hour and a half in the middle of the day for a convocation and remembrance ceremony. Yes, it is a fine way to encourage students, faculty and staff to attend the ceremony. They even shut down the cafeteria during the festivities.

There are also a bunch of volunteer activities going on today, and I think that's great.

But we had to go to class today. And even though classes were shorter and at different times than normal, we still had to go. That makes it really tough to actually commit to volunteer work or to do anything to honor the day.

Hands On New Orleans has put together a week of service projects to honor Dr. King's legacy. Today was the last day for that, but it's commendable for seeking to get people to not waste today and to actually do something good for a change.

I appreciate Susquehanna's efforts, but I really don't think it's enough to get people moving.