Staff Editorial: Many ways to remember King

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

So spoke Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man for whom silence was not an option. A civil rights leader, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and hero to many, King's works and accolades show no sign of fading into the dim reaches of the past.

Our appreciation of those works, however, seems to lessen every year.

Dragging oneself from a warm bed on what is sure to be a frigid day is never easy, especially on a day when the federal government mandates that you take a breather. As students, we work hard and deserve whatever breaks come our way.

But at the same time, every year, some things that should never be forgotten come dangerously close to being forgotten by a significant amount of the student body.

We must never take for granted the freedoms that we enjoy, and we must never forget the incredible struggle that went into ensuring those freedoms for all. Attending an event on Martin Luther King Day is a small tribute to the blood, sweat and tears of the men and women who fought for what we so readily enjoy today.

By the same token, Martin Luther King Day also represents the challenges that we still face towards rectifying racial injustice in this country and on this campus. We have come a long way, and we have a long way to go.

Each year, lectures, symposiums, meetings and events are organized around the theme of appreciating the life and ideals of one of the greatest men of the 20th century. And each year, these events are sparsely attended on this campus, despite the amount of work that goes into organizing them.

Go to an event. Hear a speaker. In lieu of that, talk to your friends and find out what they really think about race relations in this country. Convince someone. Be convinced. Speak your mind, and maintain the courage of your convictions.

In the end, that's probably what the man would have wanted.

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