Everyone knows that moment right when they wake up. That short period of time when dreams can still be remembered. By thinking about those dreams, we are able to remember them as easily as any memory we have actually experienced. So often, though, that moment is gone too quickly and the dream is lost.

This very thing may happen with the “Dream” of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The world is still just waking to realize the power of his dream. It has been almost 40 years, so now we have a choice: we can remember it forever and make it a reality in this country or we can choose to let the dream slip away.

The fact that King and his birthday are recognized as a national holiday says something. Banks are closed, many schools get the day off, and a few specials on television will probably run during the week. Simpson College is not one of those institutions that give an entire day to pay respect to King and his legacy. Classes are shortened for a forum event that about four percent of the student population, at most, attends.

How many students would spend a day off thinking about the inequalities we have eliminated and those that still exist? How many bank tellers meditate about their own prejudices? If allowed, how many people would take the opportunity to attend a lecture or speech? It seems most likely that many Simpson students would treat it as a three-day weekend.

Simpson’s current format for observing the day is easy enough for Students to ignore. How about something more direct? Faculty could reserve time during the course of the week to in-class discussion about King’s legacy, maybe how it applies to the given class. A speaker of a little more note might be worth the money, drawing a better student turnout and delivering a stronger representation of King’s message to the community. Central College had 600 pack its auditorium to hear a speech from Bobby Seale, a founder of the Black Panther Party.

The college could show its dedication to diversity-building by providing more of a forum for recognizing and discussing the dream and the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.