Students celebrate King day

Although the wind and rain extinguished the flames of their candles, the participants' voices rang clear in yesterday's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Candlelight Vigil. In an effort to continue King's legacy and to call the University to action, approximately 50 students of many races participated in activities across the University. More than 30 University and Drexel University students marched from the W.E.B. DuBois College House to the Christian Association singing "We Shall Overcome." "[King] was a fraternity brother of ours and we take a lot of pride in being able to host this vigil," said Kristofer Love, a College senior and president of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. "We want to show the University that someone is remembering him and his achievements." Drexel students shared similar feelings. "If it weren't for people like Martin Luther King, I wouldn't be in college right now," Drexel sophomore Monica Wheeler said. "We should pay a little respect." The procession was led into the auditorium of the Christian Association where speakers expressed their sentiments about King and his ideas. Their speeches illustrated the theme of the series of activities, "In a word?NOW!" In his speech, Bicultural Inter-Greek Council President and Wharton senior Wayne Wilson urged participants to attack apathy and take a stand. Black Student League President and College senior Robyn Kent echoed Wilson's sentiments. "It's time to stop dreaming, it's time to stop complaining," she said. "It's time to act." Earlier yesterday, students kicked off the Martin Luther King Day celebration by making banners that will be displayed on Locust Walk this week to form "King's Walk" -- a tradition created to remember and commemorate King's ideas, according to Christian Association Director Rev. Beverly Dale. "King's Walk is a visible presence of some of [King's] powerful messages that we dare not forget," she said. About 20 students of different ethnicities from more than 13 different campus organizations participated in banner-making. "This [activity] is a means of bringing together student organizations who don't normally come together," said David Grossman, director of the Program for Student-Community Involvement. Sponsors also said they hoped the activity would raise awareness about the festivities held for the holiday. "We hope more students will be aware of it next year and participate," said Michelle Davis, Americorps Intern at PSCI, one of the sponsors of King's Walk. "We want this to be a student-run activity and we want the banners to reflect how the students feel."

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