U. stirs controversy by not closing on MLK Day

Banks were closed yesterday. So were public and parochial schools, City Hall, state and federal government offices, libraries and post offices, all in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. The University, however, remained open. All public institutions must close for the holiday, which celebrates the life of the late civil rights leader, who was slain in 1968. But the University, a private institution, is under no obligation to cancel classes or close offices. Although University policy allows students to miss classes for this holiday and others, Black Student League President Rasool Berry said failing to cancel classes prevents students from fully celebrating the holiday. "Students shouldn't have to make that sacrifice [of missing class] to take the time to contemplate what Dr. King really means," said Berry, a College junior. But University spokesperson Ken Wildes said closing the school would not be an appropriate way to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. "Universities aren't about closing; they are about engaging in meaningful discussion," Wildes said. "You close for snow." The University's celebration of King's birthday expands far beyond just the nationally specified day, Wildes noted. Last Tuesday, Penn kicked off its third annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Celebration with a memorial service sponsored by the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. More than 30 campus organizations are participating in the 7-week-long celebration, entitled "The Vision Lives on? Recapturing the Spirit." "This is a time when we should engage in discussion and learn more about Dr. King's work," Wildes said. But Berry said the University has no excuse for not closing to honor King. The policy of other colleges and universities in the area and across the Ivy League varies greatly. Classes were canceled at Drexel, St. Joseph's and La Salle universities in Philadelphia yesterday, while students at Villanova University and the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science attended classes. Classes at Temple University do not begin until today. Students did not have classes at Harvard University in celebration of the holiday, unlike their counterparts at Columbia, Cornell, Princeton and Yale universities. Dartmouth College altered its class schedule to allow for holiday observance. Brown University students return from winter break tomorrow. According to Penn policy, instructors must allow students to celebrate King's birthday and all other holidays by missing class. Instructors are also forbidden to give exams on certain holidays, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Good Friday.

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