It has been said time and time again that at Guilford, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day is not a day off, but a day on. This year, students were determined to prove just that.

Early on the morning of Monday, Jan. 17, volunteers ran through dormitories shouting, “Wake up! It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!” Though classes were canceled, many students made the trek to Dana Auditorium, ready to serve and learn.

The day-long celebration of the life of King began with a speech from President Kent Chabotar. He echoed the words of King as an allusion to Aaron Copland’s classical orchestral work, Lincoln Portrait, to illuminate the unfolding of the day’s events.

“‘If I can help somebody as I pass along; if I can cheer somebody with a word or song; if I can show somebody he’s traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain,'” said Chabotar, quoting King’s historic Drum Major Instinct speech.

One of the only national holidays where classes are canceled at Guilford, MLK Day is clearly important to us. But what many don’t know is why the holiday is so vital to Guilford’s values.

“This is the time that we close our school, and we do it for a purpose — not so you can sleep in,” said Director of the Bonner Center for Community Learning James Shields as he introduced performances by New Jerusalem Kingdom Mass Choir and the Guilford Jazz Ensemble. “This is the time for us to celebrate each other. Community is one of our core values and this is one of the few opportunities we have to come together as a community.”

The modest crowd came alive as the gospel choir took the stage. Throughout the performance, some audience members began singing along while others simply tapped their feet and smiled. From the smallest nod to the loudest cheer, there was an eagerness to serve the community.

“This was the first year that I really felt compelled to truly participate in the celebration and I’m glad I did,” said junior and Resident Advisor Sarah-jaana Nodell. “The visibility of the celebration across campus was crucial to its success, but addressing the prevalent and important issues at Guilford was what made it great.”

“One of my favorite qualities of Guilford College is its long tradition of justice and equality, especially in times of adversity,” said Director of Student Leadership and Engagement Erin Fox. “Our celebration of this day and our continued daily service to the Greensboro and global communities demonstrate our commitment to advocacy for respect and opportunity for all people.”

As the afternoon continued, students were treated to a variety of teach-ins in Duke Hall. Discussions about King’s anti-war sentiments, as well as his views on violence and justice, helped many draw parallels to Guilford’s core values.

One teach-in, led by Hall Director Meg Evans and Head Resident Advisor Brian Daniel, focused on stopping hate on campus. The session detailed the different methods that one can use to combat hate and help promote tolerance and understanding.

“The teach-ins were a brilliant idea,” said Nodell. “They were all orchestrated really well and were a great way to represent Martin Luther King, Jr. After all, one of the most important things that he taught us is that education is priceless.”

After finishing the celebration with some slam poetry and a performance from local favorite, Superteam, many students walked away refreshed from a full day of community spirit.

In the words of King, “I won’t have any money to leave behind. I won’t have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind.”