THE UNIVERSITY of Virginia prides itself on tradition. We cling to every word that Thomas Jefferson ever uttered like our lives depend on it, and few would deny that our school has a deep respect - far more so than that of most colleges of our day - for the history of both our University, our nation and for those who helped to shape them for the better. Yet somehow, Monday, Jan. 21, 2002 managed to pass by the University with little if any notice from the administration and student body.
Disturbingly, many students reading this article right now may be wondering to themselves what on earth was so significant about Jan. 21 that it was such an atrocity to allow it to pass in the way it did. Goodness knows it would not be hard to miss the holiday when one takes into account the pathetically small amount of recognition it was given at U.Va. For those of you who still are in the dark as to what we are talking about here, the answer is this: Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
While some may think I am blowing this out of proportion or being oversensitive - it wouldn't be the first time - this is an unfair criticism. The way in which we reacted to Martin Luther King Jr. Day is representative of a larger problem that we face here at the University. That problem is the way in which many members of the faculty and student body allow work and the drive for success - and in many cases the money that comes along with it - to eclipse everything else in our lives. While a strong work ethic is a wonderful and valuable trait that absolutely is warranting of praise, it, like anything else, becomes an evil when taken to the extreme.
We all are familiar - perhaps too familiar - with what we students like to refer to as the "U.Va. bubble." What this term entails is the way in which, the second that we step onto Grounds, all thoughts that do not include classes, extracurricular activities, parties and the somewhat disturbingly passionate love for running at any and all hours of the day that University students seem to have, vanish from our minds. The outside world, past, present and future is cut off from our train of thought. It is a fair assertion to say that ours is a school dominated by perfectionism, and while there are high points to this kind of environment, there are many dangers in it as well.
In our quest for perfection, it is all to easy to become so self-absorbed that we sometimes tend to forget to look at the bigger picture. Martin Luther King Jr. urged us desperately throughout his short life to see our lives and the lives of others on the larger scale in the hopes that in doing so we might truly understand what is and what is not important in life. This man, incontestably one of the greatest leaders of our time, was himself forgotten on Monday. He was forgotten in the name of statistics classes, hurried lunches in Pavillion XI, and First Year Players interest meetings. Looking at the bigger picture, it is not hard to recognize our error.
The day has passed us by for a year, and there is nothing that we can do to change that. However, there are ways in which we can somewhat rectify our shortsightedness. We as students and faculty members have to put pressure on the University to cancel classes for Martin Luther King Jr. Day next year. While no one will assert that many students won't merely see this as a chance to head out to the Corner for yet another night of debauchery, this certainly is not the case for all students. To many, Martin Luther King Jr. and his teachings mean something. Even in the case of the students who do not care at all about this incredible man or his wisdom, by the failure of the University to cancel classes out of respect for King, the indifference of these individuals is legitimized. This is not the kind of message that we as a community want to be sending.
There is something deeper and more important that we can do to pay our respects to King where we failed to do so this past Monday. Missing the day we as a nation hold in his honor, while disrespectful, does not compare in weight to what we can do for King every day of our lives. He never was vying for the spotlight or the glory. King rose to prominence - and ultimately gave his life - because he had something to say, something that the nation needed to hear then, and something which we all need to remember today.
The direct circumstances surrounding his teachings were different in his time, yes, but the core of what he wanted so badly for us to understand transcends all detail. What he preached was, after all is said and done, brotherhood and genuine love for our fellow man.
If you really want to pay respect to King, to whom we should all truly be grateful, make an honest effort - no matter how small - to follow his teachings. Smile at people you pass on the sidewalk; do a favor for someone in need. In any way you can, try to give of yourself to others. In doing so, you will honor this great man and all the other righteous men who have ever lived, become a happier and better person, and make U.Va. a little bit more pleasant for all of us.
(Laura Parcells' column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at lparcells@cavalierdaily.com.)
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