Joyful singing and clapping filled the Sun Room of the Memorial Union as a diverse group of individuals – young and old, black and white – united to celebrate the 73rd birthday of the man who had a dream.

University offices were closed Monday in remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr., the civil-rights advocate known for his nonviolent resistance to racism and his history-making speeches.

But Black Student Alliance President Robert Price told the crowd the holiday is not a day off, but a day on.

“I hope people leave understanding the reason why we celebrate and what it means,” said Price, senior in management information systems.

The ISU Chamber Choir, Shy of A Dozen, sang at the event, and more chairs were crammed into the room for the bigger-than-anticipated crowd.

ISU President Gregory Geoffroy said Friday’s party in the Memorial Union celebrated the values King brought to the United States and the world – vision, hope, persistence, resolve, patience, confidence and leadership.

World Theatre Group Director Shirley Basfield Dunlap read a poem written by the black Pultizer Prize winner, Gwendolyn Brooks.

“I hope people will leave with that knowledge that `I am the real thing,’ ” quoted Dunlap, associate professor of music. “We need to look at the inner part, the real thing which is special. Don’t try to be the framework of someone else – just yourself.”

Although King was assassinated in 1968, the speeches he made still are appropriate today, said Government of the Student Body President Andy Tofilon.

“We are still fighting for the same things today,” Tofilon said. “Freedom, liberty and love.”

The event, organized by the MLK Planning Committee, gave the ISU community a greater understanding of King’s accomplishments, said Kari Hensen, program assistant in the Dean of Students office.

“I hope to leave with a better recognition of the contributions that Dr. King has made for everyone in society,” she said.