The official holiday celebrating the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. has come and gone for 1999, but African-American leaders at Iowa State hope the lessons surrounding King and his accomplishments will continue to influence students every day.

Vice President of Student Affairs Thomas Hill had a first-person view of what the world was like during the Civil Rights Movement in the ’50s and ’60s.

“I was a college student when Dr. King was assassinated,” Hill said.

As a student at Memphis State University in Tennessee, Hill was only 60 miles from Memphis on April 4, 1968, the date of King’s assassination.

Hill said he believes King’s life has a different impact on each individual, but that impact should inspire similar actions in everyone.

“It’s a time to be about the business of doing something very positive and constructive,” he said.

Hill said everyone has a different way of celebrating King’s legacy, and “you can’t look at who’s doing what, when, where and how.”

With many events scheduled over the weekend to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Hill said he got a chance to participate in Friday’s Love Train, a freedom march through campus. However, Hill’s other plans for Martin Luther King Jr. Day were canceled due to inclement weather Monday morning.

“I had plans to go down to the capitol — there’s usually a ceremony there,” he said.

Some of the leaders expressed regret that more people do not take time out to learn about King and his mission.

Marcia Johnson, senior in sociology and Government of the Student Body off-campus senator, said she feels most ISU students do not appreciate the meaning of the holiday.

“A lot of them see it as just a day off class,” she said. “They don’t see it as a holiday.”

Johnson said non-minority students are not the only ones who do not fully understand the celebration.

“There are a lot of African-Americans who don’t appreciate the holiday like they should,” she said. “I definitely think [everyone] should go to some of the activities that occur on campus and in Ames.”

Johnson said she celebrated King’s birthday by participating in the Love Train and attending the city’s celebration at the Ames Public Library Monday evening.

GSB Vice President Jamal White said he saw the Love Train roll into the Memorial Union and feels the most important part of the holiday is recognizing the impact of King’s life and what he accomplished for the Civil Rights Movement.

“I want to make sure people continue to know what he’s done, so it doesn’t die with our parents,” said White, who is a senior in metallurgical engineering. “Anyone can take a lot of good things out of the holiday, as long as they take the time.”

Johnson also stressed the holiday should be celebrated by everyone.

“I don’t really think it’s a race issue; it’s just the principles you have within yourself,” she said.