I feel like a jerk. I almost forgot.

Last Monday, Jan. 19, marked the 22nd Martin Luther King Jr. day, and it almost passed me by without even a personal reflection on a dream, a gasp at Bull Connor’s fire hose or a tip of the hat to the Freedom Riders.

I could blame my unawareness on any number of reasons: books still had to be ordered, the university doesn’t close for the holiday, I was too giddy with excitement for my math class, etc.

But on some deeper level, my age, upbringing and ethnicity all contributed to my business-as-usual mentality. Because of my age, I relate to the Civil Rights movement as history although it is still progressing. I have not lived the history, only crammed for the final test.

Furthermore, for all intents and purposes, the Midwest is not a bastion of diversity or racial understanding. Measure 424 passed with a faint murmur of opposition, and Omaha remains significantly segregated.

Even at Creighton, our Martin Luther King Jr. Day is diluted into a whole week, and the Creighton Admissions Office has two “token” minorities in almost all of their recruitment information. I do not know what it feels like to walk into a classroom and see no one with my same skin color. I do not have a constant reminder of King’s ongoing struggle.

This year, I remembered and came to appreciate Martin Luther King Jr. Day when CNN broadcast a picture of then President-elect Obama painting a wall of a homeless shelter. He had his sleeves rolled up, and in the background teenagers captured the event with their cell phones.

This was obviously a well-staged photo shoot. However, seeing the President-elect absent from inauguration festivities finally set off a light bulb in my head: Yes, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is here, and yes, today’s generation can relate to King’s message.

However, the event demonstrated a clear message through which we as Creighton students can come to appreciate King’s day.

While we may not have experienced the protests of the 1960s or come from a racially diverse university, we can recognize the service orientation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Our Jesuit values echo King’s cry when he said: “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle…”

Hopefully, we emerge from this week’s ceremonies with a renewed sense of dedication to become men and women for others.

Project Homeless Connect Omaha presents just one opportunity for the Creighton community to become involved. The event connects homeless individuals with all the various services, and coordinators are hoping to get 500 volunteers to host the guests in the Kiewit Fitness Center.

Not only should Martin Luther King Jr. Day foster an atmosphere of service and social justice, but service should ultimately lead to a better understanding of the third Monday in January. Through the act of serving others and solidarity in the human experience, we can come to appreciate King’s mission and legacy.