Ke’ana Hardy, coordinator of Martin Luther King Jr. week, cuts a cake in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center yesterday afternoon during a birthday celebration for Martin Luther King, Jr. (Lindsey Perkins)

To celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, Student Activities and Multicultural Affairs sponsored the MLK Birthday Party, the second in a series of events to take place during the week.

The MLK Birthday Party began at noon and was held in the commons at Hughes-Trigg Student Center. The event included music, cake, soda and chips for all who attended.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on Jan. 15, 1929. His birthday is celebrated nationwide because of to his monumental achievements in the African-American Civil Rights Movement and the peace movement.

“MLK week symbolizes the concept of SMUnity to celebrate a common cause,” Ke’ana Hardy, Coordinator of African-American Student Services said.

Hardy also stated that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is “not a day off, but a day on.” Forty SMU students put these words into action Monday by volunteering in the Dallas community for the MLK day of service.

SAMSA has been involved in bringing MLK Week to campus for nearly 20 years. The goal of the program is to celebrate the life and everlasting legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The next event to take place during MLK Week is the Unity Walk, an annual walk from Perkins Chapel down Bishop Boulevard to honor the strength and sacrifice of the soldiers involved in the Civil Rights movement. Both the walk and other events planned for the week showcase that the struggle is not over.

“I think it is great that SAMSA is planning all these activities such as the MLK Birthday Party to honor the work of Martin Luther King, Jr.,” first-year Kay Jordan said. “It is a good idea because we always get the day off and MLK week reminds us that maybe we should strive to accomplish a fraction of what was done by Martin Luther King, Jr.”