Last Wednesday, I got a call from my brother at 12:30 in the afternoon. While this may seem perfectly normal, it actually puzzled me greatly. You see, he's a very serious high school student. Unlike many of his peers, he leaves his cell phone in his backpack during school hours. He would never dream of texting someone during class (let alone calling). I immediately thought that either something must be terribly wrong or my brother was developing a rebellious side. However, neither was true. Because last Wednesday, Nov. 11, was Veterans Day. The vast majority of schools as well as post offices are closed for the day. At first, I shrugged this off as just another lame excuse for a free day. I wished that Brandeis had also canceled classes, too.

But later in the day, as I procrastinated on my schoolwork, I decided to do some research. What is Veterans Day? Why was it established as a holiday? And why did I have no idea that it was happening until I spoke to my studious brother on his day off?

At 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1919-the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month-an armistice agreement was signed that effectively ended World War I. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the day to be a national holiday in celebration of the end of all wars (World War I was supposedly the "war to end all wars"). After World War II, it became pointless to commemorate a day that supposedly ended all wars, so the name was changed to Veterans Day. In theory, everyone would pause to recognize the importance of fighting for one's country.

Veterans Day is also important because it allows us to raise awareness for veterans' issues. According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, "The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that131,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. Andapproximately twice that manyexperience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively, one out of everythree homeless men who is sleeping in a doorway, alley or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and served this country."

Needless to say, this research shed some new light on Veterans Day. I looked through all the major papers and read about how President Barack Obama as well as many other world leaders took time to recognize men in uniform all over the globe. But then I went to the Brandeis student calendar of events and didn't even find a mention of the day. The only event was a concert in the Slosberg Music Center on Nov. 13. In short, I am fully confident that had I not gotten that call from my brother, I would have had no idea that last Wednesday was Veterans Day. Why did this happen?

It could be entirely due to my ignorance. I am willing to admit that I simply don't know enough about our country and its holidays. And maybe I just didn't look hard enough on the Brandeis Web site. But at the same time, I am pretty sure that I wasn't the only one who wouldn't have known. Are we just an ignorant generation? I don't think so. I think it is the community's job-in this case, the University's responsibility-to inform its members about significant events. This could have been accomplished through a more prominent program, speaker or even just an e-mail, as the Brandeis Chaplaincy does on the occasion of different religious holidays. In short, our community failed us.

And perhaps there is an even greater point here: My brother's school also failed him. Because while they did inform him of the holiday, that was really all they did. My initial frustration that Brandeis did not cancel school was both na've and immature. Really, classes should not have been canceled last Wednesday because educational institutions have the awesome responsibility of, well, educating us. And closing school on a significant day on the calendar is not the best way to do it. Schools need to be open on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Columbus Day.

Here's what we can learn from all of this: Our country's history is important. We may study it in classes, write papers about it and take exams on it. But knowledge isn't everything. It isn't until we actively recognize important events that we can be true citizens and really appreciate the gift it is to live in this country.