Student reflects on the lessons of May 4

Erin Orsini is a junior public relations major at Kent State University contributing to the May 4 newsroom.

I have to admit I have never been to or participated in May 4 events over my past three years at Kent State. Sure, I always had an intention of going, but my feet never really led me over to the Commons to reflect on May 4, 1970, and what it truly means to not only to our university, but to our country.

As a student-intern at Flash Communications, a division of University of Communications and Marketing, I was assigned to attend the May 4 speeches and film the crowd’s reaction of the speeches and capture the emotions of the day.

I was leaving Franklin Hall when I called my friend who was already at the events. When she answered, I only heard a whisper, which surprised me. I expected to hear people carrying on multiple conversations and muffling noises in the background.

It didn’t take long until after I passed Oscar Ritchie Hall to witness why it was so quiet. Now, I always knew what a huge event May 4 was and the impact it had at such a delicate time in America, but I was really moved.  I was impacted because the people who attended the May 4 events really wanted to be there.

I saw very few side conversations as I walked up the hill, seeing more peoples’ eyes glued on the speakers rather than watching black squirrels jump from branch to branch.

Witnessing the respect these individuals had for May 4 and its victims really moved me. After filming various speakers and individuals looking on, I sat down to listen to each of the individuals who spoke on behalf of each of the four students who were killed on May 4.

Some speeches highlighted the characteristics of the victims and the type of people they would be today and others focused on the impact May 4 had on our country.

To say attending the May 4 speeches was a waste of my time would be a lie. After listening to the powerful words that echoed throughout campus, I not only know but have a better sense of what May 4 means for Kent State and America.

After the Commemoration: A student’s perspective

Carrie Drummond is a junior public relations major at Kent State University contributing to the May 4 newsroom.

Yesterday classes at Kent State University were canceled from noon to 2 p.m. I got out of general psychology and walked across campus to the Commons. I have attended May 4 commemorations for each of my years as a student here, but the crowd this year was bigger than before. The 40th anniversary of the shootings seemed to bring in more people than usual.

It also brought in some interesting speakers. For the first time, Barry Levine spoke publicly about what happened on May 4, 1970. He was a student at Kent State in 1970 and held Allison Krauss in his arms as she died in the parking lot. Hearing from him was particularly powerful. He had a lot to say about the politics of that day, but more important to me was what he said about Allison. When I learn stories about the students who were killed, it makes me connect to them. It’s easy to forget that they were just like me and my friends. I walk through the memorial all the time on my way to class, and although it’s sad to say, it’s easy to see the markers and not think about what they represent.

My favorite part of the commemoration yesterday was hearing those stories that make the students real to me. Allison was out that day with her boyfriend, both of them standing up for what they believed in. Jeffrey was protesting, but his brother said he was smart enough to “keep his head down.” Sandy was a proud sorority girl on her way to a test. Bill was an ROTC boy walking to class. I could put some of my current friends into those categories today.

I think the May 4 commemorations each year are important to current students because we need that day of remembrance. We need to pause, even if it’s just for two hours in the afternoon, to realize that those four students were just like us. I was happy to see that many students were spread out on the grass listening to the speakers yesterday. But there certainly weren’t enough students. If my fellow Flashes took the time to listen on May 4, I think they would see that piece of our shared Kent State history in a new light.

Kent State May 4, 1970 memorial — Does size matter?

Tyler Norris is a senior public relations major at Kent State University contributing to the May 4 newsroom.

Alan Canfora stood before a small crowd of reporters in front of Taylor Hall at Kent State University last week.  Accompanied by students with poster boards covered in marker, he stated the demands of the May 4 Task Force.

The task force is a student-run organization devoted to disseminating information about the tragedy and reminding people what happened.  Canfora seems to be the spokesperson of the group.  I don’t know officially because the group’s website is currently down.

Something about Canfora’s demands bothered me.  He insists the size of the May 4 memorial be extended by 93 percent.

Can you measure a tragedy?

Take a walk up the stairs behind Prentice Hall and into the Granite memorial surrounded by daffodils. 

See the tree that cascades over the memorial.  The wooden giants make the 70-square-foot memorial seem cozy.  From inside, you can look through the trees like windows. Not far away, you can see down the hill where the events leading to the tragedy took place.

Why do we need more? The memorial does exactly what it is intended to do.  I forget about everything else around me when I see the words “Inquire, Learn, Reflect” engraved on the ground. I start to see the landscape with a grainy, washed-out film. I think of what happened.  I think of the confusion before the shots were fired.  I think of the raw turmoil after the gunfire ceased.

No monument in Washington D.C., made me feel what this monument makes me feel.  You might think I feel close to May 4 because I go to school at Kent State and have learned about the tragedy.  Think about the fact that I’ve taken more than 10 years of history classes — all teaching me the importance of every piece of marble and granite in D.C.

Can you measure a legacy?

The task force wants the May 4 memorial to grow by 93 percent.

That would make the memorial 1,000 feet long.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C., is just under 500 feet long.  The wall symbolizes the death of more than 58,000 American soldiers.

I am not a cold-hearted person.  What happened at Kent State University on May 4, 1970 was a shame.  I hope I never have to see and feel what those students lived though.

I also know that this is a university.  It is a place where people learn.  It is a place where people come to change their lives for the better.  People come here to study conflict management and prevent tragedies like May 4.  I don’t know what it would cost to extend the monument by more than 900 feet.  I do know that money is better spent ensuring my peers and I learn the most from this university, this experience and this tragedy.

More student perspectives on May 4, 1970

Robert Checkal, a junior public relations major at Kent State University, asked students how they felt about May 4, 1970.

Faculty and Staff perspectives on May 4

Sharon Marquis is a senior secretary at Kent State University.  She was at school at time of the tragedy.

Evan Bailey is a professor at Kent State.  He is also a production manager for the Office of Student Media.

The view from Olson Hall

Rebecca Mohr is a senior public relations major at Kent State University contributing to the May 4 newsroom.   

Every generation has their moment where they can be asked years later where they were and what they were doing and they can instantly answer. For the baby boomers, it was the death of JFK. For the Millennia, it was September 11. For students and staff at Kent State University in 1970, it was May 4.   

Taylor Hall at Kent State

Even though 40 years since that fateful day have passed, students in 2010 are still reminded of the tragedy. Every freshman is required is watch the May 4 documentary and every campus tour has a brief history lesson while standing at the memorial.   

May 4 was not the reason I chose to attend Kent State, but it has blended itself into my memories of my time here. Every anniversary, survivors and historians gather on Taylor Hill and talk about the events of May 4. Whether I wanted to be reminded or not, I was surrounded by the history just by being on campus.   

For me, May 4 is not about the four students that lost their lives. It is about the protests before the shootings. Students were voicing their opinions about the expansion of the war. Whether violent or peaceful, the students involved in the protests had a purpose. That purpose was transformed into passion and dedication, much like the spirit of Kent State students today.   

Time has not changed Kent State. I’m looking out my window and there is a guy sitting under a tree playing a guitar. Pretty cliché, but I can guarantee that 40 years ago the same image was seen outside many dorm rooms.  It just goes to show that events of May 4 did not destroy the spirit of Kent State. Students will continue to learn and express themselves and Kent State will continue to remember the events of May 4.    

Rebecca Mohn lives in Olson Hall at Kent State.

Forty years later, it is hard to look at Taylor Hill and imagine the events that occurred there. Each student had a passion for their protest and each student mattered. Four students lost their lives that day and nine were injured, but it was the overall group that made history.

“Law and Order” comes to May 4

Matthew Whiteside is a junior broadcast journalism major taking the “May 4th, 1970 and Its Aftermath” course at Kent State University. 

This week during “May 4^th, 1970 and its Aftermath” the class met a very distinguished guest.  He is one of the two men responsible for developing the course, Dr. Thomas Hensley.  He stopped by to speak with the class about the legal aspects of May 4.

Dr. Hensley started the class off with a simple question: Who is responsible?  Now hang on to this thought, because I will come back to that later.

The class then looked at the board and saw a few charts and tables.  We would come to find out that the class would be taking a “Law and Order” type approach, attempting to figure out those responsible for May 4.  Now, usually I am not one who cares for legal matters but looking at what has been discussed from a legal standpoint proved to be insightful.

Next, we looked at the two types of cases, criminal and civil.  Criminal deals with the government taking on the accused and must be proved guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.”  Civil matters deal with one person versus another. Basically, one side has to be favored 51 percent.

The Case

For the remainder of class, we looked at the three types of legal models in political science (legal, attitudinal and political).  Then, we looked at seven events and deciphered which legal model would work best on the particular event.

One of the important events discussed was the trial of “The Kent 25.”  Those people represented the 25 citizens arrested for the burning of the ROTC building on May 2 (no one was arrested for May 4, as shocking as that is). Essentially, the first person tried was found guilty of a minor infraction.  Cases three and four pleaded guilty. Then, in a surprising move, the court dropped the remaining 21 cases.

Some of the other key events dissected were the Watergate scandal and the eight guardsmen on trial.

I want to highlight the eight guardsmen being on trial because this is where the most happened.  First off, the case lasted for nine grueling years, but an appeal was factored in as well.  In the original case the plaintiff asked: Were the defendants (the guardsmen) responsible and how responsible were they? 

Much drama ensued as the lead attorney for the plaintiffs dropped off at the last second leaving Richard Kelner to take on this huge case with not much time.  To say the judge on this case was “biased” would be an understatement, too. So as you can see, it was a tremendous uphill battle for the plaintiffs.  The original verdict went 9:3 in favor of the defendants.

Before the appeal, the original judge was facing much backlash so he decided to step aside and let a more another, Judge William Thomas, take over.  Thomas worked tirelessly to reach a settlement with those injured and the families of the deceased.  Right before the trial, a vacation period took place. Thomas wanted nothing more than to reach a settlement during this time. And after nine years, a deal was reached on Jan. 4, 1979.

The Verdict

The final settlement of $675,000 divided amongst the nine injured and families of Allison Krause, Jeff Miller, Bill Schroeder and Sandy Scheuer. To end the class, we took a look at why each side accepted the settlement.  The guard accepted because the settlement didn’t say that the guards were responsible. A trial could have made things worse, so it ended this nightmare for the guard.  The families and victims agreed because they weren’t in it for the money.  They wanted to hold the guard to a high legal standard, and essentially, they had no new evidence to present if the case went to trial. 

Back to the question of who was responsible: Unfortunately, even though the victims won the appeal, we still have no answer to this, even after 10 years worth of trials and 40 years of analysis.  Hopefully in time, there answers will come.

NBC4 in Columbus visits Kent State for May 4 coverage

Flash Communications students at University Communications and Marketing interview Allison Wenger with NBC4 in Columbus when she visits the May 4 Memorial on the Kent Campus at Kent State University.

Perspectives on May 4, 1970

Matthew Whiteside is a junior broadcast journalism major taking the “May 4th, 1970 and Its Aftermath” course at Kent State University. 

When I signed up for the course May 4, 1970 and Its Aftermath I figured we would take some looks into what took place.  Little did I know that by the time I leave I could pass myself off as a private investigator.

From what I heard about the course, it basically concentrated on a big project due at the end of the semester and not much before then.  Now, usually when students sign up for these types of classes they don’t put much effort into the work and expect to get an easy “A.”

Now, I must admit I usually fall into that mold as well, but after seeing all of the cover-ups and drama, one could make a case that there are almost as many holes in the story as the Kennedy assassination (I know — bold statement).

This week, the class focused on two readings that further convoluted the mystery behind what actually caused the Ohio National Guard to open fire on that fateful Monday morning.  The readings: The Kent State Coverup and the Justice Department summary of the FBI report looked at different quotes from various guards and tried to analyze what actually happened.

There were two parts to the class.  During the first half, we looked at the FBI report. Each student was assigned three questions from the report.  The questions were then discussed with the class.  Some main points discussed were: the number of students on the commons, whether or not the guard ran out of tear gas, the protestors’ demands, the role of the Students for a Democratic Society and whether or not the guards’ lives were in danger.

Jeffrey Miller was killed on May 4, 1970 at Kent State University.

During the second half of class we were split up into groups of three and picked interesting points from the Kent State Coverup.  During these sessions, it was discovered that a gun was planted on a student, Jeffrey Miller.  During the court hearings some questions were not allowed to be asked.  The most interesting thing though is the FBI determined that the guards were not in danger of losing their lives. 

This week taught me that no matter how many readings and different sources we investigate to find the real truth about what caused May 4.  The unfortunate reality is with all of the different players and outside influences, we may never get the answers we deserve.

Redemption and the Search for Understanding

Matthew Whiteside is a junior broadcast journalism major taking the “May 4th, 1970 and Its Aftermath” course at Kent State University.  The post is a reflection on his class with guest speaker Peter Jedrick, a Cleveland journalist and the author of the novel titled Hippies.

This Tuesday I got to do something that I have waited weeks to do, for the class May 4, 1970 and Its Aftermath — talk to Peter Jedick.

The week leading up to this I was referring to it as “Redemption Day,” because during the fourth week of the semester the class was scheduled to talk with Jedick about his required reading Hippies.  A snow day prevented this interview and this was the first class in forever I was upset to see canceled.  The fact that he came back for a second time gave me “redemption” in getting to talk with the author that I was deprived of speaking with due to that snow day.

At a first glance I was skeptical, because I am not a big book reader.  When I saw that the book was more than 300 pages I went in with a biased attitude of not wanting to read it.  Boy was I ever wrong.  I later confronted Jedick after class and told him my initial disdain for reading the book, but then gave him credit because he actually sucked me into the story.  This was the first time since high school I can remember that I actually enjoyed the required reading and didn’t want to put the book down.

The book was about the hippie culture during 1970 and the effects it had on the college scene in general.  It was intriguing to learn the book was about 50-50 fiction and nonfiction.  Mostly all of the stories in the book occurred, but he just used different names for the characters and embellished some of the stories to make it a bit more interesting.

Besides a book discussion Jedick talked about what the four main characters are doing now.  He also gave a preview as to what life will be like after graduation.  It was nice too because he didn’t sugar coat it, which made him seem honest and genuine about it — like he was trying to help us.

The chat wrapped up with a Q&A where he discussed things from his hitchhiking adventures, to his relationship with his parents.

Considering the class has much time to fill, we also continued on the theme known as the search for understanding in which an investigative approach is taken to examining exactly what happened on the fateful day of May 4, 1970.

The class split into three groups and looked at the questions related to two readings: Kent State, What Happened and Why and President’s Commission on Campus Unrest.  Jedick, being a journalist, made a joke about some of the suspect reporting in the first read which was funny.

The enlightening thing about the search for understanding is that we are able to look at multiple reports. We, as a class, can judge not only the differences in factual statements, but make decisions as to what could’ve/should’ve happened.

As the class let out I got to talk to Jedick about being a prospective journalist myself and the challenges I face.  He left me with a great piece of encouragement, “No matter what as long as you continue to work hard at it and gain experience, you’ll be fine.” This definitely gave “Redemption Day” a fitting conclusion for me.