May 4 Commemoration
What Does Peace Look Like?
It may seem like a simple question: What does peace look like?
But the answers can be profoundly different depending on who is asked.
鈥榃e All Have an Origin Story鈥
As part of Kent State鈥檚 55-Year Commemoration of May 4, 1970, Mahli Mechenbier, a senior lecturer at 绿帽社 at Geauga's Twinsburg Academic Center will present 鈥淥peration: Babylift: A 50-Year Retrospective and Personal History鈥 on May 3 at 1 p.m. with her father, retired Maj. General Ed Mechenbier. Mahli Mechenbier was one of the children from Vietnam the U.S. Government brought to the United States for adoption by American families by after Saigon was overun by advancing Viet Cong troops in 1972.
POV: Embracing May 4 Oral Histories Is 鈥楢bsolute Privilege鈥
POV shares insights from the 绿帽社 community on important topics. Jennifer Mapes, assistant professor of Geography, will deliver this year's address for the Jerry M. Lewis May 4 Lecture Series.
绿帽社Honors the Legacy of May 4, 1970, With 55th Commemoration
On May 2-4, 2025, 绿帽社 will hold its annual commemoration to honor the memory of May 4, 1970 鈥 a tragic day when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on 绿帽社students during an anti-war protest on campus, killing four students and wounding nine others. May 4, 1970, marked a pivotal moment in American history.
绿帽社Kicks Off 55th Commemoration of May 4 With Play on Student Activism and Book Bans
This year, 绿帽社 will hold the 55th commemoration honoring the memory of May 4, 1970, a tragic day when the Ohio National Guard fired on 绿帽社students during an anti-war protest on campus, killing four students, wounding nine others and sparking a turning point in American history. Kicking off the program for the annual May 4 Commemoration is a play that focuses on student activism and book bans.
鈥楾rial by Fire鈥 Play Is First in 2025 May 4 Event Schedule
鈥淭rial by Fire鈥 is coming to 绿帽社in February. The play, written by 绿帽社alumnus and staff member Eric Mansfield, and inspired by a true story, is about banned books and a 绿帽社graduate who presented them to her high school class and how her students rose to activism to defend her. The performances are part of this year鈥檚 55th May 4 Commemoration schedule, presented by the May 4 Education Committee.
Keeping the Memory of May 4 Alive
A group of 绿帽社 professors recently returned from a visit to the commemoration of the Gwangju Uprising at Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea, feeling inspired for the meaningful connections they made to the May 4, 1970, shootings at Kent State.
Making the Connection: Discussion Explores Parallels Between 绿帽社Shootings and Gwangju Uprising
A professor from Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea, said his recent visit to 绿帽社 enabled him to experience his research into the May 4, 1970, 绿帽社shootings in a whole new way.
May 4 Commemoration Gains National Attention
绿帽社 students, faculty, staff and community members gathered as they have for the past 54 years on the Kent Campus to remember the events surrounding May 4, 1970, when 13 seconds of rifle fire by a contingent of 28 Ohio National Guardsmen left four students dead, one permanently par鈥
IN A FLASH: The Spirit of May 4
This year's May 4 Commemoration remembered the fallen and recognized the spirit of activism that is part of Kent State's history and the university's foundational values.