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May 4, 1970
News, Commentary and Links for Researching the Shootings of Students by the Ohio National Guard
The mysteryof the manipulated Mary Ann Vecchio photo has been solved. Click here.
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How you can help Tsunami victims
Following is an alphabetical list of some of the agencies accepting contributions to assist those affected by the earthquake and tsunamis in Asia:
KENT PHOTOS NEEDED
Filmmaker Dan Miller, drmiller@ballmer.uoregon.edu, a former KSU student and now film and communications professor at the U of Oregon, is making a documentary about Kent from 1960-1980 for the Sundance Film Festival. We are looking for images having to do with town and campus life during this period: downtown, bars, bands, stores, student housing, cultural events...in addition to demonstrations, sit-ins, etc. of which there are many photos available. We are wondering if anyone might have a fresh photo or two we could use in the film. They could contact us directly for more specific info.
Thanks, David and Judy Kingdavidaking@earthlink.net
Who owns the title of "The Guy Who Exposed Jayson Blair?" In this corner is Howard Kurtz, noted media critic for the Washington Post. In the other is Mike Gardner, not-so-noted cub reporter for the Daily Kent Stater. "For the record, Mr. Kurtz did not break the Jayson Blair story; Mike Gardner of the Daily Kent Stater did."
Cleveland Scene 9/07/03
Renovations to begin in Franklin Hall as JMC prepares for relocation
The reconstruction of Franklin Hall is under way. Faculty and architects are in the planning stages of the project that will create a new building for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Daily Kent Stater 9/24/03
Franklin Hall renovations create JMC's future home
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication will have a little more leg room in the future. Regardless of how much money the state gives, the school is moving forward with the Franklin Hall renovations, which will be complete no later than Fall 2007.
Daily Kent Stater 11/18/04
For information on the KSU Alumni Association, please call (330) 672-KENT or toll free at 1 (888) 320-KENT, or e-mail the Association at alumni@kent.edu.
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SEE BELOW STREAMING KENT STATE VIDEOS
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“Come on all you women and men, Uncle Sam needs your help again/ He's got himself in a terrible jam/ way down yonder in Iraq-land/ so put down your books, pick up a gun, gonna have a whole lot of fun!"
--paraphrasing Country Joe and the Fish.
The May 4 Task Force student organization at KSU is sponsoring 35th anniversary commemoration events from May 1 through May 4, 2005. The annual candlelight march begins at 11 p.m., May 3. The May 4 commemoration will start at noon on the KSU Commons. For details, scroll down, or see: http://dept.kent.edu/may4/
* NOTE: all events are free and open to the public *
The 1968-1969 chapter of Kent SDS -- Students for a Democratic Society -- will gather in Kent for public and private reunion events during the first week of May, 2005. For details, scroll down or see http://alancanfora.com/
SUNDAY, MAY 1
1 - 3 p.m., KIVA Auditorium "Vietnam - Cambodia - Kent State"
Vietnam veterans' panel discussion featuring Gary Lockwood, Tim Butz, Ken Johnson and others to be announced.
4 - 7 p.m., KIVA Auditorium "SDS Reunion"
Kent Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) public reunion event featuring premiere of a new documentary film by Dr. Daniel Miller of the University of Oregon, "Fire in the Heartland -- A History of Dissent at Kent State University, 1960-1980". A panel of Kent SDS speakers will follow.
7:30 - 9:30 p.m., KIVA Auditorium "I Was There"
Panel discussion featuring eyewitness participants at KSU in 1969 and 1970. Panelists include: Tim Butz, Vietnam veteran/KSU grad student in 1970; Chuck Ayres, 1970 Daily Kent Stater cartoonist and May 4 photographer/eyewitness; Bob Carpenter, WKNT-Radio broadcaster who taped live KSU protest actions in May of 1970; KSU Prof. Dr. Jerry Lewis, May 4 faculty observer/eyewitness; Candy Knox and Howie Emmer of Kent SDS in 1969.
7 - 9:30 p.m., KIVA Auditorium "Looking Back, Looking Forward"
Eyewitness panelists include: Joe Lewis, Jim Russell and Dean Kahler (wounded by gunshots on May 4, 1970). Also Rita Rubin-Long, 1970 friend of slain students Allison, Sandy and Jeff. And KSU 2005 students Erin Roof and Greg Swartz, families and friends of the four victims and other eyewitnesses. Audience participation invited.
11 p.m., Commons Annual Silent Candlelight March sponsored by May 4 Task Force.
Gather at Victory Bell on KSU Commons at 10pm. March led by KSU Prof. Dr. Jerry Lewis departs Commons at 11 p.m. March is followed by all-night candlelight vigil in Prentice Hall parking lot. The Vigil will extend to 12:24 p.m. on May 4. Participants stand for half hour intervals in silent reflection at the locations where the four students fell. Contact May 4 Task Force at (330) 672-3096 or go to http://dept.kent.edu/may4/ to reserve your vigil time slot.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 4
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m., Commons Historic Site Tours
Guided tours of the historic site will leave every half hour from the Victory Bell located on the Commons.
9:30 - 11 a.m., 3rd floor, Student Center Women's Gathering
Kent SDS women and today's KSU feminists gather to share thoughts on women's liberation.
12:24 p.m. - Prentice Hall Parking Lot Annual Silent Candlelight Vigil concludes.
Noon - 3 p.m. - Commons 35th Annual May 4 Commemoration "Tell Me Father, Did They Aim?" sponsored by the May 4 Task Force.
Speakers include: William Schulz, leader of Amnesty International USA; Gene Young, Jackson State massacre eyewitness 1970; families and friends of the four slain students, including Russell Miller (Jeff's brother), Nancy Tuttle (Bill's sister), Barry Levine (Allison's mate), Mike Alewitz (Sandy's friend); Ken Hammond and Marc Lencl of Kent SDS. Noted Vietnam veteran author Philip Caputo is invited. Caputo's new book, "13 Seconds--A look Back at the Kent State Shootings" (includes a free documentary DVD) is available.
The Sixth Annual Symposium on Democracy, "Democracy and the Arts: Voices and Choices," will be held on May 2 and 3, 2005, on the Kent Campus of Kent State University.
The symposium will include a keynote address, performances/exhibits and the traditional presentation and discussion of scholarly papers solicited through an international Call for Proposals.
For additional information, contact Symposium Chair Dr. Larry Andrews, Honors College, Kent State University, 335 High St., Kent, OH 44240, landrews@kent.edu or 330-672-2312, or the University Conference Bureau at 330-672-3161.
The symposium is free and open to the public. Advance reservations are not required. The schedule of activities is as follows.
Schedule of Activities
Monday,May 2, 2005 *Student posters on Democracy and the Arts will be on display in Room 206, Kent Student Center, throughout the May 2-3 symposium.
10 a.m. Welcoming remarks, Larry Andrews, Chair, Sixth Annual Symposium on Democracy Planning Committee
10:30 a.m. – Noon Interactive Session, “A People’s Dialogue: An Exploration of Citizenship, Patriotism and Identity,” Marty Pottenger, Playwright, Performance Artist and Director
A workshop during which performance, listening and facilitated art-making allow us to explore what it means to be citizens and patriots.
1 – 3 p.m. PANEL ONE
“Mayan Technology: A Lecture-Performance,” Ricardo Dominguez, New York University
“Engaged Art in Cold War Democracy,” David P. Peeler, United States Naval Academy
“Riding the Bus of Democracy,” Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren, University of Washington-Bothell
3:15 p.m. EXHIBIT *Presenters will give brief presentations about works of art on exhibit in Room 204 of the Kent Student Center.
“Zines, Democracy and the Insurgent Imagination: Implications for Art Education,” Doug Blandy, University of Oregon, and Kristin G. Congdon, University of Central Florida
“A Poster Series of Rights and Reason,” Scott Boylston, Savannah College of Art and Design
“Images of Peace and War: Giving Voice to Children,” Kathleen Walker, Kent State University
4 p.m. Exhibit, student poster session and coffeehouse, rooms 204 and 206
7:30 p.m. Dance and Musical Performances
“The Letter of the Law vs. the Spirit of the Law: A Celebration of Dance and Diversity,” Barbara Allegra Verlezza, Kent State University
“Requiem Songs: For the Victims of Nationalism,” Neil B. Rolnick
Tuesday,May 3, 2005
8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast, Kiva Lobby
9 – 10:45 a.m. Interactive Session, “Animating Democracy: Opportunity and Challenge at the Intersection of Art and Civic Dialogue,” Pam Korza and Barbara Schaffer Bacon, co-directors of Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts
10:45 a.m. Break
11 a.m. “In My America,” a poetry performance by local elementary and secondary school students who are participating in Wick Poetry Center programs
1 – 2 p.m. KEYNOTE ADDRESS
2:15 – 3:30 p.m. PANEL TWO
“Modernist Abstraction and the Politics of Commemoration: The May 4 Memorial,” Tammy Clewell, Kent State University
“Memorializing Shame and Moral Responsibility: Remembering May 4, 1970,” Erika Doss, University of Colorado, Boulder
“The Necessity of Trauma Healing for Democracy,” Danny Malec, Katie Resendiz and Lisa Schirch, Eastern Mennonite University
3:30 p.m. Break
3:45 p.m. Presentation and tour of the May 4, 1970, site and memorial by Bruno Ast, Chicago architect and designer of the site and memorial, and Jerry M. Lewis, professor emeritus of sociology
READ
ABOUT
KENT STATE...
Books about
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May 4 authors
HENRY C. BECK,
photojournalism professor, 85
Henry C. Beck, 85, of Kent, died Saturday, November 6, 2004, at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland. Arrangements are pending. Bissler & Sons Funeral Home and Crematory in Kent is handling the arrangements. (RC, 11-8-2004) [Record Courier]
I am quite disturbed by the graphic images of our slain Emerson student [Victoria "Tori" Snelgrove]splashed on the pages of the Boston Herald. The motive for this type of sensational exploitation of the tragedy is clearly to sell papers. In the subsequent apology for printing the photos, the Herald story of October 29 quoted Steve Rendall, of the Fairness and Accuracy Center, that publication of these photos were similar to those published to portray the horror of the "Kent State Riots."
My doctoral dissertation at Illinois was on Kent State. The shootings at Kent State in 1970 were never referred to as "riots," except by the right wing types who tried to blame the students for the actions at Kent State. The facts surrounding the shootings at Kent State do not substantiate Mr. Rendall's claim of "riots" at Kent State. The President's Commission on Campus Unrest, called together by President Richard M. Nixon, and the FBI Report, commissioned by J. Edgar Hoover in 1970, reported that the gathering of the students at Kent State was peaceful prior to the actions of the National Guard. These official investigations concluded the shootings at Kent State were "unwarranted, inexcusable and unnecessary," and that the self-defense argument by the Guard that their lives were in danger as a reason for shooting the students was "fabricated subsequent to the event."
The Pulitzer prize winning photo at Kent State, taken by John Filo of Mary Vecchio over the body of slain student Jeff Miller, that was published globally was the least graphic of those taken by Filo. The Herald printed the most graphic grisly photos of Tori. Those killed at Kent State were like Tori, innocent bystanders -- all four students killed at Kent were honor students.
Another agenda setting cue is the use of "riot" in the description in the Herald coverage. This is an attempt by the establishment to once again put the blame on the victims, not the establishment agents -- the police in 2004 or the National Guard in 1970-who should have had adequate riot control training to deal with this type of disturbance. In 1970, the Guard used M1 bullets -- like what was used in Vietnam. In 2004, the Boston Police used a "non-lethal" response -- which we tragically have witnessed was lethal in Tori's case.
As the explanation for this terrible tragedy that has beset our community continues to unfold, I would ask all of us to examine the arguments provided to explain this horrible event. We owe it to Tori at Emerson, as well as to the memory of Jeff, Sandy, Jeff and Allison at Kent State - to learn from this horrific event. As Santayana said, "Those who do not remember history are condemned to repeat it."
Ralph C.Darrow, 86
Ralph Darrow was a punster, a jokester, a teller of tall tales.
And those jokes and puns and stories produced grins, groans and grimaces from students and faculty at Kent JMC for two decades.
Now they're gone, and we miss them.
Darrow, who taught public relations from 1967-1988, died Oct. 17 at his Kent home. He was 86 and had suffered a severe stroke a few days earlier.
Contributions may be made to the Ralph C. Darrow
Scholarship Fund. Contact Sharon
Marquis for details.
Amid a protest of the U.S. invasion of Cambodia and the presence of the National Guard on campus, Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder were killed on May 4, 1970. Two weeks later, another two students were killed by police at Jackson State in Mississippi.
The May 4 Task Force keeps their memory alive every year with a May 4 commemoration, which this year has the title “Patriots ACT!”
Click HERE and HERE for Daily Kent Stater reports.
May 3rd Forum: "Patriots in Protest"
A panel discusses the lasting legal and social effects of the Patriot Act and other methods of intimidation.
Panelists include: William Rivers Pitt, Editor-At-Large of Truthout.org Dean Kahler, Wounded 5/4/1970 Gary Daniels, Ohio ACLU Mike Pacifico, Portage Community Peace Coalition Sam Harper, Fmr. Exec. Dir. KSU Student Senate Dr. Carole Barbato, KSU Professor of Communications Kiva 7:30 PM
An intimate evening with Holly Near
Singer / Songwriter / Activist Holly Near discusses her career and reminisces about previous trips to Kent State in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s Kiva 9:30 PM
Silent Candlelight March
The Annual Candlelight March will begin on the Commons, proceed around the campus, and conclude at the Prentice Hall parking lot. The 12-hour vigil then begins. Assemble at the Victory Bell on the KSU Commons at 10:30-11 PM
Candlelight Vigil
After the conclusion of the march, the vigil begins on Prentice Parking Lot where the four slain students were shot. One individual stands in each spot where the students were shot and holds a memorial candle. Time slots are in half hour increments and last until 12:24 PM on May 4 when the final four vigilers carry the four candles to the Commons where the Commemoration Program is being held. To reserve a vigil time, contact the May 4 Task Force at 330-672-3096
May 4, 2004
Silent 12-hour Candlelight Vigil
Students, alumni and friends hold a candlelight vigil in half hour shifts in the spaces where the four students fell. Spaces can be reserved by contacting the M4TF. Prentice Hall parking lot: 12:00 AM-12:00 PM
Ringing of the Victory Bell
The bell is rung annually at the commemoration to honor the KSU and Jackson State victims. Commons: 12:24 PM
Featured Speakers and Performers:
Gathering Music Sue Jeffers, local artist
Introduction Adria Crannell, Co-Chair of the M4TF
Kent State Chronology Taryn Legget, M4TF Member
Jackson State Chronology Chris Powell
Four KSU Students will speak on behalf of the victims AZD sister, on behalf of Sandy Scheuer Jim Mueller, on behalf of Allison Krause Seth Kujat on behalf of Bill Schroeder Adria Crannell, on behalf of Jeff Miller
T.N. Bhargava was owner of Portage Travel Agency in 1970 (and still is) on main street in downtown Kent. Portage Travel was next door to the Army recruiting office and so saw protest activities up close prior to May 4. T. N. was also a member of the mathematics faculty at Kent State University and has since retired. T.N. and his wife, Christina, were interviewed by James Mitchner for his book, Kent State.
William Rivers Pitt is the senior editor and lead writer for http://www.truthout.org. He is a New York Times and international best-selling author of two books - 'War on Iraq: What Team Bush Doesn't Want You to Know' and 'The Greatest Sedition is Silence.'
Mr. Pitt is a political analyst for the Institute for Public Accuracy. He spent several years as a high school teacher of English Literature, Writing, Grammar, Journalism and History, and was a Dean. Mr. Pitt currently resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is 31 years old.
Holly Near has traveled from the fields of central California singing in support of The United Farm Workers to El Salvador where she sang for peace amidst war and conflict. She has been a powerful voice of humanity for over 25 years. Her songs were sung clandestinely in Latin American prisons and sung boldly by Irish and English women who joined together to protest war. Whether in support of nurses striking for better conditions in the emergency room or in opposition to racist violence on the police force, Holly sings a bold truth.
http://www.hollynear.com
All events FREE and OPEN to the public on all days!
For more details: Contact the M4TF at KSU
at 330-672-3096 or monitor their web site:
http://dept.kent.edu/may4/.
Post-9/11 topics focus of KSU event Homeland security, civil liberties experts to speak
Kent State's Nawal Ammar is chairing a symposium -- free and open to the public -- April 26 and 27 titled Democracy and Homeland Security: Strategies, Controversies and Impact.
The keynote speakers -- Adm. James M. Loy, the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and law professor David Cole -- are expected to represent different aspects of the debate about balancing civil liberties and national security after 9/11.
The symposium is the fifth to commemorate the May 4, 1970, National Guard shootings at Kent State in which four students were killed and nine wounded. Each year, the gathering focuses on a topic dealing with the clash of social forces in a democratic society.
For symposium schedule and details from the Akron Beacon Journal,
click HERE.
Still Searching for the Answers
We met here in Kent 30 years after four students were killed and nine wounded by the Ohio National Guard on May 4th, 1970.
We were mostly journalism students: writers, broadcasters, photographers. That event changed our lives, as it changed the character of the country. We grew up, chose professions, moved across the country, married and had children, and went on with our lives. As we got involved with our new lives, we lost touch with most of our college friends, but not our viewpoint. That has not changed: The war in Vietnam was wrong; the secret bombing in Cambodia was criminal; the government was oppressive; the protests were justified; the governor should not have ordered the National Guard onto the campus; those responsible for the violence by the National Guard should have been, or still should be, prosecuted. More ... :: Former KSU Students 05/04/00
Some wait for May 4 memorial completion
As one of the nine Kent State students wounded on May 4, 1970, Alan Canfora said he hoped the completion of the May 4 Memorial in 1990 would finally pay tribute to the students who lost their lives that day.
Fourteen years later, Canfora still waits for that tribute.
“It’s like if you order a pizza, and they deliver one slice to your house,” Canfora said. “The May 4 Memorial has been aborted, and we are waiting patiently for the time when it will be finished.”
:: Daily Kent Stater 4/30/2004
Memorial contributions can be made to the Walton D. Clarke Fellowship for WKSU. Write:
Walton D. Clarke Fellowship for WKSU, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242.
Ron Clark, Reported on KSU Shootings, dies at 60
Former Kent Stater Editor Ron Clark loved opinions, even if they weren't his own. Clark, 60, who died Sunday of cancer, opened the editorial pages of the St. Paul Pioneer Press to a wide variety of opinion in the 21 years he served as editorial page editor. His first job was with the Akron Beacon Journal where he shared the Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the May 4, 1970 shootings. The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time: Click Here.
Memorial contributions can be made to Gloria Dei or Lakeview Hospice, in care of Lakeview Hospital, 927 W. Churchill St., Stillwater, Minn, 55082 or the Ronald D. Clark Journalism Scholarship Fund, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242.
Regret letter to May 4 victims appraised on TV
One of the most significant documents from one of the most significant American events of the 20th century popped up last week on PBS' Antiques Roadshow, startling some who recognized it and sparking questions across Northeast Ohio.
The item was the ``statement of regret'' signed by the 28 defendants in the civil trial that followed the May 4, 1970, shootings on the Kent State University campus. It, along with a $675,000 cash settlement, was an attempt to close one chapter in a tragedy that has never been completely resolved. :: Akron Beacon Journal 10/5/2003
Charlie Brill, 71
Former JMC Professor Charles Brill passed away Wednesday, June 25, 2003. He never
recovered following complications from a fall while painting his
house. He was 71.
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
A scholarship fund has been established in the name of Charlie Brill.
Donations are welcomed by the faculty. Of course, it will benefit a photo
student.
Please send to 130 Taylor Hall, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242, attention Sharon Marquis and mark
the info line as "Charlie Brill Scholarship" -- thanks to all who have
inquired.
He retired from KSU in the early 1990s and moved to
Michigan. There he taught part-time at a community college and enjoyed
crafting handmade boats. Charles and his wife Jan had three children.
One still lives in Northeast Ohio, one is in Massachusetts and one
lives in Arizona.
A private memorial service will be held Saturday, June 28. The family
wishes to establish a JMC scholarship in his name.
Professor Barb Hipsman has been in contact with Jan. She said Jan
would appreciate receiving long and lighthearted letters from alumni
and staff about their memories of Professor Brill.
Shortly after the annual candlelight march began on the Commons Saturday night, the rain suddenly stopped as about 150 people moved together toward Front Campus in a silent line of flickering candles.
"It's important that we remember what happened in 1970 -- that four students were killed when they didn't do anything wrong," said Adria Crannell, co-chair of the May 4 Task Force and a junior psychology major.
May 4 tragedy recalled; Hundreds show up, pay tribute to those killed in 1970 protest
For more than three decades, May 4 has been reserved in the hearts and minds of many as a day of reflection, remembrance and learning.
The tradition continued Sunday as hundreds of people gathered on the Kent State University Commons to remember those killed on the campus in the 1970 shootings.
.
:: Akron Beacon Journal 05/05/03
Protesters Arrested
Twelve people protesting the U.S. war in Iraq were arrested Sunday when they took their protest from the Kent State University campus to a city street without a permit.
Police warned the several hundred protesters to stay off public roads, but they left the campus after a two-hour protest and marched down an adjacent city street, Kent city police said.
It wasn't immediately clear how many of those arrested were students, said university spokesman Ron Kirksey.
:: Associated Press 05/04/03
Dozen arrested at Kent anti-war rally
Kent- Police in riot gear arrested a dozen protesters at an anti-war rally that spilled off the Kent State University campus yesterday, hours after a peaceful commemoration of the May 4, 1970, student shootings. .
:: Cleveland Plain Dealer 05/05/03
::Akron Beacon Journal 05/05/03
Kent State May 4 Protest Defies University, Suffers Arrests
Defying a university and city refusal to grant a permit, 300-600 people honored the memory of those shot on May 4, 1970, by continuing to demand an end to global war. Hundreds of police blocked the march from entering downtown, arresting at least 6.
Today’s students find little time for activism
Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the shootings at Kent State that left four students dead and nine injured. On that Monday in 1970, a weekend of turmoil culminated in National Guardsmen firing on a group of students.
:: Canton Repository 05/04/03
Weekend starts on quiet note;
Strict regulations keep former sites of unrest calm
Friday night seemed like any other night as May Day weekend got off to a quiet start.
And that's just the way police had hoped it would be.
On Thursday, Kent Police Chief James Peach promised increased patrols throughout the city, especially in and around the Kent State University campus.
:: Akron Beacon Journal 05/03/03
Kent State and May 4, 1970:
Remembering teaches powerful lessons of the past
Every year at this time, as cheerful yellow daffodils bloom in yards and on
hillsides, I can't help thinking about one particularly bright sunny day in May of 1970, when 28 Ohio National
Guardsmen opened fire on students at Kent State University.
As a result of the guardsmen's 13-second volley of gunfire, four of my fellow students were killed. Nine
more were wounded.
:: Akron Jewish News 04/28/03
RON JACOBS: Tears of Rage;
Remembering May 1970
As the month of May rolls around again, I am reminded of two dates from that month: May 4th and May 14th. These are the anniversaries of the 1970 murders of student antiwar protestors at Kent State University in Ohio and Jackson State College in Mississippi by military and lawmen. These murders marked a turning point in the war and the protest against it. The antiwar movement grew up with those murders. Now, protest meant risking one's life. The U.S. government had made it clear once and for all that it would tolerate only so much dissent.
:: CounterPunch 05/03/03
4 Dead in Ohio
While commemorating May Day, the Haymarket tragedy of 1886, recall that in recent decades students were killed and maimed by the Ohio National guard at Kent State University in Kent,Ohio.
The four students who died:
Allison Krause,
Jeffrey Miller,
Sandra Scheuer,
William Schroeder.
:: sf.IndyMedia.org 05/03/03
Anti-war protest at KSU to go on
Organizers of an anti-war rally planned for Sunday said the event will go on as scheduled at Kent State University even though the university has revoked permission.
The Kent State Anti-War Committee ``still intends to hold the rally in spite of recent developments,'' according to a news release the committee issued Thursday.
:: Akron Beacon Journal 05/02/03
:: Daily Kent Stater 05/02/03
Rhodes instructed the troops to 'act quickly and firmly'
Before National Guard troops opened fire on Vietnam War protesters at Kent State University in 1970, Gov. James Rhodes, left, instructed the troops to "act quickly and firmly," The Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday.
After the shooting, in which four students were killed and nine were wounded, FBI records show the governor's main concern was protecting the men who pulled the triggers, the newspaper reported.
:: Associated Press 01/08/03
DAVID KIRBY: 'Good American' revisionism
Years from now, I wonder how many Americans will look back on the war in Iraq and remember themselves, not as they were, but as they should have been. The Kent State anniversary is here again, and with it comes the reminder that often we revise the past so we can live more comfortably with ourselves today.
:: Christian Science Monitor via the Modesto Bee 04/28/03
May 4 events at KSU include new speakers
Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. will be among the speakers Sunday at the 33rd annual commemoration of May 4, 1970. That day, four Kent State students were shot and killed by Ohio National Guardsmen during an anti-war protest on the Kent campus.
:: Akron Beacon Journal 04/30/03
Plans for 2003 Commemoration
May 3rd Forum
Panelists include:
Dr. Ronald Mason Jr. - President Jackson State University
Greg Coleridge - American Friends Service Committee
Seth Kujat - Undergraduate Student Senate Kent State University 8:00 - 10:30 p.m.
Silent Candlelight March The
Annual Candlelight March will begin on the Commons,
proceed around the campus, and conclude at the Prentice Hall parking lot. The 12
hour vigil then begins. Assemble at the Victory Bell on the KSU Commons at
10:30 PM
Candlelight Vigil After the
conclusion of the march, the vigil begins on Prentice Parking Lot where
the four slain students were shot. One individual stands in each spot
where the students were shot and holds a memorial candle. Time slots are
in half hour increments and last until 12:24 PM on May 4 when the final
four vigilers carry the four candles to the Commons where the
Commemoration Program is being held. To reserve a vigil time, contact the May 4 Task Force
at 330-672-3096
May 4, 2003
Silent 12 hour Candlelight Vigil
Students, alumni and friends hold a candlelight vigil in half hour shifts
in the spaces where the four students fell. Spaces can be reserved by
contacting the M4TF. Prentice Hall parking lot:
12:00a.m.-12:00p.m.
Ringing of the Victory Bell
The bell is rung annually at the commemoration to honor the KSU and
Jackson State victims. Commons: 12:24 p.m.
Featured Speakers and Performers
Four KSU Students will speak
on behalf of the victims
Kerry Kennedy Cuomo - Working
for the vindication of equal justice and the promotion and protection of basic human rights
since 1981,
Kerry Kennedy Cuomo has led over three dozen human rights
delegations to more than 20 countries around the world. She established
the RFK Center for Human Rights to ensure the protection of rights
codified under the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, an organization
that provides a base of support to human rights defenders. At a time of
diminished idealism and growing cynicism about public service, she has
been a testament to the commitment to basic values of human rights.
Dr. Ronald Mason Jr. - Dr.
Ronald Mason, Jr. assumed the
presidency of
Jackson State University on February 1, 2000. Dr. Mason brought to
Jackson State a wealth of experience in higher education, community
development, and legal issues. At the time of his appointment by the
Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning, he was serving
as Executive Director of the Tulane-Xavier National Center for the Urban
Community in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Jello Biafra - In his engaging
presentations, Jello Biafra crosses the boundaries of poetry, commentary, comedy and theater to
tackle the full spectrum of social, political and artistic topics. The
former lead vocalist with the pioneering punk rock band, Dead Kennedys,
Biafra was the first musician to be put on trial, in 1985, because of
the content of a record album. A devoted advocate of free speech and
artistic freedom, Biafra created his own record label "Alternative
Tentacles" as a means for out-of-the-mainstream artists to record and
distribute their work. To date AT Records has released over 225
recordings. Biafra himself has an extensive discography including his
1998 spoken-word album, If Evolution is Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will
Survive, a triple-CD opus which takes on the topics of the media and the
Clintons, censorship, and the death-penalty appeal case of journalist
Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Pat Sweaney local blues
musician will be performing.
Other Speakers to be
Announced...
Jello Biafra Spoken Word Tour Kiva 6:00 pm
All events FREE and OPEN to the public on all
days!
May 4, 2003 3 p.m. rally on Manchester Field
Jello Biafra, 6:00 p.m. KIVA :: Kent State Anti-War Committee 04/28/03
Professors speak about May 4
Jerry Lewis, left, an emeritus professor of sociology and eyewitness to the May 4 shootings, provided scholarly commentary on "The Anatomy of a Tragedy," a manuscript written by deceased Kent State professor Glenn W. Frank. Lewis called Frank's manuscript a "really great source of hypothesis making" and also called Frank a "hero." Frank was the leader of the faculty marshals who urged demonstrators to leave after the shootings. Thomas Hensley, chair of the political science department, offered analytical commentary on a second manuscript, titled "Kent State and May 4, 1970: Who REALLY Was Responsible for the Shootings?" :: Daily Kent Stater 04/23/03
Symposium on Democracy Focuses on "Democracy and Globalization" Each year, Kent State hosts a symposium exploring democracy and democratic values as a way to observe and commemorate the events of May 4, 1970, when a confrontation between the Ohio National Guard and demonstrators left four Kent State students dead and nine students wounded.
The Fourth Annual Symposium on Democracy, “Democracy and Globalization,” will be held on April 28 and 29. All events will be held in the Kent Student Center Kiva on the Kent Campus. Click here for Schedule. :: Daily Kent Stater 04/22/03
Resolution to fund May 4 permanently Undergraduate Student Senate passed a resolution last night that could permanently establish funds for the yearly May 4 commemoration.
:: Daily Kent Stater 04/22/03
OF LOSS AND LEARNING;
Haunting reminders of Kent State deaths
Days before the 30th anniversary of the Kent State shootings that left four students dead, the Akron Beacon Journal published a special section that examined the event from many perspectives - an Ohio National Guard commander, student activists, faculty members, student bystanders and other observers. The section, which included photographs never previously published, helps readers understand what caused the explosive events of May 4, 1970.
:: Akron Beacon Journal 04/30/00
Crankshaft returns to KSU in 2000 Crankshaft and his syndicated cartoon family returned to Kent State Universty in May 2000 to recall the events of 30 years earlier. See a slideshow of the entire story.
Chuck Ayers, left, who draws Crankshaft, was graduated by Kent State University with a degree in graphic design. He began his cartooning career as editorial cartoonist for the Daily Kent Stater.
Tom Batiuk (rhymes with "attic") was graduated by Kent State with a bachelor of fine arts degree and a certificate in education, Batiuk became a high school art teacher. He is creator of the Crankshaft and Funky Winkerbean comic strips.
:: Cartoons copyright 2000 by Universal Press Syndicate. Used with permission.
The ghosts of Kent State;
A famous Vietnam War protest -- and its tragic consequences -- still haunts an Ohio college campus
Sun plays off the streaks of gray in Alan Canfora's ponytail as he strolls the same green hills where he and 12 other Kent State University students were shot by National Guardsmen in 1970.
He was a longhair then, too - opposed to the Vietnam War and the invasion of Cambodia; opposed to how, after student rioting, rifle-toting National Guard units had been called on campus; opposed, like many of his generation, to a lot of things, including what they liked to call "the system." :: Baltimore Sun 03/13/03
Mystery of the manipulated May 4 photo is solved
There has been a some heated back-and-forth discussion on the net concerning an allegedly manipulated image in the May 1995 issue of LIFE magazine (John Filo's Kent State Pulitzer-winning picture). The original photo shows a fence post appearing behind the head of protestor Mary Ann Vecchio; the photo in the May issue of LIFE does not.
:: Michigan Press Photographers Assn. 06/02/95
FORMER STATER EDITOR WINS PULITZER PRIZE: Connie Schultz, a columnist for The Plain Dealer, won the award for commentary, with a series of 10 articles dealing with topics ranging from tips while waitressing to Issue 1 and how it affects the gay community.
The 35th Annual Kent State Commemoration titled "Tell Me Father, Did They Aim?"
will be held May 1-4 at Kent State University and in the town of Kent, Ohio.
Humbolt State Anti-War, Vietnam War
and Kent State Teach-In,
April 27th - 30th
Bill Gordon:
May 4 Expert J. Gregory Payne Speaks of that 'Dark Day'
View May 4 at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Robert Krupansky, led May 4 Grand Jury, 93
'Vietnam Remembered' documentary makes debut
Audio
Some marched for an end to the war.
Thirty-four years ago, four students were shot and killed by the National Guard at the KSU campus. They were protesting the Vietnam war.The memorial started Monday night to honor the four students killed and nine others injured May 4, 1970.The May 4th Task Force, students who are putting the memorial together, said this year's theme is the Patriot Act.The kick off to this year's remembrance began last night. At 11 p.m., students marched with candles to the site where the students were shot.At noon, students will detail what led up to the shooting along with ringing the victory bell at 12:24 p.m. 15 times in honor of those who lost their lives in Kent State and Jackson State that year.WEWS reported many students believe this year's memorial is extra special because of the war on terror and the loss of troops in Iraq.
Charles A. Thomas was a 32-year-old specialist in vintage radio recordings at the National Archives in 1975 when he was given the task of cataloging the film footage of the Kent State shootings that occurred on May 4, 1970.
In 13 seconds nine students were wounded, four were dead. Hear the astounding story of the events of May 4, 1970 at Kent State University, when the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of unarmed anti-war protesters and changed the course of history.
Former Kent Stater Editor Ron Clark loved opinions, even if they weren't his own. Clark, 60, who died Sunday of cancer, opened the editorial pages of the St. Paul Pioneer Press to a wide variety of opinion in the 21 years he served as editorial page editor. His first job was with the Akron Beacon Journal where he shared the Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the May 4, 1970 shootings. The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time: 
"Red Lake Nation: Portraits of Ojibway Life"
Chuck Ayers, left, who draws Crankshaft, was graduated by Kent State University with a degree in graphic design. He began his cartooning career as editorial cartoonist for the Daily Kent Stater.
