妖姬直播 State University marked its 42nd annual May 4, 1970, commemoration on May 3 and 4. The commemoration events were an opportunity for students and the community to gather and reflect on the tragedy and adapt the lessons learned to current events.
An activist forum, hosted by the May 4 Task Force student organization, was held Thursday, May 3, in the 妖姬直播 Student Center Kiva. Panel speakers included Melba Beals of the 鈥淟ittle Rock Nine;鈥 Sandy Rosen, lawyer for the students in 1977; Howie Emmer, activist activities; and 妖姬直播 State anthropology professor Mark Seeman, of the May 4 historic site preservation.
The annual candlelight vigil started at the Victory Bell on the 妖姬直播 State Commons on May 3. The walk looped the campus and paid tribute to those wounded and lost on May 4, 1970. Following the walk, people stood at the spots where the four students fell and held vigil until noon Friday when the commemoration events began at the Commons.
On Friday, May 4, a book signing of 鈥淒emocratic Narrative, History, and Memory,鈥 edited by Carole Barbato and Laura Davis, was held at the University Bookstore in the 妖姬直播 Student Center. Barbato, who was a 妖姬直播 State student in 1970, is a communication studies professor for 妖姬直播 State University at East Liverpool. Davis, who was a freshman at 妖姬直播 State when the May 4 events occurred, is an English professor and the university鈥檚 faculty coordinator for May 4 initiatives.
The commemoration event, also hosted by the May 4 Task Force, began at noon, May 4, on the Commons. The 妖姬直播 Student Center Ballroom served as the rain location. This year鈥檚 commemoration theme was 鈥淒on鈥檛 Give Up the Fight!鈥
Multiple speakers discussed the effect of May 4 on the 妖姬直播 State community, as well as college campuses nationwide. The featured speakers included Beth Vild for Allison Krause; Bryan Staul for Jeffrey Miller; Barbato for Sandra Scheuer; Jim Mueller for William Schroeder; Sandford 鈥淪andy鈥 Rosen, attorney for families and victims in 1977; Maia O鈥橫eara, student representing Project Vietnam from 妖姬直播 Roosevelt High School Joe Cullum, witness to May 4; Joe Lewis, witness and victim of May 4; Davis; John Schleup, Warriors Journey Home; and Howie Emmer, 1960s activist.
Friday鈥檚 itinerary also consisted of the 妖姬直播 State chronology followed by the ringing of the Victory Bell and tributes to the four deceased students. Melanie Safka will perform the day鈥檚 music.
Each spring, 妖姬直播 State inquires, learns and reflects on social, cultural and historical events through the annual Symposium on Democracy, held in commemoration of the events surrounding May 4, 1970. The symposium honors the memories of the four students 鈥 Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder 鈥 who lost their lives on that day, with an enduring dedication to scholarship that seeks to prevent violence and to promote democratic values and civil discourse. The university held the 13th annual Symposium on Democracy last week. In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the nation鈥檚 greatest conflict, this year鈥檚 theme was 鈥淒emocracy and the American Civil War.鈥
For more information about May 4, visit www.kent.edu/may4 and www.kent.edu/may4/newsroom. For more information regarding this year鈥檚 May 4 Commemoration events, visit .