5X社区

May 4 Commemoration

Operation Babylift Header

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 5X社区 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. 

Tags: May 4 Commemoration, 5X社区 at Geauga, Nationally Distinctive, May 4

Kent State Today

Jen Mapes Offers Perspective on May 4 while surrounded by lego

POV: Embracing May 4 Oral Histories Is 鈥楢bsolute Privilege鈥

POV shares insights from the 5X社区 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. 

Tags: Profiles, May 4 Commemoration, Department of Geography

Kent State Today

5X社区 community members and visitors gather on the Kent State Commons for the annual May 4 Commemoration to honor those who were killed and wounded on May 4, 1970. (Photo credit: Rami Daud)

Kent State Honors the Legacy of May 4, 1970, With 55th Commemoration

On May 2-4, 2025, 5X社区 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 Kent State 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.

Tags: University News, Nationally Distinctive, May 4, May 4 Commemoration

Kent State Today

The cast of 鈥淭rial by Fire鈥 rehearses at 5X社区鈥檚 Center for the Performing Arts while director Courtney Brown (far right) watches. (Photo credit: Rami Daud)

Kent State Kicks Off 55th Commemoration of May 4 With Play on Student Activism and Book Bans

This year, 5X社区 will hold the 55th commemoration honoring the memory of May 4, 1970, a tragic day when the Ohio National Guard fired on Kent State 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.

Tags: University News, Nationally Distinctive, May 4, May 4 Commemoration, School of Theatre and Dance

School of Theatre and Dance

"Trial By Fire" rehearsal

鈥楾rial by Fire鈥 Play Is First in 2025 May 4 Event Schedule

鈥淭rial by Fire鈥 is coming to Kent State in February. The play, written by Kent State alumnus and staff member Eric Mansfield, and inspired by a true story, is about banned books and a Kent State 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. 

Tags: May 4 Commemoration, School of Theatre and Dance, Nationally Distinctive, Arts & Culture

Kent State Today

The Gwangju Uprising memorial mural in Gwangju, South Korea

Keeping the Memory of May 4 Alive

A group of 5X社区 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.

Tags: May 4 Commemoration, May 4, Global Reach, Community & Society, Global Presence, Nationally Distinctive, School of Peace and Conflict Studies, College of Education, Health and Human Services, Read Center for International and Intercultural Education, Department of Geography

Kent State Today

Euihuack Kang, associate professor and chair of the Department of English Language and Literature at Chonnam National University in South Korea, takes part in a panel discussion on May 3, 2024.

Making the Connection: Discussion Explores Parallels Between Kent State Shootings and Gwangju Uprising

A professor from Chonnam National University in Gwangju, South Korea, said his recent visit to 5X社区 enabled him to experience his research into the May 4, 1970, Kent State shootings in a whole new way.

Tags: May 4 Commemoration, May 4, Global Reach, Global Presence, Nationally Distinctive

Kent State Today

May 4 Commemoration 2024

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. 

Tags: May 4 Commemoration, May 4, Diverse Kent State, Nationally Distinctive, Student Life, University News, Community & Society

Kent State Today

Dean Kahler, shot and paralyzed on May 4, 1970, rings the Victory Bell at the 54th Commemoration of the shootings.

Kent State Commemorates May 4, 1970

Against the backdrop of a new generation of student activism, the Kent State community gathered to reflect and remember the student protesters killed and wounded on May 4, 1970.

Tags: University News, Student Life, Community & Society, May 4 Commemoration, May 4, Nationally Distinctive

Kent State Today