eInside Events

Kent State Marks 45th Annual May 4 Commemoration

A relative of Allison Krause looks to the sky while
standing in silent vigil on the location in the Taylor Hall
parking lot, on the campus of Kent State University,
where Krause and three others were killed during the
May 4, 1970, shootings by Ohio National Guardsmen.

Kent State University holds its 45th annual commemoration of May 4, 1970, with events from April 30-May 4. The annual commemoration, hosted by the May 4 Task Force, provides an opportunity for the university community to gather and remember those who were lost and injured during the tragedy and also reflect on what May 4 means today.

The May 4 Task Force, a student organization on campus, hosted a series of workshops, panel discussions, musical performances and a documentary screening. There will be a keynote presentation by Dick Gregory, an influential comedian, civil rights activist, and author. Kent State President Beverly Warren also will speak at the commemoration on May 4.

The annual candlelight vigil march took place at 11 p.m. on May 3. The march began at the Victory Bell and continued around campus, concluding at the Prentice Hall parking lot, where lighted markers indicate where the four victims – Allison Krause, Jeffrey Miller, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder – were killed. The candle bearers started the vigil that continued throughout the night until the commemoration.

The 45th Commemoration starts at noon on May 4 at the Kent State Commons and will include a keynote presentation by Gregory. Warren, Paul Chappell and Ken Hammond, Ph.D., professor of history at New Mexico State University (and Students for a Democratic Society leader at Kent State from 1967-70) also will speak at the commemoration.

“May 4th is an event which carries with it not only tragedy and pain but also an undeniable legacy of persistence, struggles for justice and student activism,” says Ashley Manning, Kent State junior English major and president of the May 4 Task Force, who got involved after attending the 43rd commemoration during her freshmen year. “This is a legacy which we have worked to keep alive all these years by planning the annual commemorations and which, this year, is reflected in our program theme ‘The Persistence of Memory.’

“What is particularly noteworthy of the Task Force is that it is a student-led organization and that even 45 years later, students still keep that memory alive for past, present and future generations,” Manning adds. “I think this really shows just what an impact these events have had, not only for the Kent community, but also on a national and global scale, and is a testament to the power left behind by the students who were demonstrating and/or killed on May 4, 1970.”

The May 4 Visitors Center will have extended hours on Monday, May 4, from 8 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m.

For more information about events commemorating May 4, visit the May 4 Task Force Facebook page or contact Manning, president of May 4 Task Force, at amannin7@kent.edu or Idris “Kabir” Syed, faculty advisor of the May 4 Task Force, at isyed@kent.edu.

For more information about Kent State’s May 4 Visitors Center, visit www.kent.edu/may4.

Porthouse Theatre’s 2015 Season Will Offer Sizzling Summer of Broadway Hits

47th season will feature productions of A Little Night Music, Violet and Hairspray

Porthouse Theatre's production of A Little Night Music
opens June 12 and runs through June 27.

Porthouse Theatre, Kent State University’s outdoor, summer theatre located on the grounds of Blossom Music Center, will celebrate its 47th season with productions of A Little Night Music, Violet and Hairspray.

Directed by Sean Morrissey, A Little Night Music opens June 12 and runs through June 27. A preview performance will take place on June 11. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler, A Little Night Music explores the romantic web that entangles actress Desiree Armfeldt as she moves through 1900 Swedish society. Performances are June 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. and June 14 and 21 at 2 p.m.

Porthouse Theatre’s producing artistic director and Kent State Professor Terri Kent* will return to the Porthouse stage as Desiree, accompanied by Kent State Associate Professor Fabio Polanco* as Fredrik and Kent State student Jim Weaver as Count Carl-Magnus. Scenic design is by Ben Needham, costume design by Associate Professor S.Q. Campbell, lighting design by T.C. Kouyeas Jr. (M.F.A. ’06), technical direction by Associate Professor Steve Pauna and sound design by Brian Chismar (B.A. ’13). The production stage manager is Kristen Boehnlein*.

Porthouse Theatre's production of Violet opens July 10
and runs through July 25.

Directed by Steven C. Anderson, Violet opens July 10 and runs through July 25. A preview performance will take place on July 9. A musical of transformation, Violet chronicles a young disfigured woman’s journey of self-discovery as she seeks the healing touch of an evangelical preacher in the 1960s Deep South. Music is by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics and book are by Brian Crawley. Performances are July 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. and July 12 and 19 at 2 p.m.

Assistant professor Amy Fritsche performs as Violet. Scenic design is by Terry Martin; costume design by Susan Williams (M.F.A. ’15); lighting design by Cynthia R. Stillings, acting associate dean and professor at Kent State’s College of the Arts; technical direction by Kent State graduate student Ryan T. Patterson and sound design by Nathan Rosmarin (B.F.A. ’15). The production stage manager is Joshua Brown (BFA ’14).

Directed by Kent, Hairspray opens July 31 and runs through Aug. 16. A preview performance will take place on July 30. This family-friendly musical will have audiences dancing in their seats. Hairspray follows plus-size teen Tracy Turnblad as she fights for her dream to dance on the Corny Collins Show and ends up revolutionizing 1960s Baltimore. The book is by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music is by Marc Shaiman and lyrics are by Scott Wittman. Performances are July 30 and 31 and Aug. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 at 8 p.m. and Aug. 2, 9, 15 and 16 at 2 p.m.

Porthouse Theatre's production of Hairspray opens
July 31 and runs through Aug. 16.

Professor Emeritus Chuck Richie* performs as Edna Turnblad, accompanied by Rohn Thomas* as Wilbur Turnblad and Colleen Longshaw* (M.F.A. ’15) as Motormouth Maybelle. Scenic design is by Nolan O’Dell (B.F.A. ’98), costume design by Sarah Russell (M.F.A. ’09), lighting design by Kouyeas Jr., technical direction by Patterson and sound design by Brian Chismar (B.F.A. ’13). John R. Crawford, professor and dean of the College of the Arts, is the choreographer; and production stage manager is Kristen Boehnlein*.

Subscriptions are on sale now by phone at 330-672-3884. Single and group tickets go on sale May 26. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Porthouse Box Office, located in the Roe Green Center lobby of Kent State’s Center for the Performing Arts, 1325 Theatre Drive on the Kent Campus, online at www.porthousetheatre.com or by phone at 330-672-3884.

Subscriptions for the gold center section range in price from $79 to $93. Subscriptions for the reserved left and right center sections range in price from $72-$84 for adults, $69-$84 for seniors, $57-$66 for college students and $51-$60 for children 18 and under.

Single tickets, which go on sale May 26, range in price from $32-$40 for adults, $30-$35 for seniors, $26-$33 for college students and $24-$30 for children 18 and under. Special rates for groups of 20 or more also are available.

For more information about Kent State’s Porthouse Theatre, visit www.kent.edu/porthouse.

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

Get Involved With Homecoming

Join a Homecoming Street Team today

Kent State University faculty and staff are encouraged to
join a Street Team to promote the university's Homecoming.

Kent State University’s Homecoming will be held on Saturday, Oct. 3, and the Kent State University Alumni Association wants all faculty and staff to help celebrate! Departments or organizations planning activities can register their events by visiting www.ksualumni.org/homecoming. All registered events will be promoted on the Homecoming website.

Faculty and staff also can get involved by signing up to participate on a Homecoming Street Team. Street Teams include:

1. Social Media Street Team. If you’re constantly tweeting, pinning or regramming, this is the team for you! Social Media Street Team members will help promote Homecoming online by posting messages, re-tweeting or sharing posts, all while using the Homecoming hashtag: #KENTHC.
2. On-Campus Street Team. These team members will help promote Homecoming across campus by delivering postcards and posters to assigned buildings – a great way to spread Kent State pride across campus!
3. Downtown Kent Street Team. Help paint the town blue and gold by delivering Homecoming materials to downtown businesses interested in participating in the annual Paint the Town contest.
   

Individuals wanting to join a Homecoming Street Team can contact Joy Wesoloski, Homecoming Committee chair, at jforema3@kent.edu or 330-672-5368 for more information.

“A Daily Dose of Reading” Symposium With Rosemary Wells, Creator of Max & Ruby

Rosemary Wells, a New York Times
bestselling children’s author and
illustrator, will deliver the keynote
address on early childhood literacy at
the daylong symposium titled “A Daily
Dose of Reading: Growing Readers
Everywhere” on May 19 from 8:30 a.m.
to 4 p.m. at Kent State University.

Rosemary Wells, a New York Times bestselling children’s author and illustrator, believes that reading books should be an everyday occurrence – especially among younger readers.

Wells will deliver the keynote address on early childhood literacy at the daylong symposium titled “A Daily Dose of Reading: Growing Readers Everywhere” on Tuesday, May 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Kent State University. The symposium is sponsored by Kent State’s School of Library and Information Science along with the Northeast Ohio Regional Library System (NEO-RLS).

Wells' address will be followed by a panel discussion on “Reading to Children, Healthcare Connections and Reaching the Primary Caretaker.” In the afternoon, presentations will consider the topics of “Music and Movement,” “Sensory Storytime” and “Ready to Read.” Additionally, Wells will be available to autograph books, available for purchase at the Kent State Bookstore.

Raised on the New Jersey shore, Wells grew up in a home teeming with books.

“Reading stories aloud was as much a part of my childhood as the air I breathed,” Wells has said in recent interviews. Based on those early memories, Wells believes that the most important 20 minutes of a day are the ones spent reading to children. In her rhyming story, Read to Your Bunny, Wells invites parents and children to read together every day.

“Reading to your little one is just like putting gold coins in the bank,” she says. “It will pay you back tenfold.”

Wells’ career as an author and illustrator includes more than 120 books filled with beloved characters like Max and Ruby, Noisy Nora and Yoko. She has won numerous awards, including more than 20 American Library Association Notable Children's Book citations and a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award. Many of her books have been named among the Best Books of the Year in their respective years of publication by School Library Journal, including Max’s Chocolate Chicken, Noisy Nora, Shy Charles and When No One Was Looking.

Most importantly, though, Wells has helped shape the childhood of readers for more than 40 years.

The symposium will take place in the Kent Student Center. Teachers, librarians, artists, creators, graduate and undergraduate students, and book collectors will find something of interest in these sessions.

The cost of $75 includes program, materials, lunch, refreshments and parking; the cost is $35 for full-time graduate and undergraduate students. To register, visit https://commerce.cashnet.com/SLIS.

For more information about Kent State’s School of Library and Information Science, visit www.kent.edu/slis.

The Kent State Plant Exchange

Are you ready to beautify your yard this summer? Take part in the Kent State Plant Exchange!

What is a Plant Exchange?

A plant exchange is where you dig up perennials (the plants and flowers that come back every year) that you may have overgrowing and taking over your flower beds and share them with others. Flower bulbs, veggie and flower seedlings also can be shared. Even if you don't have plants to share and would like to get started with gardening, you can still participate. There are plenty of plants to go around.

If you are interested in taking part in the plant exchange, please send an email to mterleck@kent.edu. You will then be sent a link to a Google Doc where you will select which plants you would like from the other participants, and then list any plants you may have to exchange.

The actual exchange will take place outside Heer Hall (the Division of Human Resources) on Thursday, May 14.

This plant exchange is open to all faculty and staff at Kent State who sign up ahead of time for plants via the Google Doc.

Spread the word. The best thing is that it is free of charge!

Email mterleck@kent.edu by May 8 if you want to sign up or have questions about the Kent State Plant Exchange.

Kent State Tuscarawas to Present May 4th Voices

The spring production of May 4th Voices, a play written
by David Hassler, director of Kent State University’s
Wick Poetry Center, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on
May 4 at the Performing Arts Center at Kent State
University at Tuscarawas.

Kent State University at Tuscarawas will present its spring production May 4th Voices at 7:30 p.m. on May 4 at the Performing Arts Center. The play features an ensemble cast composed of students, staff and community members.

May 4th Voices is a play written by David Hassler, director of Kent State’s Wick Poetry Center. On May 4, 1970, National Guardsmen occupying the Kent Campus fired 67 shots in 13 seconds, leaving four students dead. This tragedy had a profound impact on the university and the nation and is credited as being a catalyst in changing Americans’ views on the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. May 4th Voices is based on the Kent State Shootings Oral History Project. Composed of more than 110 interviews with Kent State faculty, students, administrators, National Guardsmen, police, hospital personnel and others affected by the events of that day, May 4th Voices weaves these stories together into a powerful narrative of that day and its aftermath.

“One of the chief hallmarks of trauma is silencing, not just personally but also collectively,” says Hassler. “Yet, engaging any community in the healing process of creating art and providing venues for the public to witness it has the power to heal. I am grateful that Kent State Tuscarawas is restaging this play for the 45th commemoration of the Kent State shootings and giving voice to that traumatic experience.”

In conjunction with this production, a video chronicling six local oral histories relating to May 4, 1970 was produced by Julie Levengood Stephon, a senior English major at Kent State Tuscarawas, who serves as dramaturge and production assistant for the play.

"We are so grateful that our local citizens who were witnesses to the events surrounding May 4 and its subsequent aftermath were willing to share their stories and experiences,” Levengood Stephon says. “By providing their oral accounts, future generations will have not only Kent State history, but firsthand knowledge of an experience that changed our nation."

The video will be show on the monitors in the Performing Arts Center before and after the production.

May 4th Voices is directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre Studies Bill Auld. The production crew includes stage manager Tamara Benson, costume designer Alex Allesandri-Bruce, dramaturge and production assistant Levengood Stephon, lighting designer Cyndi Hoffman, props and scenery designer Jane Deitrick and audio consultant and assistant sound design Logan Harper.

Tickets are $10 or $5 with a student ID and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Box Office, online at www.tusc.kent.edu/pac or by calling 330-308-6400. The box office is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free parking is available for all shows.

Registration Opens for “Run the World 5K” Scheduled for Sept. 12

Event will support education-abroad scholarships at Kent State

Kent State University will host the inaugural “Run the
World 5K,” a run/walk international-themed race, on
Sept. 12 on the Lefton Esplanade at the Kent Campus.
Registration proceeds will support education-abroad
scholarships at Kent State.

Kent State University will host the inaugural “Run the World 5K,” a run/walk international-themed race, on Saturday, Sept. 12, on the Lefton Esplanade at the Kent Campus. Registration proceeds will support education-abroad scholarships so that Kent State students can better afford the experience of short- or long-term education-abroad programs.

Registration is open to the public, and participants may run, jog or walk through the beautiful, tree-lined race course along the scenic Lefton Esplanade. Strollers and pets are welcome. Packet pickup begins at 7 a.m., and the race begins at 8:30 a.m. The start and finish line will be located in Risman Plaza (in between the Kent Student Center and University Library).

"This event appeals to both runners and non-runners alike and offers Kent State and the city of Kent a chance to come together and celebrate our international community and encourage our young scholars to get out there and see the world beyond Northeast Ohio," says Ed Butch, race director and senior academic advisor in Kent State’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Participants can register online at www.kent.edu/RunTheWorld. Registration is $25 and includes a tech T-shirt, a finisher’s medal and a post-race party with an international flair. Race-day registration is available starting at 7 a.m., payable by cash or check. Awards will be given to the top female and male runners, as well as age group categories.

“Studying abroad is not just about visiting another country; it’s about expanding our students’ ability to think critically about themselves and the world in which they live so that they can become better global citizens,” says James Blank, Ph.D., dean of Kent State’s College of Arts and Sciences. “Supporting this race means supporting our students to enable them to have the most rewarding and potentially life-changing experiences of their academic career at Kent.”

For questions about the race or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.kent.edu/runtheworld or contact Butch at 330-672-8976 or ebutch@kent.edu.

Decagon, School of Visual Communication Design Photo-Illustration Exhibition

The Kent State University School of Art’s
Downtown Gallery presents “Decagon,
School of Visual Communication Design
Photo-Illustration Exhibition,” an exhibit
of photographic works created by Kent
State’s graduating photo-illustration
students from May 8-22.

The Kent State University School of Art’s Downtown Gallery presents “Decagon, School of Visual Communication Design Photo-Illustration Exhibition,” an exhibit of photographic works created by Kent State’s graduating photo-illustration students from the class of 2015, May 8-22. Admission is free and open to the public.

“Decagon” will showcase a variety of works ranging from expressive studio photography to dynamic digital compositions by photographers Michael Angelini, Caroline Boetger, Nathan Hubble, Josiah Hull, Andrew Keller, Jackie Lalumandier, Brianna Levay, Olivia Mandala, Joslyn VanKirk and Erika Walesch.

“Decagon” will have an opening reception on May 8 from 5-7 p.m. at the Downtown Gallery.

Kent State’s photo-illustration program prepares students for careers in studio and illustrative commercial photography. Photo-illustrators are intermediaries between clients and their audiences, acting as interpreters by bringing clients’ visions to life.

The Downtown Gallery is located at 141 E. Main St. in downtown Kent.

Gallery hours are Monday to Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday, 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.

For additional information about the photographers or parking, visit www.vcd.kent.edu/decagon.

For more information, contact Anderson Turner, director of galleries, at haturner@kent.edu or 330-672-1369.

WKSU Presents Journalist John Hockenberry in Akron

Celebrated journalist and host of The Takeaway John
Hockenberry will come to Northeast Ohio for two events
on Thursday, May 7.

Celebrated journalist and host of The Takeaway John Hockenberry is coming to Northeast Ohio for two events on Thursday, May 7.

Hockenberry will speak on the changing state of media and news at 7:30 p.m. at Actors’ Summit Theatre in Greystone Hall in downtown Akron. Audience members are encouraged to ask questions during the Q&A following his talk.

Hockenberry is currently heard on WKSU as host of PRI’s The Takeaway weekday mornings at 9 a.m. During his stay in Ohio, he will broadcast his program live from the WKSU Broadcast Center at Kent State University.

Tickets are on sale now to hear Hockenberry speak. Seats are $15 for General Reserved and $40 for Gold Circle, which include admission to a pre-talk meet-and-greet reception at Greystone Hall beginning at 6 p.m.

A limited number of passes also are available to watch Hockenberry on-air in Kent starting at 8:30 a.m. Admission is free with ticket RSVP. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 330-672-3114.

The Takeaway continues Hockenberry’s return to his roots in public radio, where he was one of the medium’s early innovators. His radio hiatus includes 15 years in network and cable television, during which time he earned four Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards, an Edward R. Murrow Award and a Casey Medal. At NBC, he served as a correspondent for Dateline and also hosted two of his own programs for MSNBC, Hockenberry and Edgewise.

Hockenberry also has been recognized for his pioneering online content. He hosts the award-winning public radio series The DNA Files. Hockenberry is a weekly commentator for the series The Infinite Mind and currently sits as a Distinguished Fellow at the prestigious MIT Media Lab. In 2012, he offered a popular TED Talk on design and disabilities.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Hockenberry grew up in upstate New York and Michigan, and attended the University of Chicago and the University of Oregon. He and his wife, Alison, live in Brooklyn with their five children. He is the author of the memoir Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs and Declarations of Independence and appeared off-Broadway in the autobiographical play “Spoke Man.”

WKSU’s presentation of John Hockenberry in Akron is made possible through support from Dominion, National First Ladies’ Library, One in Six Foundation, State and Federal Communications and United Disability Services.

WKSU is an award-winning public radio station and service of Kent State University that broadcasts to 22 counties in Northeast Ohio from the station’s primary signal at 89.7. WKSU content can also be heard over WKRW 89.3 (Wooster), WKRJ 91.5 (Dover/ New Philadelphia), WKSV 89.1 (Thompson), WNRK 90.7 (Norwalk) and W239AZ 95.7 (Ashland). The station adds WKSU-2 Folk Alley, WKSU-3 The Classical Channel and WKSU-4 The News Channel over HD Radio and as streaming audio at www.wksu.org.

For more information about tickets, visit www.wksu.org/features/feature/602/The-Takeaway-s-John-Hockenberry-Comes-to-Northeast-Ohio/.

Kent State Child Development Center’s Dinner and Silent Auction

Children at Kent State University's Child Development
Center play in the center's Outdoor Learning Lab. Kent
State’s Child Development Center will hold a scholarship
dinner on Saturday, May 16, from 6-10 p.m. at the Kent
State Hotel and Conference Center.

Kent State University’s Child Development Center will hold a scholarship dinner event themed “We Unite to Inspire” on Saturday, May 16, from 6-10 p.m. at the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center. Cocktails begin at 6 p.m. and dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Cocktail attire is recommended. The celebration will feature a silent auction with donations benefiting the center’s Robin McManus Scholarship Fund for Children. This scholarship fund helps to offset tuition costs for children who might otherwise not be able to attend the Child Development Center.

“This year’s theme, ‘We Unite to Inspire,’ speaks to the Child Development Center’s focus on community service” says Monica Miller Marsh, Ph.D., associate professor and director of Kent State’s Child Development Center. “Each month, the children practiced intentional acts of kindness such as donating to a diaper drive, making Valentine’s Day cards and sending them to the elderly, and raising money to purchase and deliver blankets for children residing in a local homeless shelter. These projects will be highlighted in a video that illustrates how even the youngest among us are capable of helping others and finding meaning in collective social action.”

The cost to attend the event is $80 per person. The cost to reserve a sponsored table of 10 is $800. To purchase tickets, including sponsored tables, or to make a contribution to the scholarship fund, visit http://commerce.cashnet.com/ksu_cdc or make checks payable to the Kent State Foundation (please write fund #10241 in the memo section) and mail it to:

Kent State University Child Development Center
Attn: Pam Hutchins
775 Loop Rd.
Kent, OH 44242

For more information about the event, contact the Child Development Center at 330-672-2559.

For more information about the Child Development Center, visit www.kent.edu/ehhs/centers/cdc.

University Libraries’ Stress-Free Zone Returns for Spring Finals Week

A Kent State University student takes a break from
studying to relax with a therapy dog at the University
Libraries' Stress-Free Zone. The Stress-Free Zone
returns May 4 and 5 from 3-5 p.m at the University Library.

Relax! To ease the stress of finals week, Kent State University Libraries will host the popular Stress-Free Zone this semester on Monday, May 4, and Tuesday, May 5, from 3-5 p.m. The therapy dogs will return once again, and there will be free popcorn and beverages to enjoy.

The event is open to all Kent State students, faculty and staff.

“A lot of students come in because the dogs are coming,” says Jasmine Jefferson, First-year Experience librarian. “We know the students definitely enjoy the time they have with the dogs, so I think that it really helps them cool off for a while.”

The University Library will be open 24 hours during finals week.

For more information about University Libraries, visit www.library.kent.edu.