Kent State University began its schedule of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the May 4th shootings. The first of two speakers this week spoke in the Kiva Wednesday night. Thomas Grace is a former student and author of the book Kent State: Death and Dissent in the Long Sixties. His book examines the lives of the protestors and recounts his experience as a student.
"Actually, the night before, I was studying for a history exam that I had the morning of May 4th. So, I was living in the moment, in terms of trying to stop the war, but I also had an eye towards the future. None of us, I don’t think, or very few of us at any rate, came here to protest the war in Vietnam.”
Grace was present on the morning of May 4th and one of nine people wounded by shots fired by National Guardsmen. Four people were killed.