To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Kent State shootings, the Jandoli Institute has compiled a group of reflections from St. Bonaventure faculty, as well as individuals from outside the university community. They are posted on the Jandoli Institute website under the title Today’s America Reflects on the Kent State Shootings.

“Collectively, the comments provide insight and inspiration that is much needed today,” said Richard Lee, the institute executive director and an associate professor in the Jandoli School of Communication.

Among the individuals who contributed comments for the project was Roseann "Chic" Canfora, an eyewitness and survivor of the shootings. Canfora, who teaches journalism at Kent State, spoke with Lee’s Media and Democracy class via Zoom on Thursday.

Mark Rudd, a student activist who was an organizer in the Students for a Democratic Society chapter at Columbia University, also wrote a post for the project.

In addition, author and journalist Greg Mitchell, a 1970 St. Bonaventure journalism graduate, shared his personal recollections about how the campus reacted to the shootings.

And Stephen Wilt, a senior journalism major at St. Bonaventure and former station manager of the campus radio station, WSBU-FM, wrote about the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young song “Ohio” and other musical connections with the shooting.

“2020 is not the first time colleges dispensed with classes on campus and canceled commencements, but that is only one of many reasons why this tragic event continues to resonate,” Lee said. “The reflections we compiled explore and explain why Kent State continues to remain relevant today.”

The Jandoli Institute serves as a forum for academic research, creative ideas and discussion on the intersection between media and democracy. The institute, accessible at Jandoli.net, is part of the Jandoli School of Communication at St. Bonaventure University.