>> HOME
Ohio University Cancels 1970 Commencement
Most of my strongest memories of Ohio University are riveted around the events following the shootings at Kent State.
We were all shaken by the seemingly senseless and needless killing of college students like ourselves. Most of us seemed to be anti-war, but none envisioned dying for the stance. I remember massive meetings on the Green where President Sowle and the Provost and others allowed us to meet for dialog and kept us informed about what was going on. It was time of heated passions and even some angry outbursts, but for the most part OU was handling things peacefully and rationally.
When colleges in northern Ohio closed after Kent State, many of the students chose to move to other campuses in Ohio rather than go home - knowing they would be returning for finals and graduations. As the numbers swelled on campuses in central Ohio, they also ended up closing as a repercussion of violence or to keep violence at bay. I remember being asked to sign up for how many incoming-visiting students I could house in beds or in sleeping bags. We had elaborate plans for assimilating all the influx of rabble-rousers and keeping things calm. Classes were suspended and dialog increased. Telegrams passed back and forth from Athens to Washington D.C. However, all our planning was for naught. The angry hordes from other places descended on Athens, they opted for the streets instead of accepting the offers of housing and we became another campus with the National Guard on every corner.
When things went out of control, we too followed suit and closed. However, as the other students returned to their schools to finish out the year, we ended up being told not to return until the Fall. There were rubics for how to finish the semester, how to accept the grade you had or to work to change it. For seniors - it was pretty much a done deal.
I did not come back when the class of 1980 invited us to "walk" with them - somehow the memories I hold of the way these sobering times affected me seem to be what I need to hold on to.
Dr. Mary-Blair Valentine
OU '70
