Best of CASE District V Award
 

Institution: Kent State University

Title of entry: Legacy: May 4

About this entry: "Legacy: May 4" targets two key audiences: the extended Kent State community seeking to understand the positive evolution from tragedy, and the global audience that continues to make the 1970 shootings Kent State's top internet search topic. The podcast strategically links historic events to Kent State's evolution as a student-centered institution and global leader in peace education.

This series reveals how the desperate student voices of 1970 shaped a university that now prioritizes students while demonstrating how these lessons have never been more relevant as history echoes across today's campuses.

Masterfully weaving three powerful narratives—May 4 brought to life through evocative historical audio, Kent State's eventual transformation into a nationally recognized model for student success, and its global impact, particularly through the School of Peace and Conflict Studies (a May 4 legacy unto itself)—the podcast creates an immersive journey through "theater of the mind" techniques, witness testimonies, and reporting from campus and from initiatives in Rwanda, Brazil, and Cambodia.

Launched strategically heading into the 54th anniversary across multiple platforms, University Communications and Marketing's first podcast achieved strong engagement: 1,132 sessions with 62.54% homepage engagement, 940 plays with 82.6% listener retention on Apple Podcasts, and 793 plays on Spotify.

"Legacy: May 4" demonstrates how universities can transform difficult history into authentic storytelling that reinforces institutional identity. It showcases the development of a values-driven institution making a global impact, proving that understanding history is essential for navigating today's divided society in which higher education again finds itself at the center of societal tensions.