On Wednesday, September 8th, a memorial Open Mic poetry reading was held in the Hub Fireplace Lounge where friends and family gathered to celebrate the memory of Kevin Young, the outgoing PSU student who was lost to us on May 20th, 2004 when he tragically drowned while tubing in the Pemigewasset River. Kevin was arguably the most popular and revered figure in Plymouth, the living embodiment of good cheer and positive energy. While meandering around campus with his usual sense of purpose and direction (and his usual seventy-five bracelets and Muppet overalls), Kevin would never forget to flash million-dollar smiles and show heartfelt, sincere interest towards those who crossed his path. Anyone who was acquainted with Kevin can attest to the fact that the impression he left on everyone around him was warm and everlasting. In addition to his studies at PSU, Kevin was a dedicated member of the community, involving himself in influencing and bettering the lives of children through his service in local elementary schools and as a summer camp counseler. Kevin graduated with a degree in early childhood studies, and was the first student to receive a diploma from Plymouth State University. To create a sense of atmosphere for the memorial Open Mic, the Fireplace Lounge was ornamented with an array of colored balloons, smiley-faced fabrics and, of course, flannel, Kevin’s favorite attire choice. The only thing missing from the event was a karaoke machine (Kevin loved singing Sir-Mix-A-Lot songs in bars), and copies of “The William Shatner song” to hand out to people in the audience. Over the fireplace sat a picture of Kevin wearing the smile that so commonly adorned his face. He always smiled like he was about to have his picture taken, and the warmth of his spirit was gazing down on everyone that evening. One look from that goofy hippie was all it took for a person to feel like they were the most special being on Earth.The MC of the event was Andrea Lucas, who shared a number of cute and cuddly letters and postcards Kevin had sent her. The letters were rich in the unique, genuine humor that Kevin possessed and expressed in his writing. He could find beauty and love in both the simplest and most complex of things and could always be counted on to put an interesting spin on life. Kevin was certainly the type who marched to the beat of his own drummer. “Kevin is always with me, like a pencil behind my ear,” Dr. Liz Ahl shared in one of her poems. “Kevin is love…he’s pure, he can still be felt,” Ryan Barber said. Kevin could turn even the most skeptical person into a believer through his philosophy of life.Cara Losier, Kevin’s girlfriend, gave the most candid and insightful readings of the evening. She touched upon how Kevin always wanted to learn as much as he could about life, and how he longed to delve into everything the world had to offer. She told stories about hikes they used to take together where Kevin would want to spend the night in the woods in March with nothing but a single blanket and the sunrise for an alarm clock. She read some of Kevin’s poems and really allowed the audience to truly feel what kind of person her boyfriend was.
Close friend Emily Perry read a poem entitled, “Twenty Ways to be a Kevin,” highlighting some of his trademark “Kevinisms:” “Demolish your car, borrow a friend’s bike and then demolish that, too,” was one memorable occasion she touched upon in her poem. Kevin always had the best of intentions, even if the outcome was sometimes the opposite of what he expected. Kevin’s heart was always in the right place, though, which made his shortcomings humorous and easily forgivable. Kevin would have wanted everyone who knew him to commemorate his life and focus on the humor and joy that was so much a part of it. That mission was accomplished at the memorial in a way that Kevin would give a big “yeah, buddy!” to. A scholarship has been set up in Kevin’s name through the Bank of New Hampshire in Loudon, NH., and PSU Poets and Writers (poetswriters@mail.plymouth.edu) is currently taking ideas for a campus-wide fundraiser in his honor. Also, everyone is invited to write to the Ben and Jerry’s website as there is a push to make “Forever Young” a new ice cream flavor. Shelby Young, Kevin’s brother and final speaker of the evening, left the audience with a quote from Kevin that appropriately articulates it all: “Peace, love and soup. Take care of yourselves.”