University alumni and current students who met their partners at the university gathered together on Risman Plaza to share a kiss on the “K” Oct. 21.

Attendees like University President Todd Diacon attended to hear the couples’ stories of how they met each other on campus.

“I hear all these great stories, like I met a couple that [27] years ago, he proposed to her right here on this spot, so it’s fun,” Diacon said.

Matt and Jaenne Beresh, both ’97 graduates, said this “Kiss on the K” was significant as it happened to land on their 27th engagement anniversary. They got engaged in front of the Student Center.

When Matt Beresh decided to propose to Jaenne Beresh, he said All Media Art Supply Company, an art supplies store on Main Street in Kent, donated the paper he hung on the Kent Student Center windows reading, “Jaenne, will you marry me?”

While Matt Beresh’s friends were hanging the paper on the windows, Matt and Jaenne Beresh ate lunch at Eastway, but then one of his friends came to tell him something, Matt Beresh said.

“[My friend] came a little bit earlier and said, ‘Matt, you know, they’re telling us we gotta take these down,’” Matt Beresh said. “’We have a half hour, that’s it, and that’s all they’re giving us.’”

This caused Matt Beresh to speed up his plans and take Jaenne to the Student Center, he said.

“We come down here, it’s raining really heavy, we have umbrellas, she’s not even looking at the thing,” Matt Beresh said. “I had to make her look up… then she saw, and I got down on my knee and proposed – here we are.”

Jaenne Beresh said she wasn’t expecting Matt Beresh to propose to her – she thought it would take longer.

“I was so shocked because he just told me it was going to be a very long time, like it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon,” Jaenne Beresh said.

Another couple in attendance was Shawn and Meghan Wilson, both ’16 graduates.  They were not only “Kiss on the K” attendees, but they previously sang for the event when they were part of the a cappella group, Kent Clarks, Shawn Wilson said.

“We met here in the Fall of 2014 in the campus a cappella group the Kent Clarks, which aren’t a thing anymore,” Shawn Wilson said. “We met upstairs in room 317 of the Student Center, and this is probably our sixth ‘Kiss on the K’ since we’ve been back in Ohio.”

Another story is from Adam Sagert ’18 and Anna Sagert ’17. They met each other in French class when Anna needed to borrow a textbook.

“I hadn’t bought the book yet, but he had, so he offered to share his book with me for the day, then we got to talking,” Anna Sagert said. 

The couple recently married two months ago and enjoy coming back to the university to take part in other events such as the football games, Adam Sagert said.

“[The university] felt like a place where we grew into ourselves, and it’s kind of nice to see a little snapshot of where we become who we are,” he said.

Another couple, Sharri and Jim Merz, both class of ’87, were introduced to each other through Ann Roberts, a university student life employee at the time, Jim Merz said.

“I was working as a student worker in the student life office and [Jim Merz] volunteered for new student orientation at the time,” Sharri Merz said.

When the couple first met, they were friends. Then in their senior year, the two moved closer to one another, Sharri Merz said. 

“Then our senior year he ended up moving into the dorm I was already in, which isn’t here anymore, Terrace Hall, and we became fast friends,” Sharri Merz said.

Sharri Merz said the couple decided to attend “Kiss on the K” this year since their friend on the Alumni Association Board always insisted they come.

“We did meet and fall in love at Kent State,” Sharri Merz said. 

Adriana Gasiewski is a staff reporter. Contact her at [email protected].