Ava Moss believes in embracing what life has to offer one major event at a time. Typically an optimist, Moss, a 2018 public relations graduate from Cleveland, is currently embracing the daily challenges as a production coordinator on some of the top animated films with Walt Disney Animation Studios – including her work on "Wish," which opened across the country in November. Still, those smiles at the end of a productive, creative workday are today the product of her strengthened tenacity. This follows the memory of the struggles she faced, including being jobless and sleeping o...

FOR CURRENT KENT STATE STUDENTS:   Israel, Palestine, and Me: Students’ Forum for Reflection and Dialogue   4:00 pm, November 16, 2023 (Thursday)  Taylor Hall 141, May 4 Reflection Gallery    The aim of this forum is to create a safe, welcoming space for currently enrolled KSU students of all backgrounds to reflect on the events unfolding in Gaza and Israel, listen to each other, and seek a deeper and broader understanding of the issues at stake for all parties.  KSU faculty with experience in facilitation will assist the participants. ...

As part of Kent State University’s annual Veterans Day Commemoration, cadets from the university’s ROTC programs joined staff from University Facilities Management and other volunteers on the site of the May 4, 1970, tragedy to plant daffodil bulbs. As a living memorial, 58,175 daffodils were originally planted – one for each U.S. service member killed in Vietnam. The daffodil bulb planting is an opportunity for the Kent State community to reflect on the events of May 4 and to demonstrate its commitment to the university’s core values of respect, kindness and the peaceful exchange of i...

In response to the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kacie Gikonyo, a former nurse with 13 years of experience in end-of-life care and a Kent State Uniersity graduate, has become a pioneering figure in the field of death doulas. Similar to birthing doulas who assist expectant mothers, death doulas support individuals nearing the end of their lives, aiming to ensure a more comfortable and empowering transition. Gikonyo's journey into this unique emerging field began during the pandemic, where she witnessed the sudden and often lonely deaths of individuals at a long-term care...