Note: The following essay was crafted by Tayjua Hines, president of Black United Students (BUS), a student organization at Kent State University. Founded in 1968, the underlying philosophy of BUS is to serve and unify all Black students at Kent State by addressing their needs.  ------------- As a community, Black citizens have seen more than enough of our own treated unjustly, brutalized and murdered by law enforcement. For me, my first realization of the value that America places on its Black citizens was when Trayvon Martin was killed by police, how he received no justic...

Note: The following essay was crafted by Amoaba Gooden, Ph.D., Kent State University’s interim vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, and chair and associate professor in the Department of Pan-African Studies. Created in 2009, the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion leads the university’s efforts to increase diverse representation, create and sustain equity of opportunity and intentionally foster an inclusive environment. The Department of Pan-African Studies focuses on the study of communities of people of African descent both on the continent of Africa a...

Note: The following essay was crafted by Neil Cooper, Ph.D., director of Kent State University's School of Peace and Conflict Studies. The school evolved from the Center for Peaceful Change, which was established in 1971 as a “living memorial” to the students killed by the Ohio National Guard during a student protest against the Vietnam War on May 4, 1970.     -------------   This is America: a mash-up of a Childish Gambino video, echoes from the civil rights era and images from a failed state. A mixture of righteous anger, peaceful protest, violence, looting, curfew...

A Kent State University student is gaining recognition for a photo she took that captures an African American Cleveland police officer shedding a tear as he came face to face with demonstrators protesting the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis Police custody. Floyd’s death has sparked protest marches across the country. Sylvia Lorson, a senior from Orrville, Ohio, studying journalism and digital media production, took the photograph during a protest on May 30 in downtown Cleveland. Lorson’s photo and the story of how she captured the image were recently featured on Clevelan...

  Lori Holcepl felt the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic deeply when she was laid off from her job recently. As a single mother of two, Holcepl relied on her paycheck to support her family. “Since the pandemic began, I have feared we would lose our home and everything we have,” Holcepl said. “With my children home from school, I also have to make sure they have the internet they need for their schoolwork, plus extra food and toiletries since we’re home all day now.” Being aware that Kent State offers an emergency grant fund for students affected by COVID-19, the Ken...

Lori Holcepl felt the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic deeply when she was laid off from her job recently. As a single mother of two, Holcepl relied on her paycheck to support her family. “Since the pandemic began, I have feared we would lose our home and everything we have,” Holcepl said. “With my children home from school, I also have to make sure they have the internet they need for their schoolwork, plus extra food and toiletries since we’re home all day now.” Being aware that Kent State University offers an emergency grant fund for students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic...

Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication will be known as the School of Media and Journalism, effective July 1, 2020. The university’s Board of Trustees approved the name change at its meeting June 3, 2020. The School’s four undergraduate majors — advertising, digital media production, journalism and public relations — will remain the same. The School also offers a Master of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. “Media” is one word that encompasses all of the School’s programs. High schoolers surveyed associated the word “media” with news, apps, social me...

Though the KSUCPM Class of 2020 may not be able to walk across a stage at graduation, or stand close to their classmates as they recite the Podiatric Physician's Oath due to the outbreak of COVID-19, they certainly have a lot to celebrate. This spring, the Class of 2020 received news that 100% of their class achieved residency placement! We would like to wish the graduates well as they continue on to these new adventures in residency training this summer! Though unable to host a traditional graduation ceremony, KSUCPM was able to to hold a virtual commencement, which can be viewed at h...

Dear Campus Communities, This time last year, I don’t think any of us could have predicted precisely how tumultuous 2020 would be for our world, our country, our community, and our families. I have been so impressed—and inspired—by the strength I have seen from all of you in adapting to ever-changing circumstances.  We are witnessing the realities of how racism and discrimination have gripped our nation for far too long. The struggle for transformation is difficult, but I am confident we have faculty and staff who are all too aware of how necessary change may be. As mentioned within...