On Friday, Nov. 8, Black Squirrel Entertainment (BSE) once again brought creativity, community and compassion together for its annual Extra Life fundraising event. Students from BSE, KSTV and Production & Film Distribution hosted a 16-hour livestream marathon dedicated to raising funds for Akron Children's Hospital, turning entertainment into real impact for local families.
By the end of the event, the team had raised $3,344.14, 165% of their original fundraising goal, reaching their initial goal within the first few hours of the broadcast. But beyond the numbers, the heart of this event is the students themselves. Kent State Student Media provides one of the few fully student-run television stations in the country, and with that autonomy comes both responsibility and creative freedom. Students conceive the ideas, build the schedule, run the control room, host the shows and manage every element of production from start to finish.
Each year, they choose to pour their time, talent and energy into this marathon broadcast because they believe in the cause and in the power of what they can create together. For 16 straight hours, their passion for storytelling, live production and community service shines through. BSE's Extra Life livestream is a true celebration of what makes student media so special: joyful collaboration, creative ownership and a deep desire to use media for good.
