“The thing I love about the weekend is that it shows our community that there is support not only at this university, but in many other places, too,” said Ken Ditlevson, director of Kent State University's Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer+ Center (LGBTQ+).Ditlevson told Kent State Today that this fourth annual community event is presented by the LGBTQ+ Center and Main Street Kent. Rainbow Weekend takes place in October, as part of LGBTQ+ History Month, rather than during June’s Pride Month so that Kent State students can participate in its events.Also, Oct. 11 is National Comi...

October is Mental Health Awareness Month at Kent State University and Oct. 10 is World Mental Health Day, allowing the university to reaffirm its commitment to providing mental health and wellness services for everyone on campus including faculty, staff and students. It has already been a year since Kent State launched its highly anticipated Mental Health Campaign “Reduce the Stigma. Seek Help. Refer a Flash.” While student mental health is still important, this year faculty and staff will be the focus. “It has the same purpose as last year, but we recognize that last year was v...

Until their recent retirements, Candace Perkins Bowen and John Bowen, along with Mark Goodman, were the heart and soul of the Center for Scholastic Journalism. Combined, this trio has contributed more than 140 years of service to scholastic journalism. Each will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Journalism Education Association (JEA) at this fall’s National High School Journalism Convention in Philadelphia.The Bowens began their high school teaching careers in the early 1970s, Candace in St. Charles, Illinois and John in Lakewood, Ohio. John, a Kent State graduate, also taught at K...

Orange Shirt Day serves as a day of reflection to honor the survivors of residential schools and remember those who did not return home. Kent State University’s Native American Student Association (NASA) recognized Orange Shirt Day, or the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, on Sept. 30. Members of the student group engaged with the campus community on Risman Plaza by distributing orange t-shirts and flyers while initiating discussions about the legacy of residential schools and the generational trauma they caused.Orange Shirt Day began with Phyllis Webstad, whose new orange shirt ...

A new degree program titled the Master of Arts in Journalism Education received its final approval from Ohio’s Department of Higher Education this summer. Since 2007, we have been training journalism educators in a concentration of the Master of Arts degree in Media and Journalism. Starting this fall, students are pursuing a standalone degree in journalism education.This shift from a concentration to a standalone degree might seem minor but it gives our graduate program more focus and flexibility. Ours is the only master’s program solely dedicated to journalism education.Students are no longer...

Kent State University President Todd Diacon showcased the institution's far-reaching impact on Ohio and beyond during the annual Bowman Breakfast event held at the Kent Student Center Ballroom.The breakfast, which celebrates the strong connections between the university and the city of Kent, provided a platform for Diacon to present the Kent State Works initiative, which launched in 2023 and highlights recent graduates and the university programs that prepared them to succeed in Ohio’s workforce. Watch Diacon’s Bowman Breakfast address:{"preview_thumbnail":"/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/v...