Student Life
First Day of Classes Welcomes Golden Flashes Back to Kent State
A crisp, almost fall-like morning greeted Kent State University students Monday as they made their way to class for the first day of the 2026-27 academic year.
High Demand for On-Campus Housing Continues as Kent State Residence Halls Near Capacity
Kent State University’s residence halls are currently 98% full for the 2026 Fall Semester, with additional housing requests coming in every day.
KSU Kickoff Closes With Community and Connection
After a week of KSU Kickoff fun, the first day of the fall semester is officially here. As students and faculty head to their classrooms, take a look back at some of the events that welcomed thousands of new students to Kent State.
‘This Is What It’s All About’: Kent State Welcomes New Golden Flashes at High-Energy Convocation
Inside the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, Kent State University’s newest students filled the arena with the kind of energy that makes the start of a college career feel real.
Welcome Back, Flashes! Your Golden Experience Begins Now
It’s Aug. 19, a sunny, 80-degree day in Kent, Ohio, and some of the nearly 6,000 Kent State University students who will be living on campus are starting to arrive with their families – carrying boxes and bags, and a whole range of emotions with them. From first-year students leaving the nest to upperclass students who came out to help new students move in, Kent State Today was there to get a glimpse of one of the most exciting days on campus.
When the Flashes Come to Town, Kent Comes Alive
Flashes First Friday, one of the signature events of KSU Kickoff, invites Kent State’s newest Golden Flashes to discover downtown Kent – not simply as a place next to campus, but as part of the community they are now calling home.
Golden Experience Begins With Move-In
First-year students arrived Wednesday to a campus buzzing with welcome—parent cars lined up, moving carts stacked high, and volunteers from Movers and Groovers ready to help families haul everything from clothes and mirrors to shelves and stools.
20 Years of Main Street Kent
For 20 years, Main Street Kent has worked to make downtown a place students want to explore – from Flashes First Friday to Oktoberfest to public art – helping Kent earn recognition as the No. 1 college town in Ohio.
Kent State Junior Earns National Spotlight at Hearst Journalism Championships
Gage Wellman, a junior in Kent State University’s journalism program, competed among the nation’s best college journalists in the 66th Hearst National Journalism Championships held May 31-June 5 in San Francisco. Wellman, who hails from Parma, Ohio, earned a $1,500 finalist award in the Writing category at the national competition.
IN A FLASH: Commencement Caps
Some kept it simple, some went all out. As more than 1,000 students crossed the stage for Summer 2026 Commencement, the fashion choice of the moment was the decorated cap.
