The Game of Life, an interactive inequality simulation, will take place on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 4:30 p.m. in Room 310B at the Kent Student Center. This event is open to all 5X faculty, staff and students, and it is meant to be an immersion-style game played with real people, real emotions, but fake money.
There will be several cohorts going through the simulation; therefore, if you want to participate, plan to arrive between 4:30 and 6 p.m. The planning committee is currently seeking volunteers to serve as actors and facilitators.
The Game of Life event is part of activities marking Kent State’s Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. The event is co-sponsored by the College of Education, Health and Human Services’ Office of Diversity Outreach and Development; the Student Multicultural Center; Student Accessibility Services; the Office of Global Education; the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s Special Projects and Initiatives; the Women’s Center; Residence Services; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Student Center; and Black United Students.
“The Game of Life is similar to the board game but acted out by the participants and the simulation actors. It is a way for individuals within our community to gain a greater awareness of the inequality that exists within our society. It is really a hyper-play on the stereotypes and acts of discrimination that occur around issues of sexuality, gender, race and ability level,” says N. J. Akbar, director of the College of Education, Health and Human Services’ Office of Diversity Outreach and Development.
For more information about this event or to volunteer, contact Akbar at nakbar@kent.edu.