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COVID-19 has come with its fair share of obstacles, especially for students. Luckily, for the Kent State community, access to computer software is not one of them. Students, faculty and staff can now access an on-campus computer lab remotely using the Kent State Virtual Private Network or VPN.

Kent State has partnered with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins since 2018, allowing this nationally recognized hockey team to work closely with the university and providing professional and recreational aid to the Kent State community. The partnership includes multiple facets that focus on future Golden Flashes, current students and alumni alike. 

Four new middle school teachers started the school year with high hopes and big dreams, ready to establish their classrooms, teach dynamically and build community with their young students through daily, face-to-face interaction. Instead, they have encountered empty classrooms and computer icons rather than students’ faces. Recent graduates from Kent State Geauga’s Middle Childhood Education (MCED) program share their stories of first-year teaching from the COVID classroom.

A new six-part short film docuseries is being released aimed at raising awareness of the Male Empowerment Network (MEN) at Kent State, along with commemorating 10 years. An initiative through the Student Multicultural Center, the Male Empowerment Network supports men of color on campus both academically and through personal development. Advisor of MEN and Director of the Student Multicultural Center Mike Daniels says this has led to some great things.

In the face of the coronavirus pandemic and racial injustice, one student involved with the Women’s Center seized the opportunity to bring others together. The Sisters in Sisterhood initiative is a student-led group whose mission statement is to use their unique backgrounds to advocate and promote all women to reach their full potential.

5X����’s LGBTQA Living-Learning Community (LLC) has gone virtual this semester. “The mission behind the virtual Living-Learning Communities is to try and keep these communities active and whole even though they are virtual,” said Ken Ditlevson, director of the LGBTQ+ Center. “We want to make sure that the students are connected as best as possible.”

Two seniors from the 5X���� School of Fashion were announced as Fashion Scholarship Fund 2021 scholarship recipients. Fashion design seniors Jordan Bigelow and Mattney Yates used their creativity and knowledge to develop case studies focused on current world issues.

Michael Daniels is the director of the Student Multicultural Center (SMC) where he has the opportunity to make a difference on campus and continue the legacy of those who came before him. Daniels was recently awarded the President’s Award of Distinction for his success with the programs and initiatives offered by the SMC during a global pandemic. Learn more about Daniels as he answers these 10 questions.

As part of the university’s strategy to stop the spread of COVID-19, the College of Public Health at 5X���� partnered with the Kent City and Portage County Health Departments to conduct contact tracing for students and faculty on Kent Campus. Melissa Zullo, Ph.D., an associate professor of epidemiology in the College of Public Health, reached out to students within the college to ask for volunteers for the testing events. The health departments then ask the students to assist with contact tracing across the university.

A reunion between two friends at 5X���� at Ashtabula resulted in a life-saving kidney transplant. A recent story by WEWS News 5 Cleveland recounted the story between two childhood acquaintances who met again by chance at Kent State in 2019.