eInside Briefs

An Exciting Celebration: Homecoming 2012

Homecoming Queen Ann Miller and King Thomas Ream
pose for a photo with Kent State University President
Lester A. Lefton following their coronation.

Kent State University alumni and fans came together for the 2012 Homecoming celebration on Oct. 20.

“We had a great turnout of alumni, students, faculty and staff, and there was a feeling of excitement and pride in the air,” says Nancy Schiappa, associate director of alumni relations. “Everyone wanted to reconnect with friends and, of course, see if the Golden Flashes would win their game!”

The day’s events leading up to the big game included traditional activities such as the 12th annual Bowman Cup 5K Race, the Homecoming parade, the 2nd annual Kiss on the K and the Golden Order 50th Reunion Luncheon. Some new activities included a mentalist show, tours of downtown and an art auction.

The day culminated as the Kent State Golden Flashes won against the Western Michigan Broncos, 41-24, and with the coronation of Homecoming King Thomas Ream and Queen Ann Miller.

Relive the excitement of the day by viewing pictures.

Homecoming 2013 will be scheduled for October. Please keep checking the Kent State Alumni Association’s website, www.ksualumni.org, for the official date.

What’s Kent State University President Lefton Been Up to Lately?

Kent State President Lester A. Lefton and Congressman
Tim Ryan don hard hats for a brief meeting at the construction
site for the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center
in downtown Kent.

Kent State President Lester A. Lefton had a busy summer spearheading several university initiatives, including the recent ribbon-cutting for the new Kent State University Regional Academic Center at Twinsburg, the grand opening of the Kent State Blackstone LaunchPad initiative and the Foundations of Excellence event. Lefton also was on hand to assist students move in to their residence halls at the beginning of the school year.

Visit the President’s Page on the Kent State website to see photos and archives and to learn more about Kent State’s president. The page also features a photo essay of some of the activities and events Lefton attends or hosts on behalf of the university.

Click here to view the photo essay.

DeWeese Health Center Open House and Flu Clinic

On Thursday, Nov. 1, University Health Services will host an open house and flu clinic from 4 to 7 p.m. at the DeWeese Health Center. Kent State faculty, staff and students are invited to come view the newly remodeled front and side entrances to the health center. Refreshments will be served.

Flu shots also will be available at the open house. If you are interested in receiving a flu shot, please follow the instructions below:

Kent State employees and their dependents (over six years old): Click here to register.

Please remember to bring your Anthem or Medical Mutual insurance card so that your fee can be billed to the appropriate insurance company.

Kent State students: please walk in (no need to sign up ahead of time)
Cost:  $20 cash or check made out to Kent State University Health Services. It can also be billed to the student’s bursar account.

For more information about University Health Services, visit www.kent.edu/uhs/index.cfm.

Quaker Steak and Lube Opens at Kent State University

Quaker Steak and Lube is now open in the lower level
of the Kent Student Center.

Quaker Steak and Lube officially opened its doors on Oct. 17 at 11 a.m. on the Kent Campus.

“The opening was a huge success, as students lined up waiting to order up Lube favorites like their award-winning wings, the original Lube burger, which is a one-half pound burger, and appetizer favorites such as pretzels, onion rings and fried pickles,” says Richard Roldan, director of Kent State’s Dining Services. “We have had many students conquer the Triple Atomic wing challenge; the survivors’ names are listed on our Wall of Flame.”

The restaurant is located in the Rathskeller on the lower level of the Kent Student Center.

Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The menu includes sandwiches, burgers, appetizers and wings. The wings come in more than 15 flavors.

Click here to view the full menu for the Kent State location. You also can call ahead for pickup or dine-in.

“We are extremely pleased with the success of our first week open,” says Roldan. “The students, faculty, staff and locals are really happy and commenting on the fresh change to the space.”

For more information about the Quaker Steak and Lube at Kent State, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Quaker-Steak-Lube-Kent-State-University/145903438878687.

The Media’s Role in Political Campaigns

Director of Kent State's School of
Communication Studies Paul Haridakis,
Ph.D., has been researching political
campaigns since the 2008 presidential
election.

Kent State researchers look at the media’s influence on political decisions as election season nears Paul Haridakis, Ph.D., director of Kent State University’s School of Communication Studies, has been researching political campaigns since the 2008 presidential election. At that time, he began his research with colleague Gary Hanson, professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

“In 2008, we got involved because we were interested in the role that social media plays in political campaigns,” says Haridakis.  

Haridakis and his colleagues don’t study the effectiveness of media campaigns – they study how people use media for political campaigns.

The researchers examine many forms of media, but the emphasis this campaign season continues to be the social Web.

“We focus on social media,” says Haridakis. “Mostly social networking sites like Facebook and video sharing sites like YouTube, but we look at a variety of media.”

New to the research team in 2012 is Mei-Chen Lin, Ph.D., associate professor and graduate coordinator for the School of Communication Studies. All three faculty members, along with several graduate students, are conducting research for the 2012 election concentrating mainly on emerging social media platforms, such as Twitter, and the relationship of political identity and perception of media bias.

The team applied its research to the Republican primaries. The researchers wanted to see which media people return to most often. The primary media are Internet and television, regardless of age group.

“First-time voters use television and the Internet,” says Haridakis. “Within all age groups, television is predominant.”

Advertising Assistant Professor Danielle Coombs, Ph.D., who also studies media coverage in elections, believes that television is still number one because “TV has a broad reach.”

“A lot of people who vote in America aren’t young people,” says Coombs.

Haridakis says that social networking websites are being used more for the 2012 campaign than they were in 2008, but they are still not as dominant as television, general Internet or newspapers.

He believes that people use social media platforms primarily for socializing, not for finding out information about political issues, although social media websites are still making an impact on political campaigns.

“Social media provides an interpersonal channel,” says Haridakis.  “We turn to each other more to make political decisions rather than the media.” This is where social media is likely to have the most impact.

“People trust their friends because they see those people as being more credible. So they trust information from these networks more,” says Coombs.

“People who get info from social media tend to be less cynical,” says Haridakis. “Some media use – social media use – may reduce cynicism. Our prediction is that it is how they get the information that they trust about the campaign.”

Halloween: Healthy Trick or Treating

Kent State Associate Professor of Nutrition Natalie Caine-Bish is a registered and licensed dietitian.

Caine-Bish writes about how she celebrates a “healthy” Halloween with her family.

“Halloween is my husband and oldest daughter’s favorite holiday, so it is celebrated every year with a very large haunted walk and scavenger hunt with dozens of children between the ages of 7-11 years descending upon our home.”

Click here to read more from Caine-Bish. 

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ReStore of Kent Salvages Recyclables at Allerton Apartments

Workers from ReStore salvage appliances and equipment
from Allerton Apartment buildings, which are at the end of
their life cycle.

ReStore in Kent, a resale outlet store for Habitat for Humanity of Portage County, is preserving as much reusable and recyclable appliances and furniture as possible from buildings in Allerton Apartments of Kent State University.

Allerton Apartments, which are reaching the end of their life cycle and are cost-prohibitive to maintain, will be demolished as part of the university’s phase-out of those buildings.

On Sept. 28, ReStore workers sifted through Buildings L and M to reclaim usable and recyclable items and materials.

“We salvage fixable or working appliances and furniture, test them, clean them and sell them,” says Jan Bennett, manager, Kent ReStore. “Anything not usable goes to a scrapyard for recycling and helps put money back into the building program.”

According to Bennett, ReStore workers have been salvaging items from other Allerton Apartment buildings over the past month. More than just furniture is fair game. Bennett’s team rescues lights, doors, screen doors, kitchen and medicine cabinets, as well as vanities that can be repaired, reused or recycled. Additionally, working parts from used appliances are used to fix others.

In 2011, the Kent ReStore saved more than 225 tons of waste from entering landfills, notes Brian Reitz, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Portage County.

“The biggest thing we want people to know is that all of this is not going to waste,” says Bennett. “We’re trying to salvage and recycle as much as we can.”

For more information, about ReStore, email volunteer@habitatofportage.org.