eInside Briefs

Campus Fire Drill Set for Sept. 29 in Kent

On Wednesday, Sept. 29, at 11:10 a.m., Kent State's Department of Public Safety will initiate fire evacuation drills of all buildings on the Kent Campus. The purpose of these drills is to familiarize students and employees with building evacuation and precautions to be taken in the event of a fire. The drills will be initiated by the campus emergency mass notification system located in each building and will advise persons to take notice of the nearest safe evacuation route followed by a list of precautions to be taken in an actual evacuation. 

The Campus Fire Safety Right-to-Know Act is a newly enacted federal law which is intended to increase fire safety awareness on campuses and to make fire procedures and statistics readily available to students, parents and institution employees. This law also mandates fire evacuation drills in campus residential buildings, requires annual testing and assessment of emergency procedures, and requires fire safety education be given to faculty, staff and students.

No actual evacuation will take place. Instead, classroom instructors and unit supervisors are asked to review the guidelines with their respective students and employees. More information on building evacuation and fire guidelines is available in the emergency guide area of the Kent State website at www.kent.edu/publicsafety/emergencyguidehtml.cfm.

The instructions for building evacuations are:

•          Remain calm
•          Proceed to the nearest safe exit
•          Do not use the elevators
•          Assist disabled persons - if the person cannot be moved to the exit, ask the person to remain at that location, leave the building, and advise a firefighter or police officer of the person's location
•          Once outside, stay at least 200 feet from the building unless otherwise directed by public safety officials
•          Once outside, do not return until advised to do so by public safety officials

Building curators are asked to do the following:

•          Familiarize yourself with the building evacuation and fire sections of the campus emergency guide
•          Ensure that the instructors and supervisors working in your respective buildings at the time of the drill are familiar with building evacuation procedures and routes
•          Determine if the emergency mass notification system activates and the message delivered is audible in your respective buildings
  

Faculty and staff are encouraged to provide suggestions for improving fire safety to Fire Safety Coordinator Ed Moisio (emoisio@kent.edu) or Associate Director of Public Safety for Emergency Management Dan FitzPatrick (dpfitzpa@kent.edu).

FlashLine Enhancements Get Underway

As you know, Kent State's website received a face lift last fall. Now it's FlashLine's turn to experience enhancements that will improve your online experience when using the university's portal. Now through  spring 2011, watch for phased in improvements.

Based on usability testing, focus groups and surveys conducted in April and May, we heard many of you say, "FlashLine has too many tabs!" To address that concern, several tabs will be modified, combined or deleted. For starters, both the Library and the Help tabs will be dissolved effective Monday, Oct. 4. Links to home pages of all campus libraries will be added to the My Campus tab's Campus Resource's channel. Also new, you will be able to take advantage of a single sign-on into your My Library Account (KentLink).

Please note: because these two tabs will be eliminated, if you are in the small group of users who rely on the Library or Help tabs for access to other webpages, please take the time to bookmark those pages before Monday, Oct. 4.

Also new on Oct. 4, find quicker, easier access to these tools from the FlashLine masthead:

•      Online phone directory (no more clicking to kent.edu or the My Campus tab required)
•      Blackboard Vista (no more clicking to My Courses tab required)
•      Your Banner ID via the My Account link
•      Information for resetting your FlashLine password via the My Account link

Watch for additional updates and relevant announcements through spring 2011!

For more information, e-mail webteam@kent.edu.

"We Are the Architects of Our Destiny" Sets Kent State's Course for Its Second Century

On Sept 23, beforea live audience in the Kent Student Center Kiva and hundreds more watching through the Web, Kent State University President Lester A. Lefton presented his fourth State of the University address. Lefton's remarks served as a call to each member of the Kent State community to act and think in new ways to reach higher than ever before so that Kent State may reach new heights of excellence, innovation and inclusion.

With that overarching goal in mind, Lefton focused on eight areas that he described as "critical" to Kent State's capacity to succeed in our second century:

•  Modernizing the Kent Campus to ensure that students now and for decades to come have access to state-of-the-art technologies and other learning tools that are vital to success in every field.
•  Revitalizing our campus libraries as the foundation of revitalizing our learning environment.
•  Completing the transformation of the Kent Core, the liberal-education requirements for all undergraduates, to make the path to graduation easier to grasp and smoother to navigate for all students.
•  Stepping up our efforts to produce the highly skilled graduates our region needs to compete by creating new baccalaureate programs at our seven Regional Campuses and by forging new, mutually beneficial partnerships with Northeast Ohio community colleges.

•  Proactively pursuing opportunities (from study-abroad programs to online degree programs) that allow our students to experience the many different cultures, languages and modes of thinking that exist in the world; enhancing the global dimension of our curriculum; and leveraging our international partnerships to bring more international students to Kent State.
•  Continuing the upward trajectory in federal funding for faculty research by increasing the number of proposals developed and submitted to federal agencies.
•  Recommitting ourselves to the can-do mindset that took hold during this Year of Yes.
•  Helping to bring to life the university's multifaceted plan for building a diverse and inclusive environment that makes every member of our community feel welcome, respected and valued.

To read more about these priorities or revisit the speech,  go to http://www.kent.edu/excellenceagenda.

Video coverage of the speech is available from the Major Speeches link on the Office of the President website and from the homepage.

How to Share the Passion for United Way This Week: Volunteer, Bid in Online Auction

The online auction to support United Way is now open for bidding! Don't wait - the site will stop taking bids at 5 p.m. on Sept. 27.

Look for ways to participate in United Way each week!

Many items, including golf packages, family fun packages, theatre packages and a wide variety of creative gift baskets are up for grabs, virtually.

Go to http://et.kent.edu/auction to place your bid and Share the Passion for United Way.

Volunteers are still needed to staff the concession stands at Kent State's home football games. A percent of the proceeds will go to Kent State United Way Special Events.

Last football season, 40 people volunteered and earned $1,408.58 for the United Way of Portage County.

Eight to 10 volunteers are needed per game. Volunteers need to arrive an hour and a half to two hours before the game begins and should expect to be there for five to seven hours.

Volunteers are needed at the following games:

• Saturday, Oct. 9, at 3:30 p.m. (Homecoming)
• Saturday, Oct. 30, at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 13, at 2 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 26, at 2 p.m.

Those interested in volunteering should contact Barbara Boltz at bboltz@kent.edu or 330-672-1306 at least one week prior to the game at which you are interested in volunteering.

Student Accessibility Services Brings disAbility Awareness Month to Kent State in October

October marks the fourth annual disAbility Awareness Month celebration at Kent State University. The word disability is intentionally spelled with a lowercase letter 'd' and a capital letter 'A' to emphasize ability.

Animals provide valuable service.

Student Accessibility Services, along with numerous co-sponsors, will host events on campus to promote disability awareness. "We're lucky enough to have so many members within the Kent State community  that you really get a lot of exposure to people with all different types of abilities," Julie Ann DiBiasio, accessibility coordinator for Student Accessibility Services said. "I think disAbility Awareness Month is important to be celebrated at Kent State because of the positive effect it can have on the university community."

Please join Student Accessibility Services in our effort to increase campus awareness about issues related to disabilities. All events are free and open to the public. We look forward to seeing you at this year's events!

Verlezza Dance Ensemble

The 4th annual disAbility Awareness Month will kick off at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, when Cleveland's own Verlezza Dance Ensemble will perform at the E. Turner Stump Theatre.

This dance organization shows that all people, regardless of their perceived disability, have dance inside them. Their performance will highlight their philosophy that anyone can "enter the dance."

This event, which is free to the public, is sponsored by the School of Theatre and Dance, Center for Student Involvement and Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. 

Guest Speaker Travis Roy

The second event will feature Travis Roy, who became a quadriplegic during his first collegiate ice hockey game. He will speak at the Kent Student Center Ballroom Tuesday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m. Roy will take his audience on his emotional journey and will inspire people to get the most out of life. This event is also free to the public and is sponsored by Kent State University Undergraduate Student Government, Student Athlete Advisory Committee and the Panhellenic Council.

Tech for Success

On Oct. 6, the Tech for Success technology demonstration will take place in the DeWeese Health Center, Room 11, promptly at 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. The free event will feature assistive technologies that can greatly enhance the learning experience by allowing the user to "choose" how information is received.

Dogs on Campus

Every Wednesday in October, Dogs on Campus, a pet therapy program developed by Kent State University Professor of Nursing Kathy Adamle, will allow students to relieve stress by interacting with Adamle's team of certified therapy dogs. This event will take place in the Kent Student Center Lobby from noon  - 1 p.m. "People don't have to be ill or have been in a disaster to enjoy pet therapy," Adamle says.

Actor Anita Hollander

The final event of disAbility Awareness Month will be a performance by Anita Hollander, an actor who lost her leg to cancer in 1977. Hollander has since gone on to have a successful career in New York and regional theatre. She created and now performs her one- woman show titled Still Standing. The musical is  Hollander's survival guide for life's catastrophes and offers her  "tools for survival." The free event will take place Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Kiva. It is sponsored by Kent State University Undergraduate Student Government and Active Minds at Kent State University.

By Allison Brookes

90Ksu Initiative Continues Momentum With Ticket Sales, Football Win

The Kent State Department of Intercollegiate Athletics' 90Ksu: Everyone Counts initiative continues to move full steam ahead. With only one home game in the rear view mirror, more than 53,000 tickets have been sold towards the campaign goal of 90,000.     

Fans of all ages enjoyed the first pregame Fan Experience in the Field House adjacent to Dix Stadium. With food vendors, music, games, a pair of 14-foot television screens, inflatables, an exclusive donor area and plentiful space for group parties, there's something for everyone. After the pregame festivities, fans were treated to a resounding 41-10 victory for the Golden Flashes over Murray State.

"The feedback we received from our opener was tremendous," says Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Joel Nielsen. "Fans enjoyed the pregame activities in the Field House and the game atmosphere in the stadium. We encourage everyone to arrive early at Dix Stadium for our remaining games and setup a tailgate in the parking lot and join in the festivities. We can't grow the program without the support of our great fans."

While Kent State plays at home just twice in October, both games are of tremendous significance. Not only does the Oct. 9 game feature arch-rival The University of Akron, but it also serves as the Homecoming football contest. Then, on Oct. 30, the Golden Flashes will honor one of the top players in Mid-American Conference history - and current NFL Pro Bowler - Joshua Cribbs.

With five home games still remaining, general admission season tickets are still available for the bargain price of $30 while Kent State faculty and staff receive a 20 percent discount on chairback season tickets.

Don't miss a minute of the action at Dix Stadium!

For additional information, visit www.90ksu.com .

By Alan Ashby

Technical Support Available 24/7 to Students, Staff and Faculty Through Website

Staff, faculty and students no longer have to dial the phone or leave their office or residence hall to get technology, FlashLine, Blackboard Vista or password help. Launched by Information Services last year, support.kent.edu provides direct and convenient access to popular Kent State support articles online, as well as live chat with an agent, software downloads (including antivirus and VPN software) and frequently requested phone numbers, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Staff and faculty can even create their own support requests, right from their own computer, saving time and ensuring the request is routed to the correct Kent State support professional. "The website is great for end-users because they can track the tickets they submit to see what progress has been made toward the resolution of their issue," explains Ruth Ruggles, Knowledge Coordinator for Information Services.  

Visits to the online support center were at a record high throughout August 2010, with more than 19,000 articles viewed and more than 1,000 self-service requests. Information Services is constantly monitoring the use of support.kent.edu and adding new and revised support articles daily.  A Twitter feed that displays critical updates in real-time was recently added.

"With all of the features that are offered on this site, people often find the answers to their own questions without having to take the extra step of placing a phone call for support," notes Jeremy Benington, senior information technology user support analyst for Information Services. "As time goes on, support.kent.eduwill evolve into an even larger repository of FAQ for many departments across Kent State University."

For users who would like to speak to someone directly, support agents are still available by phone at 330-672-HELP (4357). In-person help is also available at the Information Services walk-up desk on the first floor of the Library and complete computer care is available at The Tech Spot in Tri-Towers Rotunda.

For more information, visit http://support.kent.edu or visit Information Services at www.kent.edu/is.

By Christopher Hallahan

Auditions for African Community Theatre Production This Week

The African Community Theatre will be holding auditions for its fall 2010 production  of  Stagolee: A Black Folktale. Stagolee is based on a short story by Julius Lester and adapted for the stage by Ed Smith and revised by Fran Dorsey. The auditions will be held on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m. each day in Room 203 of Ritchie Hall.

This ensemble production captures the folklore of African-Americans interspersed with music, song and dance. The cast consists of 13 characters -- six women and seven men who range in age from 16 to 60.

Those who wish to audition should come prepared with a three to five minute monologue and/or a song.

For additional information, contact Dorsey at 330-672-0151 or fdorsey@kent.edu.

Mobile Mammography Comes to Kent Campus Oct. 6 and 7

Every woman is at risk for developing breast cancer and the best way to diagnose breast disease is to have a mammogram.  The American Cancer Society recommends that women over the age of 40 have a mammogram once a year.  The Women's Resource Center will offer screening mammograms to qualified Kent State employees and their spouses and has contracted with Tiffany Breast Care Center of Youngstown to provide the screenings. 

Mammograms take approximately 12 minutes and will be conveniently provided in Tiffany Breast Care's mobile mammography unit. The van will be located on the Kent Campus in front of the Women's Resource Center. 

Mammograms will be available on both Wednesday, Oct. 6, and Thursday, Oct. 7. Registration is required.  Each participant's health insurance will be billed or participants may self-pay.

For additional information or to register, call the Women's Center at

330-672-9230 or toll-free at 1-866-339-3699.

Student Recreation and Wellness Center Reports Entertainment Survey Results

The Student Recreation and Wellness Center recently conducted an entertainment survey to ascertain the music and television station preferences of the facility's attendees. The survey was distributed to 4,694 community members, including faculty and students.  

"The information gathered from this survey allows us to start creating more value for our customers so we can keep them coming back," says Jason Hawk, marketing coordinator for the Department of Recreational Services.         

The survey's results are as follows:

•          The 6-10 a.m. group of building users prefers alternative and rock music and television networks like CNN and ESPN
•          The 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. group prefers rock music and CNN and ESPN
•          The 2 - 6 p.m. group wants to hear pop music and watch ESPN and MTV while working out
•          The 6 - 11 p.m. group overwhelmingly prefers pop music and Comedy Central and MTV

Hawk adds that the staff members are able to adjust the music to suit the preferences of the facility's users in real time, and that staff members are available for assistance and are always open to new suggestions and ideas on how to make the facility more enjoyable.

For more information on the recent updates and alterations, visit http://www.kent.edu/recservices/index.cfm. 

U.S. Small Business Administration Awards Funding to Support Flexible Electronics Cluster Growth in Northeast Ohio

Northeast Ohio's emerging flexible electronics industry recently received a boost in the form of a $499,514 contract from the U.S. Small Business Administration Innovative Economies initiative. The funding was awarded to NorTech, a regional nonprofit economic development organization, leading efforts to develop regional innovation clusters in Northeast Ohio. NorTech will use the funds to focus on small business growth and job creation in the region's flexible electronics industry.

Northeast Ohio's flexible electronics cluster is rooted in the world-renown, breakthrough work of the Liquid Crystal Institute and the globally recognized advances in polymer science by The University of Akron. 

"Maximizing a region's economic assets is one of the best ways to create long-term job growth, and that's what SBA's new Innovative Economies pilot initiative is doing," says SBA Administrator Karen Mills. "The SBA's support will help expand the opportunities and the role small businesses play in these regional collaborations, which are enhancing the ability to create jobs locally and compete on a national and global scale. I am thrilled to announce the Northeast Ohio flexible electronics cluster's participation.  They are creating jobs in the community and making Northeast Ohio an industry leader."

The flexible electronics cluster is focused on developing low-cost manufacturing of electronic devices printed on flexible substrates. Northeast Ohio is home to companies and research institutions with technical expertise in polymers and advanced materials, flexible displays, printed sensors and circuits, flexible photovoltaics, and organic light emitting diode (OLED) lighting, all of which are developing a new class of flexible electronic devices. Product applications for these devices can be applied to medical, advanced energy, military, industrial and consumer markets around the world.

"In the 1970s, the first twisted nematic liquid crystal displays were invented at Kent State's Liquid Crystal Institute, which initiated the multibillion dollar flat-panel display industry," says Kent State University President Lester A. Lefton. "With the LCD applications in flexible electronics, Northeast Ohio's economy and workforce will benefit from the next evolution of this technology."

A number of spin-off companies have been created as a result of the region's research strength in this sector. Those include Kent Displays, developer and manufacturer of Reflex No Power LCDs for consumer and OEM markets. Kent Displays was the first spin-off company and licensee of Kent State's Liquid Crystal Institute. Based in Kent, Ohio, the company is a member of Northeast Ohio's flexible electronics cluster.

"Initiatives funded by this contract will provide a catalyst to attract more resources, capital and talent to Northeast Ohio to fuel the continued expansion of the flexible electronics industry," says Albert Green, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Kent Displays Inc.

According to a recent report by the SBA Office of Advocacy, small businesses account for nearly 65 percent of all new jobs created by the private sector in the U.S.  Green continues, "Kent Displays has added more than 50 new employees since 2007, ranging from scientists to administrative support staff, all of which play an important role in helping us develop, manufacture and market our liquid crystal display products to meet strong global demand."

To spur more small business growth and job creation, NorTech will engage in cluster-sourcing, a unique approach to working with small companies to develop joint commercialization projects that result in commercial products. NorTech will work closely with the Manufacturing and Technology Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Kent State University on this effort. The SBDC, funded by SBA and the Ohio Department of Development, will receive a portion of the new SBA funding in order to provide grant counseling assistance to small companies, as well as identify other small businesses to become part of the flexible electronics value chain.

Kent State Student Finds Strength During Battle With Cancer

On the night of Marisa Manocchio's 19th birthday, she and her mother, Tia, rented My Sister's Keeper, a movie about a young girl's battle with leukemia and her family's struggle to keep her alive. Little did Manocchio know that, three days later, she would face the same uphill battle.

Marisa Manocchio

On Jan. 11, 2010, the freshman integrated mathematics major and the oldest of three was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Prior to her diagnosis, Manocchio noticed dots and bruises on her body. At first, doctors suspected she was anemic and had asthma. After multiple tests, doctors saw Manocchio's blood count was low.

"The doctors pretty much knew from my low blood counts that I had cancer," Manocchio says. "They took me to the oncology floor at Akron Children's Hospital to be safe and ran tests to see if I had cancer."

At 11 p.m., Manocchio, her mother and her mother's best friend, Becky Doherty, a cancer survivor, patiently sat in the hospital room before they discovered Manocchio had leukemia. When the doctor's words reached Manocchio's ears, she became overwhelmed as a thousand thoughts ran through her mind.

"I was scared," Manocchio says. "I didn't know what I was going to tell people, and I didn't know how they were going to react. I thought, 'Oh my God, I'm going to be another one of those statistics about people who die from cancer.'"

Life changes

As the news set in, Manocchio realized she wasn't going to be another statistic and let the cancer beat her. She was going to beat it.

Following her diagnosis, Manocchio made sudden changes to her life. She could no longer work in downtown Kent at Home Savings Bank, she could no longer attend school and she had to limit herself to the number of people she was exposed to because her immune system was so weak.

"It was really hard at first because I am a workaholic," Manocchio says. "Having to sit on a couch for five-and-a-half months watching the Food Network was hard as everyone else moved on with their lives, doing what they wanted to do."

To help Manocchio make a smoother transition to her new lifestyle, doctors created a port embedded inside of Manocchio's upper right chest, helping medications get through her body quicker.

During the beginning of chemotherapy, Manocchio said the hardest part was losing her long, dark hair.

Now, going into her seventh month of remission, Manocchio is getting back what she lost: living life to its fullest potential.

Making up for lost time

Manocchio served as the honorary chairperson of the Bras Across the Crooked River event, where bras were collected and then strung together with pink clothes pins across downtown Kent's Cuyahoga River Bridge on Sept. 11.

When Manocchio was asked to chair the event, she didn't have to think twice.

"I hadn't done anything for a long time when I was asked to be the chairperson for Bras Across the Crooked River," Manocchio says. "People have helped me through all of this, and I wanted a chance to help others the way I've been helped."

Manocchio was also named honorary captain of the Kent State football team for the 2010 season. At a recent practice, the team presented her with an autographed jersey.

"The football team heard about the bra drive and wanted to get involved," Manocchio says. "It's been quite an experience with those guys. The team wanted to volunteer as a donation site, and it is great to see people really care."

Family: The strongest muscle

Even though Manocchio is slowly getting back to her old routine, she would not be where she is today without the support and motivation from her family and friends.

In March, Manocchio's 16-year-old sister, Maggie, organized a fundraiser for Manocchio at Kent Roosevelt High School's pool where teammates on Maggie's swim team swam laps for donations.

"I can never thank her enough for that," Manocchio says.

Manocchio's uncle, Justin Schweda, also showed how much he cared though actions rather than words. Schweda participated in the Pan Ohio Hope event, riding 325 miles from Cleveland to Cincinnati in support for Manocchio and Schweda's sister-in-law, who is battling breast cancer. As a surprise, Manocchio met Schweda at the finish line with tears of gratitude and love.

"I hope people see that you have to have others to survive," Manocchio says. "I could have never of done this alone. When I thought I wasn't going to make it, my boyfriend (Nick Thomas) would tell me that I was wrong. You have to keep going and put up a fight."

Manocchio has two more years of chemotherapy, where treatment takes anywhere from one to seven hours. But for now, Manocchio is getting back to her busy, on-the-go lifestyle. She is back to work at Home Savings Bank, and in the spring, she will re-enroll at Kent State.

Though Manocchio is eager to get back to a normal life, she will always carry the wisdom grasped on this rollercoaster ride.  

"I've learned through all of this that you have to have a good mindset even though the little voice inside is saying, 'I can't," Manocchio says. "Sometimes when you think you're in a bad situation, there's always someone else who had it worse. You have to live every day like it's your last."