eInside Briefs

Participate in Homecoming 2012

Event registration forms available online

Kent State will celebrate Homecoming 2012 on Oct. 20.
University departments need to register their Homecoming
events before Aug. 24.

Get ready to celebrate! Homecoming 2012 is scheduled for Oct. 20. The festivities include the alumni continental breakfast at the Williamson Alumni Center, the parade down Main Street and the Homecoming game against the Western Michigan Broncos.

Other events and activities are currently being planned. Any university department or office organizing a Homecoming event should complete an event registration form before Aug. 24. Registered Homecoming events will be promoted on the Alumni Association’s website and as space allows in other Homecoming marketing materials.  Individuals interested in participating in the Homecoming parade can download a registration form at the alumni website.

For additional information on Homecoming 2012, please visit www.ksualumni.org/homecoming or email alumni@kent.edu. 

Kent State Further Pursues Sustainability With Green Seal Certified Cleaning Products

Kent State University and Staples, provider of office supplies, technology, cleaning solutions and more, have signed a new cleaning contract that will help the university further achieve its commitment to sustainability.

Under the agreement with Staples, the company will provide “green” cleaning products to Kent State at a competitive price.  

Within the new contract, the requirements are that available “green” cleaning chemicals supplied to the university have to meet Green Seal certification requirements.

“The choice to require Green Seal certification was multifold,” says Melanie Knowles, manager of sustainability at Kent State. “Green Seal products are healthier for both those doing the cleaning and for people occupying the spaces cleaned with those products.”

Green Seal examines chemicals used in cleaning products to make sure they fall within its certification requirements. Packaging of the chemicals and products also must be environmentally friendly.

“The benefits for 'green' products are replacing chemicals that we have been using for years that have the potential to harm us,” says Phil Rhodes, environmental specialist with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. “We can replace potentially harmful chemicals with much safer products that won’t harm the local air and surface water.”

The process of choosing the supplier of these products consisted of evaluations, proposals and interviews. Representatives from four custodial departments at Kent State participated in the evaluations, including University Facilities Management, Residence Services, Dining services and the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

“Reducing exposure to chemicals from products is healthier for people at Kent State,” says Knowles.

For more information about Kent State’s sustainability projects, visit www.kent.edu/sustainability.

For more information about Green Seal certification, visit www.greenseal.org.

Kent State Departments Encouraged to Participate in 31st Annual Black Squirrel Festival

Kent State University departments are encouraged to
participate in the 31st Annual Black Squirrel Festival that
takes place on Sept. 7. The daylong festival is a university
tradition.

The 31st Annual Black Squirrel Festival will take place on Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. near Manchester Field and the Memorial Gardens, adjacent to the Kent Student Center. The Black Squirrel Festival is one of Kent State University's most beloved and popular traditions.

Kent State departments can reserve a free table at the festival. Please contact Kent Student Center Programming at 330-672-1169 or kscprog@kent.edu no later than Sept. 1 for a reservation form. Requests after this date cannot be guaranteed.

At this year's daylong festival, students can experience what the Kent community has to offer, receive free promotional items, learn about student organizations and create memories with new and old friends. Live, free entertainment, festival food and Black Squirrel spirit will all be a part of this year's event. Entertainment includes a free photo booth, caricature artists, and musicians, such as Katianne, DJ Liv, Vick Searey, Big Stove and Ancestral Warship.  At 11 p.m., The Avengers will be shown at Manchester Field. The rain location for the festival is the Kent Student Center Ballroom. The rain location for the movie is the Kiva.