eInside Briefs

A Visit From the President

President Barack Obama waves at the crowd during his
visit to Kent State University on Wednesday, Sept. 26. 

President Barack Obama visited the Kent Campus on Wednesday, Sept. 26, where he addressed students and supporters. It has been 100 years since a sitting president visited Kent State. The campus was buzzing with excitement after getting word Obama was coming to speak at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (MAC Center).

Kent State Chief of Police John Peach says 6,600 students, faculty, staff and community members attended the event.

“It is important that the city of Kent be recognized for all the work it has done downtown, and of course there are so many federal, state and local projects downtown that have all been matched by private dollars,” says Barb Hipsman, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “It’s quite a coup for the university and for the city, and I think it’s just great for Kent State students. We haven’t had a sitting president come through here in quite a long time.”

The combination of a lengthy line – which wrapped around five buildings – and pouring rain didn’t hinder the crowd’s determination to see the president speak. Attendees started lining up the night before and some even slept in tents through a thunderstorm.

Sara Hutcheson, a senior communication studies major, says she wished it wasn’t raining, but she knew it was going to be worth it.

“It was pretty cool to see all these people still standing out here despite weather conditions and other obligations,” Hutcheson says.

The Undergraduate Student Government has been working hard to make it easier for students to register to vote for the upcoming presidential election.

“The last month has been intense,” says Jake Green, communications director for the College Democrats at Kent State. “We’ve been doing a huge voter registration push in which we managed to get almost 2,000 students registered, which is a big part of the reason why President Obama chose this campus to come to.”

“Coming to a small town like this, if you’re a sitting president, is a big thing. I was excited to see the kids get excited,” Hipsman says.

Click here to see more photos from the event.

This article is not an endorsement by the university for any political party.

Join President Lefton on a Photowalk Tomorrow

Kent State University President Lester
A. Lefton invites members of the university
community to join him for a photowalk on
Tuesday, Oct. 2.

President Lester A. Lefton invites any member of the university family who shares his interest in photography to join him tomorrow, Oct. 2, for a photowalk. Photowalks are walks that start at a designated site and offer photographers of all skill levels an opportunity to venture out together to take pictures of interest and to share tips and experiences. Participants should gather at 7:15 a.m. on the “K” in Risman Plaza. For the next hour or so, you can join the president in taking shots of the surrounding area in the “golden light” that most photographers consider to be among the best for shooting. In case of rain, the president will find another day on his calendar and reschedule the informal event.

Actress Marlee Matlin Visits Kent State for disAbility Awareness Month

Actress Marlee Matlin will speak at Kent
State on Oct. 9, as part of programs marking
disAbility Awareness Month. 

October is Kent State Student Accessibility Service’s disAbility Awareness Month. This year’s keynote speaker is award-winning actor, author and deaf advocate Marlee Matlin. Matlin will be speaking at Kent State University on Tuesday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. at the Kent Student Center Ballroom. The event is free and open to the public.

Matlin has starred in such shows as ABC Family’s Switched at Birth, The Apprentice and Dancing with the Stars. 

“We thought Ms. Matlin embodies the spirit of what this celebration month is all about,” says Senior Associate Director of Student Accessibility Services Amy Quillin.

Matlin’s keynote address is titled, “Nobody’s Perfect: Achieving Inclusion, Diversity and Access.”

“Matlin will focus her address around some of the common misconceptions and attitudinal barriers that she has had to face and how she overcame them,” says Quillin.

Matlin also will share with the audience how she would like the university and community to recognize and honor people’s ability, rather than focusing on their disabilities.

“I think Ms. Matlin's presence at Kent State honors the deaf community, in particular, in recognizing and giving a voice to the myriad challenges that this population has endured and overcome,” says Quillin.

Past disAbility Awareness Month entertainers and speakers have included Bruce Jenner, Josh Sundquist, Travis Roy, Anita Hollander and Josh Blue.

“We have not had a deaf actress or speaker of Ms. Matlin’s caliber serve as a keynote speaker for this event,” says Quillin. “We are very excited, and exceptionally privileged, to be able to bring her to campus and have her speak to the university community.”

For more information about the event, please contact Quillin at aquillin@kent.edu or call 330-672-3391. 

New Kent State Architecture Building Generates Excitement in the Architecture Profession

Pictured above is Taylor Hall, current location of the College
of Architecture and Environmental Design. The college will
get a new home along the Kent State University Esplanade,
and designs are coming in from top-rated architects.

The College of Architecture and Environmental Design will soon be getting a new home on the Kent State University Esplanade.

Kent State is hosting a design competition for the new building to be constructed near downtown Kent. The university is looking to pay $40 million.

“We are certain with the talents of the firms that are vying for this project, the end result will be a building that is a fantastic addition to our campus, an icon for one of Kent State’s signature programs and a model of forward thinking, sustainable design that will inspire a generation of future architects,” says Michael Bruder, director of design and construction at the Office of the University Architect.

Internationally recognized architects have already applied, giving Kent State a wide range of candidates to choose from. In all, 36 entries were received. Six will be chosen by Oct. 1.

“This list of architects is unprecedented for a Kent State project,” says Douglas Steidl, dean of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. “This is truly a significant list of 36 teams. Those who have applied include Zaha Hadid, who is deemed the leading female architect in the world; Coop Himelb(l)au, who created the Akron Art Museum; Thom Mayne of Morphosis; and numerous other designers of note. Seven of the teams contain AIA National Firm Award winners, geographically located from Boston to Seattle. Many are recognized for their work across the country and around the world.”

For a full list of the submitters, visit www.kent.edu/universityarchitect/projects/upload/ksu-11b153_caed-architectspartnersubmittallog.pdf.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The Women’s Center will offer mammogram screenings
to qualified Kent State employees, spouses and students on
Oct. 9, 10 and 11.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Kent State University Women’s Center will offer mammogram screenings to qualified Kent State employees, spouses and students on Oct. 9, 10 and 11.

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 Center.

Participants’ health insurance will be billed or participants may choose to self-pay.

For additional information or to register, call the Women's Center at 330-672-9230, Monday through Friday, from 9-4 p.m. Registration is required by Oct. 1.

Early Detection is Key
Many women with early breast cancer have no symptoms. It is crucial to get screened before symptoms have a chance to appear. The most common sign of breast cancer is a new lump or mass.
Other signs may include:

• Swelling of all or part of the breast
• Skin irritation or dimpling
• Pain in the breast or nipple
• Thickening of the nipple or breast
• Discharge other than breast milk
  

Marlo Kibler, coordinator of University Benefits for Kent State University, was asymptomatic (no symptoms) and looked like the picture of health. She didn’t drink or smoke and maintained an active lifestyle.

“I had an extremely rare form of cancer that is not typically responsive to traditional treatment methods such as chemo or radiation. Only because I go to the doctor every year to get a physical exam was it found,” says Kibler. “As it turns out, the type of cancer I had is indigenous to people of color and Greek decent. It affects less than one percent of the world population.”

Kibler encourages other women to get screened and be proactive about their health.

“Today, I am cancer free due to a surgery and I have been that way for almost five years. I make sure I get every screening and test available to me during my annual physical and take a proactive approach to my healthcare.” 

Black Women and Cancer
Although the overall lifetime risk of breast cancer is lower for black women compared with white women, the death rates are higher. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among black women, and in 2010, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer death for black women aged 45-64 years. What was most alarming in this CDC report was that the breast cancer death rate for women aged 45--64 years was 60 percent higher for black women than white women. (CDC: National Vital Statistics System: www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss.htm).

Visit the App Store to download the free early detection plan (EDP) app that helps women remember to do their monthly self-exam and to schedule their yearly mammogram.

For more information about the Women’s Center, visit www.kent.edu/womenscenter.

Important Information Regarding Midterm Grading for Freshmen

Online midterm grading for freshmen in full-term Fall Semester 2012 courses begins Thursday, Oct. 11, via FlashFAST. Please remember that midterm grading applies ONLY to courses that meet for the full semester. The deadline for midterm grade submission is midnight on Tuesday, Oct. 16.

No midterm grade can be reported after the deadline. The Grade Change workflow cannot be used to report midterm grades after the fact, and the University Registrar will not accommodate other late submission requests.

FlashFAST is accessible from any Internet-capable computer that has the cookies function enabled. To access FlashFAST, log in to FlashLine at http://flashline.kent.edu and click the Faculty & Advisor Tools tab. The link to your grade roster(s) is located in the Faculty & Advisor Toolbox, under the Submit Grades heading.

Grades Processing Tips and FAQ may be found on the University Registrar's website at www.kent.edu/registrar/facstaff/facresc.cfm. Faculty members needing personalized instruction on submitting their grades via FlashFAST should contact their campus Registrar's Office during normal business hours for assistance.

Also, as a helpful tip, it is recommended that you clean out your cookie and cache files regularly to help your computer run faster, and to potentially restore and/or improve your access to FlashFAST and/or FlashLine by improving your connection to the server. Our Helpdesk is prepared to offer assistance with these issues. Please contact them at 330-672-HELP (4357) for one-on-one assistance and technical issues. 

Important Information About Final Grading of First Five Weeks (F1) Fall 2012 Classes

Online final grading for Fall Semester 2012 courses meeting from Aug. 27, 2012, to Sept. 30, 2012, in F1 part of term began Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, via FlashFAST. Grading is also now available for any fall 2012 course section that was flexibly scheduled. The deadline for grading submission is midnight on Tuesday, Oct. 2.

FlashFAST is accessible from any Internet-capable computer that has the cookies function enabled. To access FlashFAST, log in to FlashLine at http://flashline.kent.edu and click the Faculty & Advisor Tools tab. The link to your grade roster(s) is located in the Faculty & Advisor Toolbox, under the Submit Grades heading.

Grades Processing Tips and FAQ may be found on the University Registrar's website at www.kent.edu/registrar/facstaff/facresc.cfm. Faculty members needing personalized instruction on submitting their grades via FlashFAST should contact their campus Registrar's office during normal business hours for assistance.

Also, as a helpful tip, it is recommended that you clean out your cookie and cache files regularly to help your computer run faster, and to potentially restore and/or improve your access to FlashFAST and/or FlashLine by improving your connection to the server. Our Helpdesk is prepared to offer assistance with these issues. Please contact them at 330-672-HELP (4357) for one-on-one assistance and technical issues.