eInside Events

Kent State’s Center for Student Involvement Introduces Leadership Speaker Series

Kent State University’s Center for Student Involvement is
introducing a new Leadership Speaker Series featuring
five speakers this fall.

Kent State University’s Center for Student Involvement is introducing a new initiative this fall through its Leadership Development team. The Leadership Speaker Series features five speakers: Jerome Love, Kym Whitley, Chaz Pitts-Kyser, Lilly Ledbetter and Nikki Giovanni. The Center for Student Involvement is no stranger to bringing motivational speakers to the Kent Campus, but this is the first time that the speakers are being offered in a series. The topics for each speaker vary, but they all have a central theme related the center’s five leadership cornerstones: communication, service, teamwork, vision and engagement.

Della Marie Marshall, senior associate director of the Center for Student Involvement, is excited to spearhead this new initiative.

“It is our hope that the Kent State community will attend the programs and be able to learn from leaders in the industry,” Marshall says.

Admission to all events is free, and students will have the opportunity to earn FLASHperks.

Love, who is an entrepreneur and professional speaker, kicks off the series on Monday, Sept. 15, in the Kent Student Center Kiva at 7 p.m. Love is a well-respected expert in sales and business development. He enthusiastically shares how he turned his tribulations into success through interactive examples. He proves that with a “can’t fail” mindset, anyone can find the motive behind their motivation.

Whitley, who is an actress and Cleveland native, will share her experiences as an actress on Monday, Sept. 29, at the Kent Student Center Kiva at 7 p.m. She is the star of the hit docu-series Raising Whitley, where her life as a new mom of an adopted son plays out.

On Wednesday, Oct. 15, in Room 306 at the Kent Student Center at 7 p.m., Pitts-Kyser, a motivational speaker and author, will engage the audience in an interactive session that discusses the root causes of people’s low self-esteem, which often leads to self-doubt and the fear of failure.

A crusader for equal pay and women’s rights, namesake of the Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, Ledbetter spent 19 grueling years working at a Goodyear plant before an anonymous note informed her that she made 40 percent less than her male counterparts. She will be on campus to share her story on Monday, Oct. 20, at the Kent Student Center Kiva at 7 p.m.

Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist and educator. Over the past 30 years, her outspokenness in her writing and lectures has brought the eyes of the world upon her. She will visit the Kent Campus to share poetry on Thursday, Nov. 6, in the University Auditorium at Cartwright Hall at 7 p.m.

For more information about leadership opportunities within Kent State’s Center for Student Involvement, visit www.kent.edu/csi.

Kent State University at Stark Announces 2014–15 Featured Speakers Series

Kent State University at Stark announces the 24th season of its Featured Speakers Series. The 2014-15 lineup includes exciting lectures by statistical strategist Paul DePodesta, superhero creator Bill Rosemann, trendsetting entrepreneur Daymond John and criminal profiler Candice DeLong.

Every season, this popular Kent State Stark series attracts nearly 2,500 campus and community members who take advantage of a rare opportunity to be introduced to national and international experts on a wide range of topics and issues that shape society.

Each program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the University Center’s Timken Great Hall, located at 6000 Frank Ave. NW in Jackson Township.

All lectures are free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning at 8 a.m. each weekday, on the date listed with each speaker. No phone or email reservations will be taken. Tickets will be limited to four per person. The University Center will open at 6:45 p.m. prior to each event.

Paul DePodesta will present “Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game” on Tuesday, Oct. 7

Paul DePodesta

In the Oscar-nominated film Moneyball, Paul DePodesta’s unique skill of evaluating and measuring talent was portrayed by actor Jonah Hill. His career in baseball began with the Cleveland Indians, where he spent three seasons before joining the Oakland Athletics as the assistant general manager. In his first year with the A's, he and GM Billy Beane led one of the worst teams in the league to its first winning season in seven years. As a business advisor, DePodesta shares his revolutionary strategy to building a winning baseball team – by overhauling stagnant procedures, rather than just tweaking them – that has proven to be as successful in the boardroom as it is on the ball field. Tickets for this event will be available beginning Monday, Sept. 15.

Bill Rosemann will present “Marvel: Inside the World’s Most Heroic Brand” on Wednesday, Nov. 19

Bill Rosemann

Marvel Comics Creative Director Bill Rosemann is a 20-year-plus veteran of the industry, translating his English degree into a successful career as a journalist, script writer, blogger, marketing director and editor. His work within the colorful world of superheroes resonates with audiences of all ages, transcending from comic books into blockbuster movies, such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: Winter Soldier. Rosemann invites audiences on an enlightening journey inside Marvel’s iconic brand, revealing themes that mirror those in society and providing inspiration on how to release the super-human potential in everyday life. Tickets for this event will be available beginning Monday, Oct. 27.

Daymond John will present “Get Into the Goal-Setting Mindset” on Tuesday, Feb. 3

Daymond John

Founder of the urban apparel brand FUBU and a member of Shark Tank, ABC’s entrepreneurial business show of investment pitches, Daymond John has become one of the country’s most sought-after marketing experts and motivational speakers. He launched FUBU from his home in 1992. The brand became synonymous to the hip-hop lifestyle when John convinced fellow Queens native LL Cool J to wear his clothing for a promotional campaign. Today, the trendsetter’s company reports annual sales of $350 million. His two books detail his inspiring journey and provide an invaluable roadmap on how to use his marketing prowess to succeed in business and in life. Tickets for this event will be available beginning Monday, Jan. 12.

Candice DeLong will present “Special Agent: My Life on the Front Lines as a Woman in the FBI” on Tuesday, April 14

Candice DeLong

Candice DeLong, described as a real-life “Clarice Starling,” has tailed terrorists, gone undercover as a gangster’s moll and posed as a madam for a call-girl ring. Until her retirement from the FBI, she was on the front lines of some of the most riveting and memorable cases. The dangers and rewards of her career were portrayed in the Lifetime Original Movie, Killer Instinct: From the Files of Candice DeLong, and in a book which details the profiling process she used to solve many difficult, high-profile cases. Frequently seen on television as an expert on violent crimes and personal safety, she also hosts the Deadly Women series on Discovery’s Investigation Channel. Tickets for this event will be available beginning Monday, March 23.

For additional information about the 2014-15 Featured Speakers Series, visit www.stark.kent.edu/about/events/featuredspeakers or contact Cynthia Williams at 330-244-3262 or cdwillia@kent.edu.

Fourth Annual Let’s Take a Ride/Walk Down the Esplanade Takes Place Sept. 22

Members of the Kent State University community take a
walk down the Lefton Esplanade, from the Kent Campus
to downtown Kent, during the annual Let's Take a
Ride/Walk event. This year's event will take place Sept. 22.

Kent State University faculty, staff and students are invited to walk or ride a bicycle down the Lefton Esplanade during the fourth annual “Let’s Take a Ride/Walk” event on Monday, Sept. 22.

The event is free and open to Kent State faculty, staff and students. Participants are asked to register by Sept. 15 as the event will be limited to the first 180 registrants. Riders are encouraged to either bring their own bicycles or borrow one from Flashfleet. Registered participants will meet at 11:30 a.m. on the “K” in Risman Plaza and continue down the Lefton Esplanade to the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center.

A free lunch will be served at the conference center, compliments of Miracle on Main Street (M.O.M.S.) office, a source for office furniture and supplies. Gift bags filled with promotional items and coupons to downtown Kent restaurants and businesses will be provided to all registrants. At the event, registrants also will be able to hear speakers from BeWell Solutions, a company partnering with Kent State focused on implementing strategies for healthy aging; Flashfleet, the university’s bike sharing initiative; and OneLove Yoga, a local yoga studio.

Alex Piteo, president of M.O.M.S. office and co-chair of the event, says this event is a good way for Kent State employees to learn about lunchtime options available in downtown Kent, and also gives downtown Kent businesses an outlet to share what they have to offer.

“We started this event four years ago to create a link from the Kent Campus to the downtown area while the Lefton Esplanade was being completed,” says Piteo. “We also wanted to encourage the walk/ride exercise involved in the event as a part of adopting a healthier lifestyle.”

Marty Mundy, facilities planner for Kent State and co-chair of the event committee, says the Community Outreach Subcommittee is an extension of the Kent State Sustainability Taskforce.

“Four years ago, we held regular meetings and brainstormed ideas along with community partners like Main Street Kent to develop our mission statement, to share sustainability initiatives and strategic objectives with the city of Kent and to energize local communitywide action," Mundy says. “This event was the most active idea that had the potential for the most participants. Our group wanted to encourage walking and biking as the preferred and more ‘green’ mode of transportation.”

To register for the event, visit http://tinyurl.com/KSURideWalkRegistration.

For information on how to rent a Flashfleet bike, visit www.kent.edu/flashfleet.

Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication to Host Panel Discussion on Terrorism

A panel of faculty members representing the academic sequences in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) will weigh in on terrorism’s impact on education and the media industry during an open forum discussion on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

School of Journalism and Mass Communication professors Wendy Wardell, Stephanie Smith, Jan Leach and Joe Murray, Ph.D., will offer their perspectives and examine the moral, ethical and business implications on advertising, public relations, digital media and journalism, as well as what it means for students entering the workforce.

Thor Wasbotten, director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, will moderate the discussion, and he encourages students to attend and contribute their ideas and opinions.

“The only measure of success is how many students we have participating in this conversation,” Wasbotten says. “This is one of the most important issues in the lives of our students, in their education and for their future.”

A recording of the panel discussion will be made available to the public via the School of Journalism and Mass Communication website and social media communities following the event. Follow along with the conversation and contribute via Twitter, using #jmcconversation.

Detailed event information:

• What: Open-forum panel discussion, “Terrorism and the Media: A JMC Conversation,” sponsored by the Media Law Center for Ethics and Access (MLC)
• When: 5:30 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 10
• Where: FirstEnergy Auditorium in Franklin Hall, 550 Hilltop Dr., Kent Campus
• Cost: Free to all students, faculty and staff

Contacts:
Shantae Rollins, 330-672-2571 or srollin2@kent.edu
Jennifer Kramer, APR, 330-672-1960 or jlkramer@kent.edu

Kent State Presents Its 18th Aviation Heritage Fair on Sept. 13

Kent State University’s 18th Aviation Heritage Fair takes
place Saturday, Sept. 13, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the
Kent State University Airport, located at 4020 Kent Road
in Stow, Ohio. The fair is a celebration of aviation education
past, present and future.

Kent State University’s 18th Aviation Heritage Fair will take place Saturday, Sept. 13, from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Kent State University Airport, located at 4020 Kent Road in Stow, Ohio. The fair, a celebration of aviation education past, present and future, is presented by Kent State’s Aeronautics Program.

“The purpose of the fair is to give the general public and university students, staff and faculty an opportunity to see history flying, or even on the ground, and to expose people to the rich heritage of aviation,” says Ben Satyshur, aviation safety program manager at the Kent State University Airport. “This is not technically an ‘air show,’ due to FAA restrictions about appropriate clearances, aerobatics boxes, etc. This is essentially a fly-in that is open to the general public.”

Like last year, the fair will have two World War II veterans as speakers brought in by MAPS Air Museum, located in North Canton. MAPS also will bring to the fair aircraft that they restored and two jet engines.

There will be static displays of several aircraft, including a North American B-25 Mitchell, a Fairchild C-123 Provider, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), the Cleveland Metro Life Flight, SkyFox 8 and more. This year, there will be roughly 30 aircraft coming in, which is more than in past years.

Kent State University's Aviation Heritage Fair will include
static displays of several aircraft on Sept. 13 at the Kent
State University Airport.

“We are hoping for a large crowd and for families to come out and enjoy,” says Sheila Lyons, business analyst associate at the Kent State University Airport. “You never know what interests you could spark in children by exposing them to the aircrafts, and some of these children could be future aviation students.”

Event admission and parking are free, but donations and sponsorships are greatly appreciated. Donations also will go toward funding scholarships. Airplane rides on a Cessna 172 will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and are $25 per person or $70 per group of three, depending on weight. Those interested in airplane rides must register at the sign-up tent upon arrival. Carnival-style food and beverages will be available for sale throughout the day.

The fair will begin with a traditional pancake breakfast hosted by the Stow-Munroe Falls Kiwanis Club from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets for the breakfast are $8 for all you can eat. The fair will take place rain or shine, although some events are subject to change due to inclement weather.

Other features of the event include hot air balloon liftoff at 7 a.m., a performance from the Stow-Munroe Falls High School Band from noon to 1 p.m. and a presence of the U.S. Army and Marines. The Ohio State Highway Patrol also will bring in a helicopter and will talk about operations.

A certificate for two seats on Goodyear’s new Zeppelin airship, Wingfoot One, will be auctioned off via silent auction at the fair. The flight will be arranged for a later date.

“There is just so much that people aren’t aware of, for example, the fact that Kent State has its own airport and aviation program and that we’re adding to the aeronautics program,” says Lyons. “This event is good for people not just in Stow, but surrounding communities as well to come out for a family fun day.”

The Kent State Aeronautics Program alumni golf outing will take place on Friday, Sept. 12, at the Roses Run Golf Course as part of events marking the Aviation Heritage Fair. There will be an alumni photo on Saturday at 2 p.m.

For more information about the Aviation Heritage Fair, visit http://aviationheritagefair.com.

Michael Jackson Tribute Band in Concert at Performing Arts Center

Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson
Tribute Band will perform live Sept. 13 at
7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at
Kent State University at Tuscarawas.

Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band will perform live Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Kent State University at Tuscarawas. This show is co-sponsored by 94.1 Radio.

Who’s Bad’s power-packed tribute to Jackson has ignited crowds on every continent and can only be described as a jaw-dropping, musical must-see. As the longest-running Michael Jackson tribute band and the only one to predate his untimely passing, Who’s Bad has sold out nearly 50 venues in the United Kingdom, including London’s O2 where the King of Pop was slated to end his career. More than 100 years of collective professional experience and sold-out shows at every major House of Blues, Colorado’s Bluebird Theatre, LA’s Gibson Amphitheatre as well as international pavilions such as Ningbo Grand Theatre (China), Romania’s Sala Palatalui to Teatro do Bourbon Country (Porto Alegre, Brazil) tell the story: No corner of the earth is safe from this infectious party production

Who’s Bad has earned its name by paying studious attention to Jackson’s every original groove and gravity-defying dance move. Vamsi Tadepalli, Who’s Bad founder, composer and saxophonist, assembled a cast of North Carolina’s premiere musicians and, from Who’s Bad’s inception, believed in the band’s boundless possibilities. The velvety vocals and pinpoint choreography of frontmen Joseph Bell and Taalib York, combined with the six-piece band’s synchronized dance routines, blaring horns and down-deep rhythms, result in a performance delivered with soul and precision superseded by no one but the King himself. They’ve shared stages with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, The Backstreet Boys, The Four Tops, Boys II Men and hip-hop superstar Pitbull. Captivated fans include LIVENATION’s Anthony Nicolaidis who calls Who’s Bad, “the real deal,” and Michael Jackson’s longtime friend and manager Frank DiLeo who proclaimed after Who’s Bad show in Nashville, Tennessee, “The show was great….Michael would have been proud!”

Whether you idolized the Jackson 5, fell in love with Human Nature or learned to moonwalk to Billie Jean, Who’s Bad is the ultimate music-and-dance driven Jackson homage. This band of professionals relentlessly elevate the legacy of pop music’s King, always pushing themselves to be more precise, to raise the level of excitement and awe, while embodying Jackson’s mission to bring together people of all races, gender and cultures through music. As the curtain opens on a Who’s Bad performance, every MJ fan feels the adrenaline, screams at the sight of that unmistakable silhouette and succumbs to a surefire Jackson sing-along. The energy is purely magnetic, the musicianship is first-rate, the dance moves deftly inspired. Who’s Bad is a tribute befitting a King and their high-octane execution of MJ’s music and dance has catapulted them to the exclusive rank of Ultimate!

Tickets range in price from $18 to $28 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Box Office, online at www.tusc.kent.edu or by calling 330-308-6400. The box office is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free parking is available for all shows.

Kent State Tuscarawas is located at 330 University Dr. N.E. in New Philadelphia.

Kent State to Host Midwest Jewish Studies Association Academic Conference

The Jewish Studies Program, in Kent State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, will host the 26th Annual Midwest Jewish Studies Association Academic Conference on Sept. 14 – 15 at the Kent State Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Kent. Approximately 30 scholars and professionals in Jewish Studies from around the world will attend. Presenters will come from Turkey, Austria and Israel, as well as North America.

The keynote speech “Heschel’s Spiritual Humanism: Jewish Education for the 21st Century” will be presented by Peter Geffen on Sept. 14. Geffen is the founder of the Abraham Joshua Heschel School in New York City and a recipient of the Covenant Award. The keynote will place Heschel's key understandings of the human condition within a developmental framework offering a vision and challenge to much of contemporary Jewish education in particular and American education in general. The talk will include biographical review and lesser-known anecdotes garnered from years of work and friendship with both Heschel family members and former students.

The keynote speech and dinner is open to the public, but reservations are required. To register, call Chaya Kessler at 330-672-8926 or email ckessle7@kent.edu.

The Midwest Jewish Studies Association (MJSA) is a broad and interdisciplinary nonprofit organization. It brings together scholars of Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds in a synergistic effort to generate energy, talent, ideas and resources.

For more information about Kent State’s Jewish Studies Program, visit www.kent.edu/cas/jewishstudiesprogram.

Kent State Intercollegiate Athletics Hosts Starner Distinguished Speaker Series

Kent State University alumnus J. Rich
Alexander, '77, is keynote speaker at
the 13th annual Starner Distinguished
Speaker Series on Sept. 9, presented
by Kent State’s Department of
Intercollegiate Athletics.

Kent State University’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics presents the 13th annual Starner Distinguished Speaker Series at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at Cartwright Hall. This year's keynote address, "Reflections on Your Journey," will be given by Kent State alumnus J. Rich Alexander, '77, who currently serves as an operating partner with Advent International Corporation. The event is free and open to the public.

"We are thrilled to have Rich back on campus," says Matthew Geis, senior associate athletic director and executive director of athletic advancement at Kent State. "He is a great example of a former student-athlete successfully transferring the skills learned in athletic competition to his career. I think the student-athletes will learn a lot from hearing about his career and life experiences."

A 1977 graduate of Kent State, Alexander was a three-time letter winner as a member of the Kent State swimming and diving team during the 1974-76 seasons. During his time on the Golden Flashes' swimming and diving team, Kent State posted a record of 26-6 and captured two Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships (1974 and 1976). Alexander was the 1975 MAC Champion in the 500 Freestyle, 4:41.42, and the 1,650 Freestyle, 16:25.94, under head coach Tod Boyle.

Alexander, a native of Normall, Illinois, graduated cum laude from Kent State with a bachelor's degree in psychology and later completed his Master of Business Administration degree at Capital University.

Alexander got his start in business when he joined PPG Industries in 1978 as a sales representative in Detroit and held several branch sales and marketing positions. Alexander continued moving up in PPG Industrial while holding titles of senior vice president, performance coatings (2005), executive vice president for the reporting segment and assumed responsibility for the glass external reporting segment (2010). In 2011, Alexander was responsible for PPG's global architectural coatings business and maintained his leadership of the company's glass business and the corporate functions of marketing, purchasing and distribution. On March 1, 2013, Alexander retired from PPG Industrial.

Alexander also is chairman of the Board of Directors of ALLNEX SARL (a portfolio company of Advent International and Calgon Carbon Corporation) and is on the Board of Governors at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

The Starner Distinguished Speaker series is made possible by Kent State alumni Buzz and Marilyn Starner. The Starners’ endowed the speaker series to expose current student-athletes to alumni who have successfully transferred their lessons from athletic competition and student involvement to meaningful careers outside of athletics. Buzz, '67, and Marilyn, '71, have been actively involved in supporting athletic programs at Kent State for many years. The Jackson Township couple is pleased with the strong emphasis that Kent State places on the academic skills of athletes and believes that the skills students develop in athletic competition also lead to success in life after college.

For more information, contact Alicia Gaffney at alongst1@kent.edu or call 330-672-8399.