eInside Events

Civil Rights Leader Julian Bond to Commemorate Kent State’s 13th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

Civil rights leader Julian Bond will speak
at Kent State University's 13th annual
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on
Jan. 22. The event is free to attend, but
a ticket is required.

Kent State University will hold its 13th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 4 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. Julian Bond, a leader of the civil rights movement, will serve as keynote speaker at the event. Bond’s keynote address is titled “Crossing the Color Line: From Rhythm ‘n Blues to Rock ‘n Roll” and is free to attend, but a ticket is required. Visit www.kent.edu/diversity to download a free ticket. Prior to the event, there will be a memorial march from Ritchie Hall to the Kent Student Center Ballroom beginning at 3:15 p.m.

“We are honored to have Julian Bond as our keynote speaker this year,” says Alfreda Brown, Ed.D., Kent State’s vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. “His speech will be relevant in light of many current regional and national headlines that have gained attention across the United States over the past several weeks. Mr. Bond’s experience will take us back to a time of nonviolent protests and engaged activism during a period of unrest in our nation's history, and specifically what he did as a leader of students on college campuses in the 1960s. The timing of Mr. Bond’s arrival at Kent State is perfectly aligned as an opportunity to learn new perspectives on age-old challenges.”

Bond, who narrated the May 4, 1970, Walking Tour documentary for the guided tour stations at Kent State’s May 4 memorial site is a Distinguished Visiting Professor at American University in Washington, D.C., and an professor emeritus in the history department at the University of Virginia. He has been at the forefront of civil rights activism for several decades. He helped to form the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee as a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta. In 1998, he was elected board chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and he currently serves as its chairman emeritus. He also helped found the Southern Poverty Law Center and served as its president from 1971 to 1979. Bond was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, serving from 1965 to 1975. He also served six terms in the Georgia Senate, from 1975-1986. In 1968, Bond led a challenge delegation from Georgia to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and was the first African-American nominated as vice president of the United States. He withdrew his name from the ballot because he was too young to serve.

Bond has published A Time To Speak, A Time To Act, a collection of his essays, as well as Black Candidates Southern Campaign Experiences. His poems and articles also have appeared in several magazines and newspapers, and he has received 25 honorary degrees.

Following Bond’s keynote address, preschool children from Kent State’s Child Development Center will present him with their art project called The Skin I’m In. The art project, created with assistance from three Kent State students, represents the children’s multicultural diversity and their different skin colors that combine to make a beautiful piece of art. Kent State’s Diversity Trailblazer award also will be presented at the commemorative event at the ballroom.

The “Just” for a Day service event on Monday, Jan. 19, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. will kick off Kent State’s weeklong series of events commemorating the life and influence of Martin Luther King Jr. “Just” for a Day, which is sponsored by Kent State's Office of Experiential Education and Civic Engagement and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, allows members of the university community to participate in community service to a variety of local nonprofit organizations. Register for the event here.

Other commemorative events include “Race in America,” the first topic to be discussed as part of the new University Dialogue Series, on Jan. 22 from 1:30 to 3:15 p.m. at the Ritchie Hall's African Community Theatre (limited seating is available), which will be followed by the silent memorial march that precedes Bond’s keynote address; the May 4 Visitors Center also will be open on Jan. 22. A Cultural Extravaganza will take place on Jan. 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Kent Student Center Kiva; the Game of Life, an interactive inequality simulation, will take place Jan. 28 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom; and Soup & Substance, which will feature an interfaith panel discussing peace and service to others, on Jan. 28 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Student Multicultural Center.

A free ticket is required to attend Bond’s keynote address on Jan. 22, which is open to the public. All other commemorative events are free and also open to the public.

For more information about these and other commemorative events at Kent State, visit www.kent.edu/diversity or call 330-672-8563

Kent State’s School of Library and Information Science to Hold MuseLab Exhibit Opening

Kent State University's School of Library
and Information Science will host a
reception for its new exhibit "Museality"
on Jan. 28.

The Kent State University School of Library and Information Science will host a reception for its new exhibit in the MuseLab wall gallery – “Museality” – on Wednesday, Jan. 28, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in University Library, Room 330. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome. RSVP is requested at http://bit.ly/28Jan2015Museality.

“Museality” is intended to be the signature installation that explores the core mission of the MuseLab — a creative and collaborative space for thinking, doing and learning about museal things.

In addition to being the first exhibition in the lab that directly addresses the concept of museality, this is also the first one to be curated by a faculty member since the MuseLab opened in December 2013. Assistant Professor Kiersten F. Latham, Ph.D., who directs the MuseLab and also conducts research on the relationships between humans and physical objects, curated this exhibit.

“Museality” is also the first MuseLab project involving extensive collaboration outside of Kent State. In order to fully explore the concept of museality, actual artifacts, ranging from art to science to history, were needed. (The MuseLab is not a collecting facility.) Partners include the Kent Historical Society Museum, Cummings Center for the History of Psychology and local community members, as well as Kent State School of Art Galleries.

“While this exhibition may seem small in size, it is large in terms of planning, research and coordination of content,” Latham says. “Subtle changes will occur throughout the year, and we hope you will watch for them. For you, as the visitor, it is a chance to think outside, around and over the box.”

Situated on the third floor of the University Library in the School of Library and Information Science, the MuseLab consists of two exhibit spaces (a main gallery inside and a wall gallery outside) and a well-equipped work area. Its mission is to generate and inspire research on museality; to provide an atmosphere of innovation, creation and collaboration among faculty, students and the community; and to allow students in the school’s museum studies specialization to put into practice skills and concepts they have learned in courses.

Installations can vary from quick prototyping projects to more traditional gallery exhibitions. The MuseLab is built around design thinking principles of observation, collaboration, fast learning, visualization of ideas and prototyping; it is a methodology for innovation and enablement.

The wall gallery is open to visitors Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A new exhibit will open in the main gallery in April. Watch for details to come.

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/KSUSLIS_MuseLab.To watch a video about the MuseLab and a recent exhibit there, visit http://bit.ly/MuseLabVideo2014.

FlashFit MOVChallenge Kickoff Celebration Scheduled for Monday, Jan. 26

Pictured are MOVbands that help people track their
fitness goals. Kent State University will hold a kickoff
celebration on Jan. 26 for its FlashFit MOVChallenge that
pits students against faculty and staff.

Kent State University faculty and staff are invited to the FlashFit MOVChallenge Kickoff Celebration on Monday, Jan. 26, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The event serves as the kickoff for the FlashFit MOVChallenge, a semesterlong MOVband challenge that pits students against faculty and staff.

The kickoff celebration will feature photo opportunities, a free Zumba class and a variety of free healthy snacks. Colored MOVbands also will be raffled off every 10 minutes during the event. Kent State President Beverly Warren will share brief remarks during the celebration.

The FlashFit MOVChallenge: Students vs. Faculty/Staff is a collaborative program between the Division of Human Resources and the Department of Recreational Services. The challenge runs from Feb. 1 through May 1. Faculty and staff who meet the challenge goals will be eligible for raffle prizes at the 30-, 60- and 90-day marks. The ultimate FlashFit MOVChallenge winner will be announced at the end of the competition. A traveling “Golden Arm” trophy will be awarded to the winning group.

Visit http://www2.kent.edu/hr/benefits/onewellu.cfm for more information about the challenge or read the e-Inside article here.

The Game of Life Interactive Inequality Simulation Takes Place Jan. 28

Event is a part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Kent State

Pictured are participants playing the
Game of Life, an interactive
inequality simulation, at last year's event.

The Game of Life, an interactive simulation of how race, gender and sexual orientation can affect individuals differently, will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 28, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Kent Student Center Ballroom. This event is open to all Kent State University faculty, staff and students.

There will be several cohorts going through the simulation; therefore, if you want to participate, plan to arrive between 4:30 and 6 p.m. The planning committee is currently seeking volunteers to serve as actors and facilitators.

The Game of Life event is part of activities marking Kent State’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. The event is co-sponsored by the College of Education, Health and Human Services’ Office of Diversity Outreach and Development and Black United Students.

“The Game of Life is similar to the board game but acted out by the participants and the simulation actors,” says N. J. Akbar, director of the College of Education, Health and Human Services’ Office of Diversity Outreach and Development. “It is a way for individuals within our community to gain a greater awareness of the inequality that exists within our society. It is really a hyper-play on the stereotypes and acts of discrimination that occur around issues of sexuality, gender, race and ability level.”

For more information about this event or to volunteer, contact Akbar at nakbar@kent.edu.

World IA Day 2015 at Kent State Keynote Announced, Registration Opens

Kent State University is one of several locations worldwide
that has been designated a World IA Day site. The all-day
conference on Feb. 21 celebrates information architecture
as a critical element in connecting people with the information
they need.

Kent State University will join 37 other locations around the globe as a World IA Day site on Feb. 21. The User Experience Design program in the School of Library and Information Science will serve as host of the free local event. Kent State students, alumni and other interested individuals are invited to participate.

The all-day conference celebrates information architecture (IA) as a critical element in connecting people with the information they need to do their jobs or live their lives.

The theme of this year's worldwide event is "Architecting Happiness." For more information about World IA Day and the sponsoring organization, the Information Architecture Institute, visit http://2015.worldiaday.org.

Register Now

Registration to attend at the Kent location is now open at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-ia-day-kent-tickets-13321098765. Continental breakfast, lunch and parking are included with your registration.

What You'll Learn

The Kent event will feature eight sessions and a keynote address by Shari Thurow, founder and SEO director, Omni Marketing Interactive, on "The Architecture of Search Behaviors."

Search is an integral part of information architecture, yet many Web professionals believe that search engine usage is a failure of site navigation and the underlying architecture. In reality, a website’s information architecture can actually support searcher behavior and make content easier to find via browsing, querying, and asking … even on the World Wide Web.

In this session, search expert Thurow will go over searcher behaviors that all websites should accommodate – from fishing expeditions to known-item searching. She also will include quick tips and techniques on properly optimizing digital documents for a positive searcher experience.

Thurow has been designing and promoting websites since 1995, and she is outsourced to many firms worldwide. As a pioneer in the area of search-engine friendly Web design, she has a 100 percent success rate for getting client sites ranked at the top of search engines.

She is the author of Search Engine Visibility, which has been translated into French, Japanese, Korean, Polish and Russian. Her book, When Search Meets Web Usability, recently translated into Chinese, teaches how to bridge the gap between a search-engine query and the right Web page.

Thurow has served on the Board of Directors for the Information Architecture Institute (IAI) and the User Experience Professionals Association (UXPA). She is currently on the Editorial Advisory Board for the ASLIB Journal of Information Management (AJIM).

Her areas of expertise include search-engine optimization (SEO), website usability, Web design and development and information architecture. Her clients include the National Cancer Institute, WebMD, AOL, Huffington Post, ABC News, Microsoft and Yahoo.

The schedule for the day is located on the registration website.

Main Street Kent Presents the 2015 Chocolate Walk

Main Street Kent is pleased to announce the 2015 Chocolate Walk, sponsored by Standing Rock Jewelers. As a special addition to the event this year, ticketholders will be entered into a grand prize drawing for a pair of “cocoa” diamond earrings, valued at more than $900! Event tickets are just $20 each. Two hundred tickets will be available for purchase online at www.mainstreetkent.org or in person at McKay Bricker Framing & Black Squirrel Gifts located at 141 E. Main St. in downtown Kent. This is a rain, sleet, snow or shine event, and tickets are nonrefundable. Event proceeds will benefit Main Street Kent.

On Saturday, Feb. 14, from noon to 4 p.m., the Chocolate Walk will take place in downtown Kent. Advance purchase is required. On the day of the event, ticketholders will check in at Earl's Nest (located in Acorn Alley) to pick up their Chocolate Walk maps, passes and bags to collect their chocolate goods. Then, at their leisure, event-goers will stop at each of the participating businesses to gather a chocolate surprise, while shopping and/or grabbing lunch along the way. At 4 p.m., the big drawing will take place in Earl’s Nest, and one lucky winner will take home a pair of “cocoa” diamond earrings, compliments of Standing Rock Jewelers. Ticketholder need not be present to win.

Participating Chocolate Walk locations include: 4 Cats Art Studio, Belleria Pizza and Italian Restaurant, Bent Tree Coffee Roasters, Carnaby Street Style, Downtown Gallery, Fashion School Store, Gracylane, HOME International Markets, Kent Cycle, McKay Bricker Framing and Black Squirrel Gifts, Off the Wagon, One Love Yoga Boutique, Popped!, Ralph Oates – Attorney, Rise and Shine Café, Scribbles Coffee, Standing Rock Jewelers, The Local Public House, Tree City Coffee and Pastry, Twisted Meltz and Wild Earth Outfitters. More businesses are expected to confirm participation in the coming days.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this is a great opportunity to take a loved one out for a fun afternoon or grab a friend and enjoy this excursion together in downtown Kent. For more information, visit www.mainstreetkent.org or call the Main Street Kent office at 330-677-8000.

Main Street Kent is a non-profit organization focused on the revitalization of downtown Kent. It is an affiliate of the national Main Street program and the Heritage Ohio program.

Early Bird and Group Rates Offered for 31st Virginia Hamilton Conference

Registration is now open for the 31st Virginia Hamilton Conference on Multicultural Literature for Youth, scheduled for April 9 and 10. Early bird and group rates are available for this year's event until Feb. 1. The conference features award-winning authors and illustrators David Macaulay, Grace Lin and Rita Williams-Garcia.

The Virginia Hamilton Conference is held each year at Kent State University and is sponsored by the School of Library and Information Science, the College of Education, Health and Human Services and the Office of Continuing and Distance Education. The conference provides a forum for discussion of multicultural themes and issues for children and young adults.

Read more about this year's conference and keynote speakers.

Early Bird Registration

This year, the conference will offer early registration discounts for regular registrants. (Note: The student rates are already discounted and cannot be discounted further for early bird registration. See below.)

The discounted rates are: Thursday evening only, $35; Friday only, $105; full conference, $120. Early registration ends Feb. 1. After that date, the rates will be: Thursday evening only, $40; Friday only, $120; and full conference, $150. Registration for the conference ends March 20.

Group Registration

Group rates are available for teachers and librarians who register through their school/library. For every three registrations purchased at the regular rate, the school/library will get one free registration. (Note: All three registrations must be the same – e.g., all full registrations, or all Thursday only, or all Friday only.)

The school or library should contact the Office of Continuing and Distance Education at 330-672-3100 or continuinged@kent.edu to register for the group rate. Group rate is not available through online registration.

Purchase Orders

Schools/libraries may pay for the registration with purchase orders. Please submit the registration form and the purchase order together. The Office of Continuing and Distance Education will then invoice the school/library for payment. For questions about the purchase order process, call 330-672-3100 or email continuinged@kent.edu.

Student Rates

Student participants receive the following discounted rates: Thursday only, $25; Friday only, $65; full conference, $75. Students may register online or by using the registration form.

For more information about the conference and registration, visit http://www2.kent.edu/virginiahamiltonconference/index.cfm.