eInside Events

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Former Driver to Speak at Kent State

Clarence Bozeman, the former driver for Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr., will speak at Kent State University’s School of
Journalism and Mass Communication on Feb. 19.

On Thursday, Feb. 19, Clarence Bozeman, the former driver for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will speak at Kent State University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. This event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 6 p.m. at the FirstEnergy Auditorium (Room 340) in Franklin Hall on the Kent Campus.

From 1958 to 1959, Bozeman transported King and his wife, Coretta, to speaking engagements throughout Alabama. He will speak about his time as King’s weekend driver and the conversations he had with him about the black community, the Montgomery Bus Boycott and other civil rights challenges.

This special Black History Month event is presented by Kent State’s photojournalism program and the School of Journalism and Diversity’s Diversity and Globalization Committee.

Kent State School of Theatre and Dance Presents New Musical My Heart is the Drum

School received National Alliance for Musical Theatre grant to workshop production

A scene from the musical My Heart is
the Drum shows Efua (Shamara Costa)
praying over her grandmother Nana’s
grave as Nana’s spirit (Colleen
Longshaw) blesses her.

Kent State University’s School of Theatre and Dance continues its 2014-2015 season with the production of a new musical My Heart is the Drum. The production opens Friday, Feb. 20, and runs through Sunday, March 1, in E. Turner Stump Theatre, located in the Center for the Performing Arts, 1325 Theatre Drive on the Kent Campus.

For tickets, call 330-672-ARTS (2787), purchase online at www.kent.edu/theatredance or in person at the Performing Arts Box Office located in the Roe Green Center lobby of the Center for the Performing Arts at 1325 Theatre Drive, Monday to Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults; $16 for Kent State alumni, faculty and staff; $14 for seniors (60+); and non-Kent State students age 18 and under are $10. Tickets are free for full-time, Kent Campus undergraduate students. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $12 per person. The box office accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, checks and cash.

With the book by Jennie Redling, concept and music by Phillip Palmer and lyrics by Stacey Luftig, My Heart is the Drum is a modern musical exploring a young woman’s dreams. When 16-year-old Efua Kuti’s dream of attending university is complicated by her arranged marriage, she worries she will never see the world beyond her small village in Ghana. Guided by her grandmother’s spirit, Efua finds herself in Ghana’s capital city and realizes that she will have to follow her heart and her head to persevere, survive and achieve her dreams.

My Heart is the Drum features African-influenced driving rhythms and rich vocal harmonies and was presented at the National Alliance for Musical Theatre's Festival of New Musicals in 2013. Kent State’s School of Theatre and Dance received a 2014 Writers Residency Grant from the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, of which the school is a member, to bring the musical’s creators to campus to workshop the production. My Heart is the Drum also was developed, in part, at the Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals and was presented at Village Theatre's 2014 Festival of New Musicals in Issaquah, Washington.

My Heart is the Drum is directed by Terri Kent, Kent State professor, musical theatre coordinator and producing artistic director of Porthouse Theatre. The production and design team includes music direction by Kent State Associate Professor Jonathan Swoboda, choreography by Assistant Professor MaryAnn Black, lighting design by Professor and Acting Associate Dean Cynthia Stillings, scenic design by Ben Williams, costume design by Susan Williams, technical direction by Associate Professor Steve Pauna, and sound design by Shane Cutlip and Assistant Professor Charles Korecki.

For more information about Kent State’s production of My Heart is the Drum, visit www.kent.edu/theatredance/my-heart-drum.

Kent State Partners with Cleveland Art Gallery on “Process + Material” Exhibit

“Process + Material” is a multimedia exhibit featuring artists whose focus is on the development of work through a variety of mediums and creative practices. Printmaking, installation pieces, audiovisual and sculpture are just some of the mediums that will be on view in this show, which opens with a reception at HEDGE Gallery at 1300 W. 78 Street, Suite 200 in Cleveland, Ohio, 44102, on Feb. 20 from 5-9 p.m.

This exhibit is in collaboration with Kent State University School of Art Galleries and Director of Galleries Anderson Turner. Fifteen local artists will be featured: Pita Brooks, Rebecca Cross, Dana Depew, Nicole Schneider, Ken Love, Claire Murray Adams, Michael Nold, Darice Polo, Kristin Rogers, Lesley Sickle, Andrew Simmons, Emily Sullivan, Laila Voss, Royden Watson and Joseph Walton. Many of these artists are graduates from Kent State’s School of Art program.

In attempts to create stronger ties to the Cleveland art scene, Turner and Hilary Gent, HEDGE Gallery director, curated the exhibit at HEDGE Gallery in order to spotlight many of the graduates and affiliates of Kent State.

“Our hope is that Kent State’s School of Art program can create stronger ties with Cleveland galleries, such as HEDGE, and educate our art graduates about continuing to have connections with them,” Turner says.

“Process + Material” will be on view at HEDGE Gallery until April 3.

For more information about this show, contact Gent at 216-650-4201 or hedgent@gmail.com.

Learn How to Apply for a Small Business Loan

Akron’s Economic Community Development Institute (ECDI) presents Feb. 18 workshop

The Economic Community Development Institute of Akron
is offering a free workshop on Feb. 18 in conjunction with
the Kent State University Blackstone LaunchPad’s student
networking series.

The Economic Community Development Institute (ECDI) of Akron is offering a free workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 6-7p.m. in conjunction with the Kent State University Blackstone LaunchPad’s student networking series. Open to all Kent State students, faculty, staff and community members, the workshop will inform new and current small business owners about the process for applying to ECDI’s lending program.

Chris Faircloth, the director of Akron’s ECDI, will discuss ECDI’s inclusive mission for supporting small-business owners, including women and minority entrepreneurs, who may be challenged to receive funding from traditional lending sources. The ECDI distributes loans to small businesses ranging from $500 to up to $350,000. Participants are encouraged to bring a business executive summary and financial forecast for in-person feedback.

The workshop will take place on the 4th floor of University Library at the Kent Campus. After the workshop, participants are encouraged to network over food and beverages. To register for this free event, sign up here.

For more information about the Blackstone LaunchPad program at Kent State, visit www.kent.edu/blackstonelaunchpad.

Kent State Planetarium Presents “The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence”

The Kent State University Planetarium in the Department of Physics will present “The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence” on Feb. 19, 20 and 21 at 8 p.m. The hourlong shows will be presented in Room 108 at Smith Hall, and are free and open to the public, but are not recommended for children under age 6.

The presentation will showcase humanity’s search for intelligent life on other planets.

“After a tour of the lovely Ohio night sky, we will explore celestial objects that may harbor life millions to trillion miles away,” says Brett Ellman, associate professor and planetarium director. “We will then describe ongoing attempts to communicate with whomever may be listening and the huge, difficult, worldwide effort to find the needle of an intelligent message within the haystack of cosmic radio noise."

Seating capacity is limited; therefore, reservations are recommended and can be done by calling 330-672-2246. Individuals who need special accommodations are requested to call in advance of their desired presentation night to make arrangements.

For more information, visit http://planetarium.kent.edu.

Department of Pan-African Studies to Focus on Race and Crime at Upcoming Event

Kent State University’s Department of Pan-African Studies
will continue its yearlong dialog focusing on “Race and
Crime: Personal Values, Community Priorities and Partner
Violence” with upcoming events at Ritchie Hall.

Kent State University’s Department of Pan-African Studies will continue its yearlong dialog focusing on “Race and Crime: Personal Values, Community Priorities and Partner Violence” at an upcoming event.

"Violence and the Pan-African World: Inspiring Change," a roundtable discussion, will take place Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. in Room 230 (the African Community Theatre) of Ritchie Hall, 225 Terrace Drive, on the Kent Campus. This event is free and open to the public.

A panel of Kent State professors and students, including Denise Harrison, instructor in the departments of English and Pan-African Studies and Dawn deFoor, sociology graduate student, will participate on the panel. The conversation will focus on the state of violence in the Pan-African world. This event will kick off the second part of the yearlong conversation that addresses the issue of national and global violence, and its impact on people of African descent.

Future events in this series include:

• “Native American Resilience in the Face of Violence” on March 17
• “Physiological and Psychological Impact of Racialized Violence” on April 21
  

For more information about upcoming events in Kent State’s Department of Pan-African Studies, visit www.kent.edu/pas_new/calendar-events.

2015 Women in Leadership Conference Will Explore Activism and Spirituality

Author and activist Mona Polacca deliver
the keynote speech at the Women in
Leadership Conference on Feb. 28 at
University Library on the Kent Campus.

This year’s Women in Leadership Conference will focus on how activism is shaped by women’s diverse spiritual practices.

The event, organized by Kent State University Libraries, the Women’s Center and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, will be held at University Library on the Kent Campus on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Author and activist Mona Polacca will give the keynote speech at the event. Polacca is a member of the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, which is a group of spiritual elders and wisdom keepers.

Polacca is recognized for her authorship in the social sciences, her service as treasurer for her tribe and her social and spiritual activism and leadership.

Polacca’s keynote is titled “A Spiritual Path to Activism.” Along with her presentation, the conference will feature presentations on art installations, quilting, photography and social activism. An Indian artifact exhibit is on display through Feb. 28 on the first floor of University Library.

Registration for this free event can be done at bit.ly/women-in-leadership-symposium. The deadline for registration is Feb. 23.

If you have questions, contact Karen Hillman at khillma1@kent.edu.

Crooked River Arts Council Announces Lineup for Kent Beatlefest 2015

On Friday, Feb. 20, downtown Kent will experience a British Invasion like no other with the kickoff of the second annual Beatlefest. The event, presented by the Crooked River Arts Council, is sponsored by Wayside Furniture and begins at 5 p.m. Music lovers can travel around downtown Kent, while listening to free live Beatles and British Invasion music at 16 different venues. Those locations include 157 Lounge, Bar 145, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dave’s Cosmic Subs, Dominick’s, Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center, Laziza, The Loft, Panini’s, The Pufferbelly, Ray’s Place, Secret Cellar, Tree City Coffee and Pastry, Venice Café and Water Street Tavern.

Acts like Abbey Road, The Jillettes, Ritch Underwood and The Monopoly, and Goodboogie Inc. will be playing throughout the evening at various locations, so whether you’re in the mood for a cup of coffee and some live music or want to boogie all night, there’s something for everyone at the Kent Beatlefest. A full event schedule can be found at www.kentbeatlefest.com, along with musician bios, so you can plot out the evening in advance and spend the night out on the town, enjoying free, live music at every stop.

Admission is free at all locations, thanks to all of the Kent Beatlefest sponsors: Wayside Furniture, Budweiser, PARTA, Acorn Alley, Kent Apartments, Hungry Howie’s, Apollo Heating and Cooling, Schlabig Certified Public Accountants, Classic Mini, Kent State Hotel and Conference Center, WNIR, WKSU, Record-Courier, 91.3 The Summit and Scene magazine.

Crooked River Arts Council remains committed to showcasing and supporting the arts in Northeast Ohio through music festivals and various art-related endeavors. Contact Main Street Kent at 330-677-8000 with any questions.

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

Kent State Jewish Studies Program Marks 40th Anniversary

2015 celebration to include tribute to acclaimed director, speaker series

Herbert Hochhauser, Ph.D., former
director of the Jewish Studies Program
at Kent State from 1980-1999, will be
honored at a dinner celebrating the
program's 40th anniversary on May 17.

Kent State University’s Jewish Studies Program, which is part of the College of Arts and Sciences, is celebrating 40 years of educational and cultural programming serving Jewish and non-Jewish students, faculty and community members. The Jewish Studies Program has announced a schedule of 2015 anniversary events that includes a speaker series and a dinner honoring Herbert Hochhauser, Ph.D., who won a number of Emmy Awards for films documenting the Jewish experience and was the director of the program from 1980-1999.

The dinner, which is open to alumni of the Jewish Studies/Heritage Studies program, as well to the larger community, will raise funds to create the Dr. Herbert Hochhauser Endowed Fund for Jewish Studies. The event is scheduled for May 17 at the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center in revitalized downtown Kent. Details about the dinner will be announced soon.

Prior to 1975, Kent State courses related to Jewish Studies were offered as “heritage studies” classes and included courses in Hebrew language and Yiddish stories and theatre. A distinct Jewish Studies Program was founded in 1975 with a grant from the Jewish Services Center-Five Communities Board of Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Kent and Youngstown.

Alumni who have taken classes in Jewish Studies (or Heritage Studies) are invited to share their memories and reconnect with former classmates and faculty on the Jewish Studies Facebook page. Please also contact the Jewish Studies Program at jsp@kent.edu to receive an invitation to the dinner and other events.

As part of the Jewish Studies Program’s 40th anniversary celebration, several nationally renowned scholars will visit the Kent Campus to present free, public presentations, including:

• Sean Martin, Ph.D., associate curator of Jewish history, Western Reserve Historical Society, will present “Yiddish Lives! The Importance of Yiddish Then and Now” on Feb. 16.
• Gary Phillips, Ph.D., Edgar H. Evans Professor of Religion at Wabash College, will address the topic “Representing the Irreparable: The Holocaust and Art of Samuel Bak” on March 2.
• Gary Shtyengart, acclaimed Russian-born, American writer and teacher, will appear in conjunction with the Guest of Honor Artist/Lecture Series collaboration with Kent State’s Honors College on March 12.
  

Kent State University’s Jewish Studies Program, which is
part of the College of Arts and Sciences, is celebrating 40
years of educational and cultural programming.

Since its inception, Kent State’s Jewish Studies Program has served Kent State and all of Northeast Ohio with quality academic and cultural programs, activities and outreach, including:

• A minor in Jewish Studies;
• Student scholarships and internships;
• An annual bus trip to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum;
• Education-abroad trips to Israel and Poland
• Academic ties with Israel;
• Participation in and hosting of the Midwest Jewish Studies Association Conference; and
• Offering a wide range of speakers to students and the greater community.
  

For more information about Kent State’s Jewish Studies Program and details about 40th anniversary events, visit www.kent.edu/cas/jewishstudiesprogram or contact Program Director Chaya Kessler at 330-672-8926 or jsp@kent.edu.

Kent State to Host Graduate Program Fair on Feb. 18

Pictured are participants at Kent State University’s first
Graduate and Professional School Fair held last year on
the Kent Campus.

In October, Kent State University’s Division of Graduate Studies hosted its first Graduate and Professional School Fair. As a follow-up to that event, the Division of Graduate Studies will host a Kent State Graduate Program Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from noon to 2:30 p.m. at the Kent Student Center Ballroom. The fair will provide students with the opportunity to explore and discuss Kent State graduate programs with faculty and staff. Students also have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with advanced graduate students to ask questions and learn more about what it means to be a graduate student. The fair is free and no pre-registration is required, but students should register at www.kent.edu/graduatestudies/graduate-program-fair if they would like to meet with a graduate student.

For more information about Kent State’s Division of Graduate Studies, visit www.kent.edu/graduatestudies.

Kent State’s Verve Chamber Players Perform With Guest Clarinetist Ami Vardi

The Verve Chamber Players is the newly formed
ensemble-in-residence at Kent State University composed
of professors from the university's School of Music.

Kent State University’s Hugh A. Glauser School of Music is proud to present the Verve Chamber Players with clarinetist Ami Vardi in a concert on Monday, Feb. 23, at 7:30 p.m. in Ludwig Recital Hall. Ludwig Recital Hall is located in the Center for the Performing Arts at 1325 Theatre Drive on the Kent Campus.

Audience members will be treated to a vibrant performance of Mozart’s “Quartet for Piano and Strings in G minor, K 478"; Weber’s “Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in B-flat major, Op. 34"; and Dvořák’s “Quintet for Piano and Strings in A major, Op. 87.”

The Verve Chamber Players is the newly formed ensemble-in-residence at Kent State. The ensemble is composed of Cleveland Orchestra associate concertmaster, artist-in-residence and assistant professor of violin at Kent State Jung-Min Amy Lee; members of the Miami String Quartet and artists-in-residence at Kent State, violinist Cathy Meng Robinson and cellist Keith Robinson; artist-in-residence and assistant professor of viola at Kent State Yu Jin; and associate professor of piano at Kent State Donna Lee.

Joining the Verve Chamber Players will be clarinetist Ami Vardi, assistant professor at Kent State. Vardi earned a Master of Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music as a student of Franklin Cohen and continued his post-graduate studies with Yehuda Gilad in Los Angeles. Vardi has performed with many orchestras, including the American Ballet Theatre, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra, with which he performed dozens of concerts and has toured to New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Miami.

Tickets for the performance are $15 for adults; $13 for seniors and Kent State faculty and staff; $10 for groups of 10 or more patrons; $8 for non-Kent State students; $5 for children and free for full-time Kent Campus undergraduate students.

Tickets are available weekdays noon to 5 p.m. at the Performing Arts Box Office, located in the lobby of the Roe Green Center in the Center for the Performing Arts at 1325 Theatre Drive on the Kent Campus. The Performing Arts Box Office accepts Visa, MasterCard and Discover, in addition to cash and checks.

The Ludwig Recital Hall Box Office will open one hour prior to the performance for walk-up sales and will accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover. Tickets and more information are available by calling 330-672-ARTS (2787) or visiting www.kent.edu/music.