eInside Events

Political Economy of the Arab Uprisings to be Topic of Co-Lecture at Kent State on Sept. 27

Joshua Stacher, Ph.D., assistant professor of political
science at Kent State University, will co-lecture on the
topic “The Political Economy of the Arab Uprisings” on
Sept. 27.

Kent State University’s College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business Administration will host a co-lecture, “The Political Economy of the Arab Uprisings,” to be given by two of Northeast Ohio’s experts in Middle East politics and political economy on Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. in Room 483 of the College of Business Administration Building, home of Kent State's College of Business Administration.

Joshua Stacher, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of political science at Kent State and author of “Adaptable Autocrats: Regime Power in Egypt and Syria,” published by Stanford University Press. Pete Moore, Ph.D., is an associate professor of political science at Case Western Reserve University and co-author of “Beyond the Arab Spring: Authoritarianism and Democratization in the Arab World,” which examines root causes of the Arab uprisings.

This event, which is free and open to the public, is part of the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Ohio Association of Economists and Political Scientists (OAEPS) and is co-sponsored by the Northeast Ohio Consortium of Middle East Studies (NOCMES). A reception will follow the lecture.

For more information about this event and the Ohio Association of Economists and Political Scientists, please visit www.oaeps.org. To learn more about the Northeast Ohio Consortium on Middle East Studies, visit www.nocmes.org.

The Business Administration Building is located at 475 Terrace Drive on the Kent Campus. Visitor parking is available in the Kent Student Center visitor lot on Summit Street.

National Ethics Conference Focuses on Entertainment Journalism at Ninth Workshop

Industry experts will discuss topics such as Privacy vs. Adoration, Access to Celebrities, How to Get a Job in Entertainment Media, Stalking and Paparazzi, and Dealing with Publicity and Press Agents

Mark Avsec, entertainment lawyer and
professor, will keynote the ninth annual
Poynter Kent State University Media Ethics
Workshop on Sept. 19.

Celebrities are followed by the paparazzi, have minimal privacy and are constantly in the public eye, yet they still want and need fans and attention. That attention, in the form of entertainment media ethics, is the focus of this year’s Poynter Kent State University Media Ethics Workshop, “That’s Entertainment?” The ninth annual event will take place at Kent State’s Franklin Hall on Thursday, Sept. 19.

“We picked entertainment ethics because there’s so much entertainment and celebrity journalism available in all media, whether it’s TV, online, magazines or newspapers, including tabloids,” says Jan Leach, workshop organizer and associate professor in Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “There’s so much spin from publicity departments, movie studios and elsewhere. The news is often part truth and part rumor, but consumers may not know how to distinguish between them. There are so many responsibilities for entertainment journalists.”

Additional workshop speakers, in addition to Kelly McBride and Ellyn Angelotti of the Poynter Institute, include:

• Mark Avsec – Keynote speaker. Entertainment lawyer, professor and former performer and songwriter of the funk-rock band Wild Cherry.
• Glenn Gamboa – Newsday's chief pop music critic. Gamboa headed the paper's team chronicling the impact of hip-hop in America, a project that was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2005.
• Nekesa Moody – Entertainment editor for the Associated Press.
• Andrew Hampp – senior branding correspondent for Billboard Magazine.
  
• Todd Mesek – Vice president of marketing and communications for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Mesek is a Kent State School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumnus.
• Jack Breslin – Associate professor at Iona College in New York. Breslin did publicity for “Late Night With David Letterman” and worked on “America’s Most Wanted” for Fox.
• Bill Frakes – Photographer for Sports Illustrated.
• Kyle Michael Miller – Social media producer for the fourth hour of NBC’s "Today Show" and Kent State School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumnus.
• Brittany Moseley – Associate editor of Alternative Press, which is known for breaking news on musical artists like Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fall Out Boy and others. Moseley is also a Kent State School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumna.
• Matthew Parrish –Attorney with Calfee, Halter and Griswold in Cincinnati and a Kent State political science and Honors College alumnus. Parrish represents musicians, writers, performers and filmmakers and was named “2012 Leading Entertainment Lawyer” in Newsweek magazine.
• Gene Shelton – Kent State School of Journalism and Mass Communication associate professor and former writer and publicist for Motown Records. Shelton also worked at CBS Records, Columbia and Epic. At Epic, Shelton was Michael Jackson's press agent and wrote the biography for the multi-platinum LP “Off The Wall.”
• George Thomas – Sportswriter for the Akron Beacon Journal.
• Katy Coduto – Kent State journalism student who writes for London-based Hi! Magazine.
• Wendy Wyatt – Associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication and Journalism at St. Thomas University in Minnesota. Wyatt is the author of The Ethics of Reality TV: A Philosophical Examination (Continuum, 2012).
  

Topics will include:

• The New Ethics of Journalism
• It’s All Make-Believe…Why Ethics in Entertainment Matters
• Privacy vs. Adoration: Celebrity News as Journalism? Gossip? Both or Neither?
• Great Expectations: Who Gets Access to Celebrities and How?
• So You Want to Walk the Red Carpet? How to Get a Job in Entertainment Media
• Act 2: Getting the Story and Vetting the Story: Paparazzi, Stalking, Ambush Interviews, Social Media.
• Encore: Agents, Publicists, Legal Reps
  

“Entertainment media ethics should appeal to professionals, educators and students, and the public because so many people are fascinated by and obsessed with celebrity news and information,” Leach says. “Getting that news and information to a wide audience still requires commitment to accuracy, but journalistic commitment can be thwarted by publicists and others who want tight control of a celebrity’s image and schedule.”

The program will draw a national audience through live streaming and mobile devices. In-person attendees and Web viewers can contribute to discussions and ask questions via Twitter, using the hashtag #ksuethics13.

“I hope attendees, in person and those who view online, come away with a better understanding that entertainment media and celebrity journalism are still about telling stories and the foundation of that storytelling is, or should be, the truth,” Leach says. “There are guidelines for sources, celebrities and journalists that should be respected, such as privacy and harm, and issues that should be addressed, such as access and legal rights.”

Detailed information:
What: Ninth annual Poynter Kent State Media Ethics Workshop, “That’s Entertainment?” focuses on entertainment ethics
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 19
Where: FirstEnergy Auditorium in Franklin Hall, 550 Hilltop Drive, Kent State University
Cost: $25 for media and public relations professionals, $20 for educators and FREE for students
Event website for details and registration: http://mediaethics.jmc.kent.edu/2013
Twitter: #ksuethics2013
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ksumediaethics
Questions: Contact Jan Leach, 330-672-4289 or jleach1@kent.edu

The Poynter Kent State Media Ethics Workshop is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Akron Beacon Journal, the Akron Area Chapter of Public Relations Society of America, Kent State University, the College of Communication and Information, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and TeleProductions.

Kent State School of Theatre and Dance Celebrates 100 Years and Announces 2013/2014 Season

The Kent State University School of Theatre and Dance, celebrating its 100th anniversary, announces its exciting 2013-2014 season of theatre and dance productions.

The school and its three theatre spaces are housed in the Kent State Center for the Performing Arts, formerly known as the Music and Speech Center, at 1325 Theatre Drive on the Kent Campus. Single tickets for all theatre and dance productions are $8 for non-Kent State students with valid ID or students under 18; $14 for Kent State faculty, staff and Alumni Association members; $12 for seniors (60+); and $16 for adults. Groups of 10 or more are $10 per person.

Flex passes for three, four or seven theatre and dance productions are available for purchase. Prices for the flex passes are $42 - $98 for adults; $30 - $70 for seniors, Kent State faculty, staff and Alumni Association members; and $19.50 - $45.50 for non-Kent State students with valid ID. For tickets or more information, call the Performing Arts Box Office at 330-672-ARTS (2787). The Performing Arts Box Office accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, cash and personal checks. The box office will open for business on Sept. 9, and will be open weekdays, noon – 5 p.m.

She Stoops to Conquer
Oct. 4 - 13
Wright-Curtis Theatre
Directed by Eric van Baars
A comedy of manners by Irish author Oliver Goldsmith, which was first performed in London in 1773. One of the great, generous-hearted and ingenious comedies of the English language, Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer offers a celebration of chaos, courtship and the dysfunctional family. It is one of the few plays from the 18th century to have an enduring appeal. Lillie Langtry had her first big success in this play in 1881.

Plain and Fancy
Oct. 25 - Nov. 3
E. Turner Stump Theatre
Directed by Terri Kent
A musical comedy with a book by Joseph Stein and Will Glickman, lyrics by Arnold Horwitt, and music by Albert Hague. One of the first depictions of an Amish community in American pop culture, it includes a traditional barn raising and an old-fashioned country wedding. New York City sophisticates Dan King and Ruth Winters travel to Bird-in-Hand in the Amish country of Lancaster County, Pa., to sell a piece of property to Jacob Yoder, who intends to present it to his daughter, Katie, and her intended, Ezra, as a wedding gift. While there, they become involved with the local villagers, including Hilda Miller, who mistakes Dan's kindness for romantic overtures, and Ezra's banished brother Peter, who returns to claim the hand of his childhood sweetheart, Katie.

Dance 2013: This Time
Nov. 22 and 23 at 8 p.m.
Nov. 24 at 2 p.m.
E. Turner Stump Theatre
Andrea Shearer, artistic director

Legally Blonde
Feb. 21 – March 2
Directed by Amy Fritsche
Music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach. The story is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name. It tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. She discovers how her knowledge of the law can help others, and successfully defends exercise queen Brooke Wyndham in a murder trial. It received seven Tony nominations and 10 Drama Desk nominations. The West End production was nominated for five Laurence Olivier Awards and won three, including the Best New Musical award.

Student Dance Festival/BFA Senior Concert
March 14 -16
Erdmann-Zucchero Theatre

Kent Dance Ensemble: Movin’ on Up
April 4 - 6
E. Turner Stump
Artistic Direction by Kimberly Karpanty

Student Theatre Festival
April 11 - 13
Erdmann-Zucchero Theatre

Roe Green Visiting Director Series Presents
Pride and Prejudice
April 18 – 27
Wright-Curtis Theatre
Directed by Guest Director Joseph Hanreddy
Jane Austen’s witty comedy of manners and one of the most beloved novels of all time, tells the story of the five Bennet daughters who are in need of suitable husbands. The arrival of the wealthy Mr. Bingley and his best friend, Mr. Darcy, stirs romantic thoughts among the sisters and the matrimonial matchmaking begins. Tensions mount between the young, spitfire Elizabeth and the arrogant Mr. Darcy, though he cannot escape a growing attraction to her rebellious behavior. A tangle of mistaken impressions and unexpected revelations keeps Austen’s famous young couple apart until a major social error ironically allows Darcy to swallow his pride and Elizabeth to rethink her prejudice.

Joe Hanreddy served as the artistic director for the Milwaukee Repertory Theater from 1993 to 2010, after leading the Madison Repertory Theater and the Ensemble Theater Company in Santa Barbara, Calif. His recent directing work includes Richard III for the Idaho and Great Lakes Shakespeare Festivals, Moliere’s The Misanthrope Off-Broadway, which was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award, The Blonde, The Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead for the Writer’s Theater in Chicago, which was nominated for a Jeff Award, O Beautiful for the Connecticut Repertory Theater, Our Country’s Good for the REP/Delaware as well as productions of Private Lives and Macbeth for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. His and JR Sullivan’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice has been performed at major regional theaters including the Oregon and Utah Shakespeare festivals, the South Coast Repertory Theater and the Cincinnati Playhouse. He has taught acting and directing at both the Madison and Milwaukee campuses of the University of Wisconsin and at Northwestern University. Following this production of Pride and Prejudice, Hanreddy will direct the premiere of his and Sullivan’s adaptation of Sense and Sensibility for the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

For more information, visit www.theatre.kent.edu for details on the upcoming anniversary celebration and additional special events.

Kent State University Airport Hosts Second Annual Props-4-Paws Fall Food Drive

The Kent State University Airport is
holding its second annual Props-4-Paws
animal food drive, running now through
Nov. 17.

The Kent State University Airport is holding its second annual Props-4-Paws animal food drive, running now through Nov. 17, with a special collection on Sept. 14 during this year’s Aviation Heritage Fair. Last year, the drive raised more than 1,300 pounds of food and supplies, exceeding its goal of 1,000 pounds. This year, the goal is 1,500 pounds of food and supplies.

“It’s really simple, and we decided to keep it simple,” says Jim Sebastian, aeronautics check instructor and organizer of Props-4-Paws. “What we’re trying to do is just raise food and supplies that will benefit the shelters and rescues that care for the homeless, neglected and abused animals in Summit and Portage counties.”

Sebastian estimates that last year’s drive helped between 250 and 300 animals. This year’s drive will benefit the Portage Animal Protective League (APL) and Paws & Prayers, a rescue organization in Summit County. Items needed include puppy/dog food, kitten/cat food, non-clumping cat litter, treats and toys. The Portage APL is requesting Purina One food for dogs and cats.

“The less food that the shelters have to secure when we donate to them is more money that they can use for their other needs,” says Sebastian.

Food and supply donations can be dropped off at the Kent State University Airport from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, or 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There will also be a collection point at the airport during the Aviation Heritage Fair on Sept. 14.

For more information, contact Sebastian at jsebast1@kent.edu.

"Room of Relief" Exhibit in Kent State School of Art Gallery

Three master printmakers create awareness for the suffering and distress in normal daily life

Pictured is the artwork "Augmented Realities" by master
printmakers Veronica Ceci and Francine K. Affourtit.

The Kent State University School of Art Gallery will present “Room of Relief – An Installation Designed By Three Master Printmakers – Curlee Raven Holton, Veronica Ceci and Francine K. Affourtit” through Oct. 11 in the School of Art Gallery. The gallery will host a closing reception and artist talk on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 5 to 7 p.m., which is free and open to the public. The gallery is located on the second floor of the Art building. Parking is available at 325 Terrace Drive in Kent.

“Room of Relief” is an exhibition designed by three printmakers who share a strong creative and philosophical interest in art that illuminates contradictions in the human condition. Holton first presented the idea of an exhibition/installation of large-relief prints. His intention was that they would speak to the need for art that provokes awareness in our daily lives of the compromise, ignorance and silence of our own participation in dehumanizing social dynamic. His work suggests that this failure to liberate ourselves from such suffering can be attributed to desire, ignorance and fear. The answer, he believes, is in knowledge and understanding. Holton uses images of medieval torture devices in the context of domestic bliss to illustrate this suffering and numbness to pain.

Ceci, a master lithographer, creates images that remind us that the banality of life is pronounced and heightened by the all-encompassing presence of cell phones and computers, for such technology distances us from real and meaningful contact with one another.

The third artist is relief printer Affourtit. She creates large, colorful images that masterfully manipulate the surface of her material to manifest illusions of space and dramatic, yet ambiguous personal relationships. Her work is poetic as well as tragic, but offers us, upon close observation, a deep faith in our transcendent potential.

The entire gallery space, as well as the glass wall and doors, will be used. This immersive environment will enable the viewer to seek understanding and relief from a daily life of suffering and distress to which we have become so accustomed.

For further information, please visit http://galleries.kent.edu or call the School of Art Gallery at 330-672-1379.

Kent State Athletics Hosts Starner Distinguished Speaker

Kent State University alumna Bonnie Beachy, '82, will
keynote the 12th annual Starner Distinguished Speaker
Series on Sept. 11.

Kent State University’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics presents the 12th annual Starner Distinguished Speaker Series at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 11, at Cartwright Hall. This year's keynote address “The Fight,” will be given by Kent State alumna Bonnie Beachy, '82, who currently serves as an assistant principal at Smith Middle School in Cypress, Texas. The event is free and open to the public.

With seven varsity letters to her credit, Beachy is the premier female student-athlete in the illustrious history of Kent State athletics. Beachy, who earned four letters in basketball and three in tennis, is the all-time leading scorer in Kent State basketball history, regardless of gender, with 2,071 points. A three-time team MVP and two-time first team All-Mid-American Conference selection, Beachy stands fourth in women's basketball history in both career rebounds (829) and steals (303).

"We are very excited to have Bonnie back on campus," says Kent State Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen. "She was an exemplary student-athlete, and I think our athletes will learn a lot from her."

A 1988 Kent State Varsity "K" Hall of Fame inductee, Beachy is the only woman in Kent State history to have her uniform number retired (No. 13). Beachy was a rare two-sport Division I student-athlete who also starred on the tennis court where she was team MVP for the Golden Flashes.

In 1982, Beachy earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Kent State and moved to Houston for job prospects. After serving as co-owner of a security company for five years, Beachy entered the education field to follow her passion of teaching and coaching. For the next 15 years, Beachy would teach and coach in the Clear Lake and Cy-Fair school districts before earning a master of education from Prairie View A&M University.

A 1978 graduate of Struthers High School, just outside of Youngstown, Ohio, Beachy was a three-sport standout and is the school's all-time leading scorer in girls basketball. She currently resides in Cypress, Texas.

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.

Kent State Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Invites Faculty and Staff to Fall Reception

The division will officially launch its Equity Action Plan at annual reception

Kent State University’s Division of Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion, led by Vice President
Alfreda Brown, Ed.D., will present its Equity
Action Plan at a fall reception on Sept. 9
at the Kent Student Center Ballroom Balcony.

Kent State University’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion invites Kent State faculty and staff to its fall reception on Monday, Sept. 9, from 3:30-5 p.m. at the Kent Student Center Ballroom Balcony.

The reception will mark the official launch of the division’s five-year strategic Equity Action Plan, “Charting Our Future.” Copies of the plan will be available for senior leadership in attendance. The reception also gives members of the university community the opportunity to learn about the division’s initiatives for the academic year, and also get introduced to staff of the division, including newly hired staff members.

“Our Equity Action Plan, the first of its kind at Kent State, is designed to promote fairness and inclusive values for all members of the Kent State community, and more specifically, to increase opportunities for underrepresented and underserved groups,” says Alfreda Brown, Ed.D., vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Kent State. “The plan impacts all Kent State colleges and divisions, including students, faculty, staff, administration and alumni, so we invite you to join us on Sept. 9 as we formally launch and share details of the plan.”

The reception will feature light refreshments and appetizers with informational folders provided.

For more information about the fall reception, contact Dana Lawless-Andric, executive director for diversity and inclusion, at dlawless@kent.edu or 330-672-1980.

For more information about Kent State’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, visit www.kent.edu/diversity.