eInside Events

School of Library and Information Science Celebrates Grand Opening of New Facilities

Kent State University’s School of Library and Information
Science will unveil its new facilities and renovations during
a celebratory event on Dec. 4.

Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science will host a grand opening event on Dec. 4 from 4-7 p.m. to unveil its new facilities and renovations. The school is located on the third floor of the University Library.

The event will feature an exhibit in the MuseLab gallery, children's book authors and illustrators in the expanded children's library areas and a variety of hands-on demonstrations and interactive activities. With the event, attendees have the chance to learn how the school is “transforming the global information environment,” as noted in its mission statement.

The 14,000-square-foot renovation more than doubles the school's space for teaching, research and student services.

Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served, and brief remarks will be given at 5:30 p.m. by Todd Diacon, Ph.D., Kent State’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost; Stanley Wearden, Ph.D., dean of the College of Communication and Information; and Tomas A. Lipinski, J.D., LL.M., Ph.D, director of the School of Library and Information Science.

The event is free and open to alumni, friends, students and members of the university community. The last day to RSVP for the event is Nov. 27.

For more information about the grand opening event, including a list of demonstrations and a link to RSVP, visit www.kent.edu/slis/news/newsdetail.cfm?newsitem=5D544D1F-F80C-EFA8-6B143899958AB914.

The Game of Life Interactive Inequality Simulation Seeks Volunteers for Jan. 29 Event

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

The Game of Life, an interactive inequality simulation, will take place on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 4:30 p.m. in Room 310B at the Kent Student Center. This event is open to all Kent State University faculty, staff and students, and it is meant to be an immersion-style game played with real people, real emotions, but fake money.

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 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; the Student Multicultural Center; Student Accessibility Services; the Office of Global Education; the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s Special Projects and Initiatives; the Women’s Center; Residence Services; the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Student Center; and Black United Students.

“The Game of Life is similar to the board game but acted out by the participants and the simulation actors. 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,” says N. J. Akbar, director of the College of Education, Health and Human Services’ Office of Diversity Outreach and Development.

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

Kent State University Independent Films Debuts Feature Horror Film

Pictured is a scene from Hell at Heathridge, the latest
production of Kent State University Independent Films.

Kent State University Independent Films will debut its newest feature film Thursday, Dec. 5, with a red-carpet premiere event in the Kent Student Center Ballroom. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the movie starts at 8 p.m.

Kent State alumnus Bryan Kelly wrote the screenplay, and students Tyler Pina and Caroline Abbey directed the film. The horror tale titled Hell at Heathridge weaves the story of five young actors who reenact a grisly murder-suicide that occurred at Heathridge University 20 years ago. The students soon learn one thing – evil is real.

The premiere is free to students and members of the public. The night will include a cash bar and light hors d'oeuvres. Students can receive 300 FLASHperks for attending the event.

On Dec. 7, there will be an encore showing in the Kent Student Center Kiva. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the movie starts at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $5.

Over the course of two years, more than 300 Kent State students, faculty, staff and community members came together to bring Hell at Heathridge to the big screen.

Watch the trailer at http://youtu.be/_N2TAnvvu44.

Free Performance at Kent State University by Country’s Foremost Modern Dance Group, Limón Dance Company

67-year-old company is renowned for its technical mastery and dramatic expression

Dancers with the Limón Dance Company of New York City
choreograph a psalm by José Limón. The dance company
will perform a free concert at Kent State University on
Dec. 6.

(Photo credit: Douglas Cody)

Kent State University’s Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series proudly presents a concert by one of the country’s foremost modern dance performance groups, the Limón Dance Company of New York City, on Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. The performance will take place in E. Turner Stump Theatre in the Center for the Performing Arts (formerly Music and Speech Building), 1325 Theatre Drive in Kent. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets must be reserved by calling 330-672-ARTS (2787) or online at www.kent.edu/artscollege. A complimentary dessert reception will immediately follow the concert in the Roe Green Center lobby, adjacent to E. Turner Stump Theatre.

Under the artistic direction of Carla Maxwell, the Limón Dance Company is hailed as one of the world’s greatest dance companies. The Limón Dance Company has been at the vanguard of American modern dance since its inception in 1946. The company is the living legacy of the dance theater developed by José Limón and his mentors, Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, whose innovative works revolutionized the American dance. After Limón’s death in 1972, the company pioneered the idea that it was possible to survive the death of its founder, setting an example for the entire dance field. Now in its 67th year, the company is renowned for its technical mastery and dramatic expression, and demonstrates both the timelessness of Limón’s works and the humanistic vision that guides the repertory choices.

“I am most especially thrilled that Kent State is able to present a free performance to the public by the Limón Dance Company,” says John R. Crawford, dean of Kent State's College of the Arts and dancer by trade. “Years ago, I studied the José Limón technique, later performed and then eventually taught the Limón principles of style. The company has such a rich dance history and impressive reputation. I encourage everyone to attend the concert to experience firsthand this expressive and passionate form of dance.”

Current Artistic Director Carla Maxwell worked closely with Limón before becoming artistic director in 1978. The company has been committed to producing and presenting programs that balance classic works of American modern dance with commissions and acquisitions from contemporary choreographers, resulting in a repertory of unparalleled breadth. In its first half-century, the company achieved many important milestones: It was the first group to tour under the auspices of the American Cultural Exchange Program (1954), the first dance troupe to perform at Lincoln Center (1963) and has had the honor of appearing twice at the White House (1967 and 1995). More recently, the José Limón Dance Foundation was awarded a 2008 National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest honor for artistic excellence.

The Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series has presented guest artists respected in the field of theatre, dance, visual arts, music and architecture. Now in its 11th year, the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series has brought such noted artists as Tony Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz and Next to Normal actress Alice Ripley; GRAMMY-winning Emerson String Quartet; postmodern minimalist artist Richard Tuttle; artists and fashion designers Ruben and Isabel Toledo; and internationally acclaimed dance company Ballet Florida; and actor, dancer and arts advocate Ben Vereen, just to name a few.

The Schroth series was established in 2002 by the late Max and Cil Draime of Warren, Ohio, to honor their dear friend, Tom Schroth (1922-1997). A noted regional architect, Schroth designed the Butler Institute of Art’s Trumbull museum in Howland, Ohio, as well as numerous other award-winning projects. Schroth spent his life in Niles, Ohio, as a prominent architect and inveterate collaborator in the artistic life of the Mahoning Valley and Northeast Ohio. A world traveler, he saw human creativity as a window that frames human experience. The Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series brings diverse views through that window to the Kent Campus and community. The events are always free and open to the public.

American Big Band Presents Home for the Holidays at Kent State Tuscarawas

American Big Band will perform its Christmas production
Home for the Holidays on Nov. 30 at the Performing
Arts Center at Kent State University at Tuscarawas.

The highly acclaimed, touring show American Big Band will present the Christmas production Home for the Holidays on Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Kent State University at Tuscarawas.

American Big Band’s 11-piece big band, along with eight outstanding singers and dancers, will perform all-time holiday hits from Bing to Bublé. Glorious, colorful costumes and a grand Christmas setting will prepare the audience for a joyous holiday.

Tickets for Home for the Holidays range from $27-$45 and can be purchased now at the Performing Arts Center Box Office, online at www.tusc.kent.edu/pac or by calling 330-308-6400. The box office is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free parking is available for all shows. The Performing Arts Center at Kent State Tuscarawas is located at 330 University Dr. NE in New Philadelphia.

Kent State’s School of Art Announces 2013 Holiday Sale

Ceramic products, like those pictured above, will be on
sale during Kent State University’s School of Art's holiday
sale on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

Kent State University’s School of Art will hold its annual holiday sale on Saturday, Nov. 30, and Sunday, Dec. 1, at the School of Art’s Downtown Gallery, located at 141 East Main Street in Kent.

During the holiday sale, local and regional artists — including Kent State faculty, students and alumni — showcase and sell original work in the gallery’s retail space. Gallery visitors can browse and purchase any of the works on display. The sale is a popular seasonal haunt for shoppers seeking unique holiday gifts.

This year’s holiday sale takes place the weekend following Thanksgiving and coincides with Small Business Saturday.

“It seemed like the perfect time for our sale, as many other businesses in the area will be offering special deals as well,” says Lesley Sickle, Downtown Gallery coordinator. “We certainly hope shoppers will support local businesses in downtown Kent.”

The Downtown Gallery’s holiday sale hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information about the sale, contact Sickle at lsickle1@kent.edu or 330-676-1549.

Small Business Saturday, Sweet Finds Contest, Holiday Lights and Window Decorating Contest All Return to Kent – Nov. 30

On Small Business Saturday, when many will flock to the malls and big box stores for big sales, Main Street Kent is aiming to lure shoppers to downtown Kent to support local businesses instead.

To mark Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30, Main Street Kent will have a “Sweet Finds Contest” from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m., where shoppers can hunt for hidden “sweet treats” in designated downtown businesses and enter to win great prizes with their completed contest cards.

Participating businesses for the 2013 contest include: Belleria Pizza and Italian Restaurant, Dragonfly, Fresco, Gracylane, McKay Bricker Framing and Black Squirrel Gifts, Off the Wagon, Sue Nelson Designs, The Market Path, UniversiTees and Yogurt Vi. Participants can pick up an entry form at Earl’s Nest (located in Acorn Alley) and return it to the same location by 5 p.m. the same day to be entered to win hundreds of dollars in gift cards to downtown businesses. Free cookies and coffee, and live music also will be available at Earl’s Nest.

The night will be topped off with the illumination of the downtown holiday lights and decorations, and a business window lighting/decorating contest. The theme for the contest this year is “trains” and will be judged by local author Bruce Dzeda. First-, second- and third-place prizes will be awarded with the following criteria in mind: creativity, relevance to theme, use of lights, originality, integration of Kent in display and integration of the business in the display.

Come downtown and see what the business owners create for their displays while enjoying a local shopping experience. Then come back to see Santa come to town on the train the following weekend, Dec. 7 at the Festival of Lights, hosted by the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce.

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.