eInside Events

Kent State Baseball Releases 2012 Schedule

Kent State kicks off baseball season with the Rock Hill
Coca-Cola Classic against Georgia Tech, Feb. 17-19.

Golden Flashes set sights on fourth straight NCAA Tournament berth

Kent State baseball head coach Scott Stricklin has announced the 2012 baseball schedule.

Kent State's slate consists of four games against two 2011 NCAA Tournament participants, 27 Mid-American Conference (MAC) contests, 21 home dates at Olga A. Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium and the Sixth Annual Diamond Classic For Kids against rival Akron at Canal Park.

The 2012 season gets underway Feb. 17-19 with the round-robin Rock Hill Coca-Cola Classic. Just like last year, Kent State's first opponent will be Georgia Tech, as the Golden Flashes battle the Yellow Jackets in their first two games of the tournament. Kent State opened '11 at Georgia Tech, upending the then-number 19 Yellow Jackets in a 6-1 victory in the third and final game of a three-game set in Atlanta. Georgia Tech has been a mainstay in the national postseason for nearly three decades, reaching the NCAA Tournament 25 times in the last 27 years. Kent State closes the Classic with two games against host Winthrop. The Golden Flashes beat the Eagles twice on their home field last year to win the Johnny Gill Memorial Tournament.

Kent State's season-opening tour of the South continues with a pair of three-game weekend series at Lipscomb (Feb. 24-26) and Western Kentucky (March 2-4). The Golden Flashes will then fly west for a trip to New Mexico State (March 9-11) before heading off to the West Coast to meet Pepperdine (March 16-18) and Fresno State (March 20-21). The Bulldogs have appeared in the NCAA Tournament five of the last six seasons, highlighted by a national title in 2008.

The Golden Flashes open MAC play at home March 23-25 against West Division foe Northern Illinois as their quest for a second straight MAC regular season crown and 12th in school history begins. Other conference home series include Buffalo (April 6-8), Western Michigan (April 27-29), Miami (May 11-13) and Akron (May 17-19). The series against the Zips kicks off with the Diamond Classic at Canal Park, contest which benefits Akron Children's Hospital. MAC road series include Ball State (March 30-April 1), Bowling Green (April 13-15), Central Michigan (April 20-22) and Ohio (May 4-6).

Midweek non-conference opponents include Pittsburgh, Penn State, Toledo, Youngstown State, Niagara, Lake Erie College and Eastern Michigan.

The season culminates in the MAC Tournament (May 23-26), which will now call All-Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio, its home after four seasons at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio. The winner of the conference tournament receives the MAC's automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Tournament. Kent State is taking aim at an unprecedented fourth straight MAC Tournament title and NCAA berth.

The 2012 NCAA Tournament will kick off June 1-4 with regional action, to be followed by Super Regionals (June 8-11) and the College World Series (June 16-27) at TD AmeriTrade Park in Omaha, Neb.

Kent State finished the 2011 season ranked No. 26 in the nation according to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, winning the MAC regular season and tournament championships and earning a berth in the 2011 NCAA Championship Austin Regional.

For more information, visit http://kentstatesports.com/sports/bsb/index.

Kent State Gospel Choir Concert Takes Place Dec. 9

The Kent State Gospel Choir performs its fall concert on
Friday, Dec. 9, at Cartwright Hall.

The Kent State University Gospel Choir will hold its fall concert on Friday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in Cartwright Hall. Doors open at 7 p.m. No tickets are required to attend the concert, but donations will be accepted.

The concert will feature the Kent State Gospel Choir Step Team and special guest artists Djoser Garrison and the Ralston Purkiss Family and Friends.

For more information about the concert, contact Linda Walker at 330-672-2431 or lwalker@kent.edu.

Kent State University at Stark Presents a Piano Performance by Laurent Boukobza

Professor of piano and chair of the Piano
Studies Program at the University of
Central Florida Laurent Boukobza will
present a piano recital at Kent State Stark.

Kent State University at Stark Music Department presents a piano recital by Laurent Boukobza on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Main Hall Auditorium, 6000 Frank Ave. NW in Jackson Township. The concert is free and open to the public. No tickets are required.

Boukobza’s piano performance for the Kent State Stark audience will include selections from notable composer Franz Liszt.

Born in Villemomble, France, Boukobza began studying piano at the age of 10. He graduated from the Paris Conservatory where he later worked as an assistant piano instructor. He made his first professional recording at the age of 21.

In addition to receiving the First Prize of Piano and Chamber Music Award from the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris, he has won many competitions, including the International Piano Competition of Radio France, the International Academy Maurice Ravel and the International Piano Competition of Sofia (Bulgaria). He was also a semi-finalist in the prestigious Queen Elizabeth International Piano Competition of Brussels. Boukobza enjoys his concert tours in conjunction with an active teaching career. His worldwide performances as a dazzling piano soloist and virtuosic chamber musician have earned him critical acclaim. He is the pianist in the famous Sirba Octet, featuring the world renowned Orchestre de Paris.

Boukobza immigrated to the United States in 1998, and is currently the professor of piano and chair of the Piano Studies Program at the University of Central Florida. He regularly performs at prestigious festivals all over the world.

For more information, contact the Music Department at 330-244-5151. To view a list of Kent State Stark’s music events and learn more about the music program, visit www.stark.kent.edu/music.

Information Architecture and Knowledge Management to Celebrate 10th Anniversary

The Information Architecture and Knowledge Management (IAKM) program will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Tuesday, Nov. 29, in Room 330 of the Kent State University Library from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Information Architecture and Knowledge Management program takes a holistic approach to how knowledge is managed, interpreted and retained through the graduate program’s three concentrations: knowledge management, user experience design (which encompasses usability and information architecture) and health informatics, a new concentration that started this year. The program is administered by the School of Library and Information Science and is designed to keep students informed of new information skills that will help them find career opportunities that are relatively new, yet growing — and are highly in demand.

The Master of Science in information architecture and knowledge management originated as an interdisciplinary program with partners from the schools of Journalism and Mass Communication, Library and Information Science, Communication Studies and Visual Communication Design, along with the College of Business Administration and Graduate School of Management and the Department of Computer Science.

“It was and is a truly innovative program that strived to anticipate new roles for information professionals,” says Thomas Froehlich, Ph.D., IAKM founder and former program director. “It has done so quite successfully, though at the beginning it was challenging to encourage applicants to sign up for fields that were just emerging and for which there were few job ads. Yet, there were many students who, upon searching the Internet for a good program to suit their interests, happened upon the IAKM site and knew they had found an educational home.”

The original concentrations were in usability, information architecture and knowledge management, but the program has since expanded in keeping with the evolution of the information professions. In addition to offering the M.S., IAKM also offers certificate programs in these concentrations.

“The program was designed to be innovative, progressive and adaptive, and in its 10-year existence, it has changed courses, curricula and requirements in response to the dynamic and changing environment for the need for information professionals,” Froehlich says. “The number of students enrolled in the program has been growing steadily, and the program is poised to rapidly increase enrollments in each of the concentrations, mainly due to the concentration advisers and their plans and realizations. Leadership has evolved to the advisers in each concentration who all have considerable expertise in their respective fields and can lead these concentrations to maturity.”

Richard Rubin, Ph.D., associate provost for extended education who served as the School of Library and Information Science director from 1999 to 2010, attributes much of the program’s success to Froehlich.

“Dr. Froehlich’s energy and commitment made the Information Architecture and Knowledge Management program possible,” Rubin says. “The Information Architecture and Knowledge Management program was ahead of the curve in recognizing the need for both knowledge managers and information architects.”
“Although it had a relatively slow start, it now has substantial enrollments as the need for such individuals has become apparent in the workplace,” Rubin continues. “Over the years, the curriculum has changed as the needs for such individuals have changed, and its contemporary curriculum makes it highly desirable for those going into the field. IAKM is a tremendous interdisciplinary asset to the university community.”

James Gaudino, Ph.D., former dean of the College of Communication and Information, who is now president of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Wash., remembers IAKM as a cutting-edge program with the potential to gain an international presence.

“I saw it as a practical extension of changes in information and communication sciences generated by digital technologies,” Gaudino says. “I was particularly impressed by its interdisciplinary breadth and its attractiveness to a broad range of professions. Without question, it held the potential of providing a framework to integrating the disciplinary and professional program that were the basis of the college.”

According to Froehlich, being at the leading edge of such a pioneering program at Kent State has been challenging and rewarding. “One of the greatest pleasures of the program is to see how many graduates have found successful and prestigious jobs, mainly because they were creative, energetic and hard-working persons,” he says. “The program became a vehicle for them to shine, making the program look good and attracting more employers. A program is known by its graduates and if the Information Architecture and Knowledge Management program sparkles, it is due to the aura created by its graduates.”

The graduates – along with Froehlich – will be the focus of the 10th anniversary celebration reception, says Don Wicks, Ph.D., School of Library and Information Services interim director. “We’re delighted to honor Dr. Froehlich’s leadership, without which IAKM might not exist. And we look forward to welcoming back some of our alums, including our first-ever IAKM alumnus of the year.”

RSVP for the reception at http://bit.ly/iakm10th-rsvp.

Kent State Chorale to Perform Carols and Confections in Place of Yuletide Feaste This Year

The December performance will feature holiday songs and seasonal treats for concertgoers

The Kent State University Chorale will perform a variety
of holiday songs during Carol and Confections on Dec. 3,
at the University Auditorium of Cartwright Hall.

The Kent State University Chorale will perform an array of holiday songs during Carols and Confections at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, in the University Auditorium of Cartwright Hall on Terrace Drive in Kent. Immediately following the concert, guests will be welcomed to a variety of holiday treats and beverages.

The event will serve as a fundraiser for the Chorale and will include an eclectic song list. Guests can expect to hear a wide variety of seasonal melodies, ranging from the Gregorian chant to Renaissance songs, and from contemporary carol arrangements to Hanukkah songs.

A long-standing Yuletide Feaste tradition will take a break to allow Carols and Confections to debut. The Yuletide Feaste is a medieval-themed dinner, complete with a queen, live medieval entertainment and the voices of the Kent State Chorale. Director Scott MacPherson says the Yuletide Feaste “will be better than ever” when it returns next year.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 for students with valid ID or for children under 18 years. Call 330-672-2172 for tickets or purchase at the door. Cash or check only will be accepted.

The Kent State University Chorale is made up of students across all majors who dedicate themselves to music, and work towards refining their talents. Each year, the chorale performs on campus and throughout the region and state and even toured Italy for 11 days, performing in Florence, Rome, Venice and Greve.

Parallel and Intersect at Kent State University

Dance faculty present diverse program

Kent State University’s School of Theatre and Dance will
show original choreography by dance faculty members on
Dec. 2-4. Dance ’11: Parallel + Intersect will feature diverse
styles of modern dance.

Kent State University’s School of Theatre and Dance will show original choreography by dance faculty members on Dec. 2-4.

Dance ’11: Parallel + Intersect will be presented at 8 p.m. on Friday,
Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 3, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4, in
E. Turner Stump Theatre in the Music and Speech Center. Tickets are $16 for adults, $14 for faculty, staff and Kent State alumni, $12 for seniors and $8 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office by calling 330-672-2497 or online at www.dance.kent.edu. Hours are weekdays noon to 5 p.m. Free parking is available.

The concert will feature diverse styles of modern dance choreographed by faculty members Kimberly Karpanty, Erin LaSala, Joan Meggitt, Andrea Shearer and Barbara Allegra Verlezza. In addition, the duet Intermittent Agitation will be performed by Karpanty and Meggitt, while Dance Music Director Bill Sallak will present a performance of John Luther Adams’ evocative Wail.

Dance ’11 is a collaboration between faculty and students in the School of Theatre and Dance, and involves more than 75 performers, designers, faculty members, crew members and staff. The concert will be hosted by Associate Professor Barbara Allegra Verlezza, who will provide background information and insights about each piece prior to its performance.

“Time! Humor! Humanity! are the inspirations for this year’s faculty dance concert, Dance ’11: Parallel + Intersect,” says Shearer, the dance division director.

Comic works include The Scrimmage, a trio by LaSala set to classical music and based upon young soccer players who warm the bench; and Shearer’s Umbrellapalooza, exploring where real life meets the circus, with umbrellas representing everything from career tightropes, to individuals’ cherished wishes and dreams.

Time factors are important to Meggitt’s Getting Up to Speed and LaSala’s point-present, which starts a movement timeline and works backward to the beginning.

Exploring the complexities of human relationships is the focus of Silhouettes by Verlezza, a duet to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, while Karpanty’s choreography for the 14 members of the Kent Dance Ensemble finds inspiration in the words of Colin Verarncombe, “Look at me standing/here on my own again/up straight in the sunshine.”

For more information, visit www.dance.kent.edu.

Enjoy College and University Night with the Canton Charge – Cleveland Cavs Development Team

Discount tickets available for Kent State employees

The Canton Charge – the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Development Team in Canton—invites the Kent State University community for a night of fun to celebrate its inaugural season on Friday, Dec. 2, at the Canton Civic Center. The team will play the Texas Legends, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m.

Discount tickets are available for Kent State faculty and staff, and a free meal package is available with every ticket purchased through this offer.

To order tickets, visit www.theqarena.com/qpass, and enter the password: KSU. The password is case sensitive. Families wishing to sit together must submit orders at the same time. All sales are final.

Orders placed within 10 days of the game will be held for pickup at the Civic Center Main Ticket office.

For more information, contact Chris Muhlberg at 216-420-2865 or cmuhlberg@cavs.com.