eInside Events

Social Media Thought Leader Eric Stoller to Speak About Digital Identity and Higher Education at Kent State

The event is coordinated by Kent State’s Department of Residence Services

Social media thought leader Eric Stoller will speak about
digital identity and higher education at Kent State on
Feb. 14.

Nationally known speaker, thought leader and consultant Eric Stoller will present “Digital Identity, Social Media and Higher Education” on Thursday, Feb. 14, at 10 a.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva. The event is free and open to the public.

Stoller will share his thoughts about how digital identity and social media are impacting professional careers, connections, communities and the future of higher education.

Charles Holmes-Hope, assistant director of residence education and coordinator of the event, says the presentation will focus on helping participants understand the different functions that come with social media and using it appropriately and innovatively. With a focus on student affairs and higher education, Stoller will highlight specific strategies to boost the use of social media for the greatest outcome.

“Eric brings a flare. He brings honest conversation and a depth of knowledge that is grounded in critical foundation,” says Holmes-Hope. “He looks at different applications in social media and how we can apply what he’s doing into our roles at Kent State.

“It’s going to be a high-tech piece because people are so intrigued when it comes to social media and how they can use it to stay involved and on the cutting edge of the latest trends, whether it’s through Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, and how they can use it to really benefit them,” Holmes-Hope continues.

Stoller has more than 10 years of student affairs technology experience and has been blogging for more than seven years. He is currently the student affairs and technology blogger for Inside Higher Ed (IHE) and was an academic advisor and Web coordinator for the College of Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University. He also served as a marketing specialist for student affairs at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Stoller is known for his humorous, interactive presentations that invite audiences to participate in the conversation. He has given presentations on social media and technology at various student affairs conferences and was a regional chair of the NASPA Technology Knowledge Community. He received an associate degree from Indian Hills Community College, a B.A. in communications/public relations from the University of Northern Iowa, and an Ed.M. in college student services administration from Oregon State University.

A conversation about Stoller will be set up on Twitter prior to his presentation to create excitement about his arrival, and a Q&A session will conclude the event.

“People will walk away with some tangible outcomes and takeaways that they can infuse into their everyday lives, as they learn how to better connect with students, faculty and staff,” Holmes-Hope says.

To learn more about Eric Stoller, visit http://ericstoller.com/ or http://twitter.com/ericstoller/.

TRiO Programs to Hold Second Annual Luncheon

D'Andra Mull, Ph.D., Patrick Gable and Monique Menefee
show off the awards they received during last year's
TRiO Achievement Luncheon at Kent State.

The three branches of the TRiO Program at Kent State University will host the second annual TRiO Achievers Recognition Luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at 11 a.m. in the Kent Student Center Ballroom.

The luncheon will be held to celebrate National TRiO Week. TRiO is a federal outreach program that helps disadvantaged students, including providing support services to low-income students, first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities.

Sherice Freeman, director of the McNair Scholars Program, says the TRiO luncheon is held to recognize students who have excelled in academics and are using the support services of each of TriO’s three branches. She says those honored this year at the event include three students recognized as TRiO Achievers, and two TRiO Champions — administrators who go above and beyond to reach out and assist TRiO students.

The three branches of Kent State’s TRiO programs include the Ronald E. McNair Scholars, assisting low-income and first generation students from underrepresented groups to continue to doctoral studies; Upward Bound, helping pre-college students to continue their postsecondary education; and Student Support Services, helping to increase TRiO members’ persistence and graduation rates.

Freeman says she expects a large turnout for the event. All participants of the TRiO programs, the Kent State community and members of the national TRiO programs are invited to the event.

“For years, TRiO directors said we should collaborate on an event,” says Freeman. “We are looking forward to recognizing the students and bringing everyone together for the second annual achievement luncheon.”

The cost of attendance is $12 for students and $20 for faculty, staff or community members. Attendees may also purchase a table for $160, which seats eight people. All proceeds will go to Upward Bound alumni and current students enrolled in Student Support Services and the Ronald E. McNair Scholars programs.

For tickets, contact Dennis Rule at drule@kent.edu.

For more information about TRiO, visit www.kent.edu/diversity/precollege/trio.cfm.

Kent State Fashion School to Screen “Versailles ’73: American Runway Revolution”

"Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution," a
documentary about the show that changed fashion history
by featuring African-American models and designers, will be
shown on Feb. 23 in Rockwell Hall Auditorium.

The Fashion School at Kent State University will host a screening of fashion documentary "Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution" with an accompanying director's lecture, Saturday, Feb. 23, in Rockwell Hall Auditorium. The film is presented as part of campus programming for Black History Month. Rockwell Hall is located at 515 Hilltop Dr. on the Kent Campus.

The event opens with a VIP reception at 6 p.m.; the screening and lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. Some of the fashion icons featured in the documentary will be in attendance at the screening, and the VIP reception will include opportunities to interact with the legendary models.

Directed by Deborah Riley Draper, the documentary details the iconic 1973 fashion show Le Grand Divertissement à Versailles. Fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert and Palace of Versailles curator Gerald Van der Kemp created the fashion show as a fundraiser for Versailles restorations. The show put French designers Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin and Emanuel Ungaro up against American underdogs Anne Klein, Stephen Burrows, Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta and Halston in competition.

In front of an audience of 800 attendees, including Andy Warhol, Christina Onassis, Princess Grace of Monaco and Josephine Baker, the American designers claimed victory. The show changed fashion history by featuring African-American models and designers.

"The film is important to bring to Kent State because it was a groundbreaking event," says Tameka Ellington, assistant professor of fashion design and merchandising. "It was the first event where African- American designers and models were showcased, and it paved the way for African-Americans in the fashion industry."

The 1973 event featured grounding-breaking models of color Billie Blair, Pat Cleveland, Alva Chinn, Norma Jean Darden, Charlene Dash, Bethann Hardison, Barbara Jackson, China Machado, Jennifer Brice, Ramona Saunders and Amina Warsuma.

Cost for the event is $35 for admission to the pre-screening VIP reception, lecture and screening; $20 for admission to the lecture and screening; and $10 for student admission to the lecture and screening.

Tickets are available at the door, cash only. To RSVP for the VIP reception, please contact Tammy Cullen at tdavis2@kent.edu.

"Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution" uses photos, first-person accounts of the show and interviews with fashion historians, along with archival materials from the event, to bring the legendary showdown between American and Parisian designers to life.

The documentary was director Deborah Riley Draper's first full-length film with her production company Coffee Bluff Pictures. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, was featured during New York Fashion Week and Toronto Fashion Week, and has had limited engagements in New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta. For more information on the film, visit http://versailles73movie.com.

Kent State Planetarium Presents “The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence”

Kent State University’s Planetarium will present “The Search for Extraterrestrial Life,” on Friday, Feb. 15, Saturday, Feb. 16, and Friday, Feb. 22. During the presentations, audience members will explore celestial objects in Ohio’s night sky that may contain extraterrestrial life, and the presenter will describe stories of attempts to communicate with intelligent life in other worlds.

This presentation takes place every year, but organizer and director of the Planetarium, Brett Ellman, says he tries to put a new spin on each year’s show.

"Almost every modern astronomer believes there is life elsewhere and quite possibly intelligent life," says Ellman. “I talk about the way people for hundreds of years have been thinking about life elsewhere in the universe."

The hour-long presentation is available three nights this year, and it is free and open to the public.

“I want the audience to enjoy themselves and appreciate how beautiful the universe is,” says Ellman. "It's an entertainment thing. It's for fun. It's very popular with children."

Children six and older are encouraged to attend and to bring a drawing of what they think a space creature looks like, or they can create one at the show, says Ellman.

“I want children and adults to get a sense of fascination.”

Seating is limited, so reservations are recommended. Reservations are being accepted now by calling 330-672-2246. For more information, visit http://planetarium.kent.edu/.

Fulbright Scholar Louis Mendy to Lecture on Human Rights Issues in American Literature

Fulbright Scholar Louis Mendy, Ph.D., will lecture on
human rights issues in American literature on Feb. 13 at
Ritchie Hall.

Join the Department of Pan-African Studies on Wednesday, Feb 13, at noon for a lunch-and-learn session that will feature a lecture by Fulbright Scholar Louis Mendy, Ph.D. The event takes place in Room 127c main office conference room at Ritchie Hall, which is located at 225 Terrace Drive on the Kent Campus.

Mendy is an associate professor of American literature and civilization at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal. He is at Kent State University this academic year to conduct research on human rights issues in American literature. Mendy also is a human rights defender who has voluntarily worked for Amnesty International in Senegal and London for nearly a decade.

For more information about this event and to participate in upcoming events, contact the Department of Pan-African Studies at 330-672-2300.

“Fracking: Promise or Peril?” Forum to be Held at Kent State University

The School of Communication Studies'
inaugural Global Communication Issues
Forum will feature Dimiter Kenarov, a Pulitzer
Center journalist, speaking about “Fracking:
Promise or Peril?” The event will take place
on Feb. 20.

The School of Communication Studies at Kent State University announces its inaugural Global Communication Issues Forum, “Fracking: Promise or Peril?” featuring Dimiter Kenarov, a Pulitzer Center journalist on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. in the Kent Student Center Kiva. Paid parking is available. This event will examine the practice of hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from the earth.

The event will feature a recent reporting project by Kenarov on natural gas extraction in Poland, followed by a panel discussion moderated by Mitch McKenney, assistant professor in Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The forum is free and open to the public.

Panel representatives include:

Dimiter Kenarov, Pulitzer Center journalist specializing in natural gas extraction in Poland. He is a freelance journalist based in Istanbul, Turkey, and a contributing editor at the Virginia Quarterly Review. His work has also appeared in Esquire, Outside, The Nation, the International Herald Tribune, and others, and has been twice anthologized in "The Best American Travel Writing." He is currently working on a book-length project about the Black Sea.

Bob Downing has served at the Akron Beacon Journal for more than 40 years and writes for the Ohio Utica Shale blog for the Akron Beacon Journal. Downing covers the environment, parks and the outdoors. His reporting has examined several environmental issues in Ohio, including ozone and soot problems, landfills, toxic waste, Superfund sites, brownfields, wetland preservation and other topics.

Donald Palmer, Ph.D., emeritus professor of geology at Kent State, has had an extensive academic career in the geological sciences, with research focusing on geophysics. Palmer’s research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Yoram Eckstein, Ph.D., is a professor of geology and hydrogeology at Kent State with extensive research in hydrology, focusing on modeling ground water flow and transport. Eckstein has served as a consultant for numerous hydrogeological projects.

Future Global Communication Issues Forum discussions will center on the global effect of a topic, such as natural gas extraction, and how consumers and the media communicate about the practice.

Department of Pan-African Studies Hosts “Urban Art Showcase” Reception

Kent State's Department of Pan-African
Studies, in collaboration with Logan
Kristopher Arts Marketing, will hold an
opening reception for the “Urban Art
Showcase” on Feb. 13. The art
showcase runs from Feb. 11 to March 1.

In honor of Black History Month, the Department of Pan-African Studies, in collaboration with Logan Kristopher Arts Marketing, will hold an opening reception for the “Urban Art Showcase” Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 5:30 p.m. on the first floor Ritchie Hall Gallery Foyer.

The art showcase demonstrates the multidimensional talents of African American artists from the Greater Cleveland area, and shows positive images of African-Americans at work and play. This exhibit was curated in honor of Black History Month. Artists showcased will include the visual artwork of Kole Robinson Brooks, Loletia Wilson, Viso, Rahmel Guyon, Chester Hopkins-Bey, Anika Nana Afia Ofori, Seven Thirty, Jerome T. White and installations by Rachelle Gallant and Tracey Henson.

The opening reception is free and open to the public. The Uumbaji Gallery of Art is located in Room 134 at Ritchie Hall.

The “Urban Art Showcase” runs from Feb. 11 through March 1.

For more information, contact the Department of Pan-African Studies at 330-672-2300.

Mothers, Mentors and Muses Fourth Annual Scholarship Fundraiser Reception

Honorees of the 2012 Mothers, Mentors
and Muses award pose together for a
photo at the Kent Student Center.

On Tuesday, March 12, the Women’s Center at Kent State University will host the fourth annual Mothers, Mentors and Muses Scholarship Fundraiser reception. The event will take place at the Kent Student Center Ballroom from 5-7 p.m.

The event honors women nominated as any of three roles: a mother – someone who has helped “birth” new ideas and thoughts in others and has also served as an overall nurturing individual, a mentor – an individual who has been both a role model and a trusted counselor to others, or a muse – an individual who has inspired both creativity and academic enthusiasm in others.

This year, Jennifer Kulics, student ombuds and president of the Women’s Center Board, will speak at the event.

The Women’s Center, which was established in 1996, has been focused on advancing women in their academic careers. Funds raised at the event will fund $500 scholarship awards for two Kent State University female students. This scholarship has benefitted 16 students since its introduction in 2003.

Registration to attend the event deadline is Feb. 28. To register and for more information, visit www.kent.edu/womenscenter.

Kent State Presents New Music Series Concert on Feb. 16

Pictured above is Frederic Rzewski whose musical piece
will be performed by the Kent State New Music Ensemble
on Feb. 16.

The third concert of the 2012-2013 Kent State University New Music Series will take place on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. at the Ludwig Recital Hall. This event is free and open to the public.

The program will consist entirely of music by living composers. The concert will feature performances by members of the Kent State University New Music Ensemble, directed by Anthony Donofrio, assistant professor of music, and Frank Wiley, professor of music. Bill Sallak, assistant professor of dance, will be a guest artist.

The ensemble will include the following graduate and undergraduate student performers: oboists Patricia Rolland and Toshiyasu Fujita, bassoonist Adam Farmer, saxophonist Alex Sellers, hornist Nicholas Sohutskay, tubist Josh Davis, percussionists Alec Schumann and Drew Adametz, pianists Max Loutzenheiser and Andrew Keller, violists Pamela Burovac and Haojian Wang, and bassist Ryan Critchfield.

The ensemble members will perform select solo pieces, including Brian Penkrot’s Narcissus Chamber for oboe and viola, Robert Ashley’s In Memoriam Esteban Gomez and Gernot Wolfgang’s Low Agenda. The program will close with a performance by the full New Music Ensemble of Les Moutons de Panurge by Frederic Rzewski.

For more information, visit www.kent.edu/music or call 330-672-2172.

Kent State University at Stark Hosts Diversity Events to Celebrate Black History

Kent State University at Stark presents educational and entertaining events to celebrate the many contributions that African-Americans have made in the country. All events will take place on the Stark Campus located at 6000 Frank Ave. NW in Jackson Township. All events are free and open to the public. No tickets are required.

The Black List
Volume I - Wednesday, Feb. 6, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
Volume II - Wednesday, Feb. 13, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
Volume III - Wednesday, Feb. 20, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
Each Black List event will take place in the Library Conference Room.

Photographer/filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and public radio host, journalist and former New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell produced video portraits of some of today’s most prominent African Americans from the areas of arts, sports, politics, business and government. The series provides insight on identity, diversity and race in America. Each video will be followed by a moderated discussion.

An Evening with NFL Hall of Famer Willie Brown
Wednesday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m. in The University Center

Willie Brown, a cornerback from the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders, tallied 54 interceptions during his AFL/NFL career. Perhaps his most famous moment came when he returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown in the Raiders’ Super Bowl XI victory. Don’t miss out on this unique educational seminar as Brown shares his story about the American Football League and playing professional football during the tumultuous 1960s.

Electric Blues by the Wallace Coleman Band
Featuring an opening performance by Jody Getz and Friends
Thursday, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m. in Main Hall Auditorium

Wallace Coleman, a 10-year veteran of the Grammy Award-winning Robert Lockwood Jr. Band, started his own band in 1996. He later established his own record label, which he named Ella Mae Music, in honor of his late mother. Coleman has released four critically acclaimed CDs on his label, including his latest release, Blues In The Wind, Remembering Robert Jr. Lockwood. Coleman has won a Living Blues Award for fan favorite, as well as garnered two nominations for outstanding harmonica. He has been named an Ohio Heritage Fellow. His performance embodies an American art form that has all but disappeared from the African-American music landscape and is certain to captivate blues lovers of all ages.

African-American Women Pioneers in Sports
Tuesday, March 12, at 1 p.m. in Main Hall Auditorium

The presentation by Kent State Stark Associate Professor of History Leslie Heaphy highlights African-American women who have made significant contributions and achievements in sports. This event is co-sponsored by the Stark Campus History Club.

For more information on Kent State Stark’s diversity events, call 330-499-9600 or visit www.stark.kent.edu/about/diversity.

Kent State University Roe Green Visiting Director Series Presents “Spring Awakening”

Tony Award winner Michael Rupert to direct production

Tony Award-winning actor Michael Rupert
will direct the "Spring Awakening" production
by Kent State's School of Theatre and Dance.

Kent State University’s School of Theatre and Dance continues its 2012-2013 season with “Spring Awakening,” as part of the Roe Green Visiting Director Series. Tony Award-winning actor Michael Rupert will direct the production. The show will run Feb. 15-24 at Kent State’s E. Turner Stump Theatre in the Music and Speech Building at 1325 Theatre Dr., on the Kent Campus. The Feb. 17 and 24 performances will be held at 2 p.m., and all other shows will be held at 8 p.m.

“Spring Awakening” is an exhilarating and provocative rock musical about first loves, youthful passions and lasting regrets, focusing on teens coming of age in late 19th-century Germany. The musical won eight Tony Awards in 2007. Please note: the show contains mature themes.

“Spring Awakening’s” book and lyrics are by Steven Sater, with music by Duncan Sheik. The musical is based on the play of the same name by Frank Wedekind.

Visiting director Michael Rupert is an actor, director and composer. Rupert has appeared on Broadway in such shows as Legally Blonde, Ragtime, Pippin, City of Angels and the 1986 revival of Sweet Charity, a performance for which he won a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award.

As a composer, Rupert wrote the off-Broadway musical 3 Guys Naked from the Waist Down and the Broadway musical Mail. His directing credits include Thrill Me with York Theater Company and Breaking the Code with Weathervane Playhouse.

Wendla will be played by senior theatre studies major Meredith Kochan, Melchoir by senior theatre studies major Michael Glavan, and Moritz by senior theatre studies major Jesse Markowitz.

Single tickets for “Spring Awakening” are free for full-time, undergraduate Kent State students, $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.

Kent State students can earn FLASHperks by attending the Wednesday, Feb. 20 performance.

Tickets are available at the Performing Arts Box Office (PABO) located in the lobby of the Roe Green Center in the Music and Speech Building at 1325 Theatre Dr. on the Kent Campus. The box office hours are weekdays noon to 5 p.m., and one hour prior to each performance.

Tickets and more information are also available by calling 330-672-ARTS (2787) or by visiting http://theatre.kent.edu.