Student Life
![Members of KMK Fraternity in 1922.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/KMKFraternity1922_2.jpg?VersionId=uPoLU4lxxefSBtbdJilHEGGq_Va7Vniw&h=8e28f27e&itok=UUDLQRFa)
100 YEARS AGO AT KENT STATE: Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ«'s First Fraternity Sneaks Onto Campus
The students who founded Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ«'s first Greek organization used the university administration's own initiatives as a way around anti-fraternity sentiments.
![Postcard picture of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« Normal College's Student Body in 1922](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-01%20at%2011.37.24%20AM_1.png?VersionId=FpTwrzz4a2zI8o_bdBvY8ghT0X3eIGno&h=b7725292&itok=--7xSebS)
100 Years Ago At Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ«: The Most Popular First Names on Campus in 1922 - and Today
What were the most common first names among Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« students 100 years ago? And what were the names announced most often at the commencement ceremonies of 2022?
![​​Flash Connections: Community Impact and Social Change Flash Connections experience in Columbus, Ohio, 2018. ​​Flash Connections: Community Impact and Social Change Flash Connections experience in Columbus, Ohio, 2018.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/FlashConnections_0.jpg?VersionId=xdAcph8NMseD3AsUoK0i0TmW_JhUbxAM&h=e6f36a9c&itok=C1-9V-KX)
National Committee Recognizes Flash Connections Exemplary Work With Exploratory Students
Choosing a career path at age 18 can be overwhelming for some students. As a part of Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ«'s University College’s Exploratory Program, Flash Connections are enhanced sections of the required First Year Experience course created especially for Exploratory students. The Flash Connections program is designed to help students considering multiple majors find a community while discovering their major. This program’s exemplary work with undecided students was recently recognized, receiving awards from the Global Community for Academic Advising.
![Deanne Parr and Family](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/Deanne%20Parr%20%281%29.png?VersionId=qDTlDukpFIPrNnFouQfeK9WWS9c542t_&h=e6f36a9c&itok=qRGeW6vR)
'I Will Finally Be a Nurse and Give My Kids a Better Life'
Deanne Parr never gave up on her dream of earning a degree, which included overcoming the many challenges of being a teen mother.
![Group of students pose with the WW I cannon on campus.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-25%20at%2010.41.25%20AM.png?VersionId=dG9WwP0.4xGAKdUDcnI._ETG1Opx8Wte&h=8abcec71&itok=RI7gjcGg)
From War to Peace To War Again
From 1921 to 1942, a WWI-vintage cannon stood on a knoll overlooking Rockwell Hall, then home to the University Library. It was loaned by the U.S. War Department to the Kent American Legion Post 496, which intended to present it to the city of Kent. When city officials could not decide on a suitable location, the cannon found a home on the campus of Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« Normal College.
![Members of Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« University’s LGBTQ+ community participate in the university’s 2021 Homecoming Parade.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/LGBTQ%2B%20community%20members%20in%202021%20Homecoming%20Parade_0.jpg?VersionId=uW9n2D0Hgsb41XVpH.2bPKW7mIlMYnu5&h=56d0ca2e&itok=SKIne2Q3)
Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« Again Recognized as One of Campus Pride’s ‘Best of the Best’ Colleges and Universities for LGBTQ+ Students
For a third consecutive year, Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« University has been selected as one the nation’s top universities for LGBTQ+ students for creating a safe, welcoming environment for students, faculty and staff, according to Campus Pride, a leading resource for LGBTQ+ leadership development, diversity inclusion and advocacy within higher education.
![Members of the Class of 2026 Light Up Convocation at the MAC Center](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/1500x600%2020220822_BC_220379_convocation_206%20copy_0.jpg?VersionId=kGui8yrIxoj69D4UPnIIlcPOjmv8nZnP&h=147a3897&itok=1RyIswVO)
President Diacon to Incoming Students: We Are All One Community
With a backdrop of strobe lights, rock music and excitement, Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« President Todd Diacon kicked off the start of the 2022 Fall Semester by encouraging new students to lean on one another during the university's traditional convocation ceremony.
![Dating violence is prevalent among women ages 16-24.](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/Stop2_3.jpg?VersionId=e6su_qNkOFG9FkjaVeGRiOQh4CxI_k6K&itok=DBqB6XT1)
Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« Student Escapes Dating Abuse, Helps Others Know Their WorthÂ
After experiencing dating violence in high school, Rhylee Shepherd turned her pain into a teaching opportunity for her peers through the Know Your Worth project.
![Image shows a heart and stethoscope](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/ThinkstockPhotos-908453584%20small_1.jpg?VersionId=MayGq7rjq4yLp7iCu9H_MeTO3X5YIjP7&h=c8cfad63&itok=CttyGVov)
Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« Nursing Student Honored for Lifesaving Effort
A Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« College of Nursing student who graduated Aug. 20 recently was honored by the city of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, along with her sister, for working to save the life of a woman who fell ill while playing volleyball.
![Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« and Mexican university students study over spring break at traditional chinampa farmers in Mexico](https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/styles/1_5_2_thumbnail/public/article/d05fd3ce-74ae-49a3-860d-4bc58bd82e55%20learning%20from%20farmers%20in%20mexico_0.jpg?VersionId=WzZkoW2mxVSk3iu7iB6bz78UhK_gyy24&h=e675c9ba&itok=47jume64)
Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« Students Study Sustainable Gardening for Poverty Reduction in Mexico
Â鶹ÊÓƵ×îÐÂ×îÈ« University partnered with Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City for an international, cross-cultural exchange for students to study how sustainable gardening projects aid immigrant populations.