Students gathered at the Kent State Student Center Tuesday to share their thoughts on diversity on campus, personal life experiences and the upcoming election.
The student organizations Undergraduate Student Government, the Male Empowerment Network (M.E.N.), Sister Circle, the Ohio Student Association, Black United Students, the Spanish and Latine Student Association (SALSA) and the Community Action Fellows collaborated to host an Open Table Talk event.
Attendees sat at round tables and were given prompts to discuss with each other before sharing with the entire room. The questions ranged from “Do you feel safe, included and represented on campus?” to “Does the upcoming election have a personal impact on you?”
When sharing their thoughts with each other, attendees explained the culture shocks they experienced from the local political climate, their unawareness of mental health resources on campus and how school can be an escape from home. These insights were then gathered by the event organizers for the purpose of addressing them through their organizations.
Jazmin Harvey, the president of Sister Circle, explained how the discussion she had at her table informed her of the lesser-known issues on the ballot for the upcoming election.
“We see what the main event is,” Harvey said. “We see the things that are more popular and more for entertainment. But the things that are actually going to have an impact — smaller issues that aren’t even being discussed — people need to get informed on that. Like who is running for sheriff, for example.”
To close out the event, students were instructed to draw up action plans for how the university should address the issues that they identified. Many action plans explained the need for awareness of the resources that Kent State provides and the best ways to relay important information to the student body.
A’kyra Holley, the vice-chair of governmental affairs for USG, shared what she believes the university should do to address the issues that were identified during the event.
“They need to hear directly from the students,” Holley said. “People who are not in our seats cannot make decisions about us without listening to our voices. I’m so happy we had the opportunity to create action plans so we can go back to the drawing board and see some of the things students want implemented.”
At the end of the event, Holley notified attendees of the election watch party that will take place in the Student Multicultural Center. She explained that anyone stressed during the election is welcome and has a safe space to go to.
Paul Burlinghaus is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
