Satirical news site The Onion recently published a broadcast that credited American parents in a ranking of the “Top 50 ‘Perfectly Good’ State Schools,” in which Kent State was ranked No. 1.  The satirical video, while humorous, indeed holds some weight, especially in light of this semester’s main campus enrollment increases.

While Kent State has always seemed to its community to be a well-kept secret, the past few years have brought tremendous advancements to the university and the city of Kent, thus improving our reputation as a university.  Although Kent State has long been recognized for its highly regarded programs such as fashion, nursing, architecture and journalism, the past several years have also introduced new, innovative programs that aren’t commonly offered elsewhere, including podiatry and digital sciences.  

In addition, our less-renowned science programs are taking steps in the right direction to improve, including enhancing computer labs and installing 3-D printers.  There are also future plans for construction of new academic buildings, such as an aeronautics and technology building and a center for architecture and environmental design.

We believe there is a parallel between the university’s advances and semesterly enrollment increases. The University of Akron, for example, saw a 4.85 percent decrease in main campus enrollment this semester; likewise, Akron has also proposed cutting 55 academic programs.  

Renovations to downtown Kent have also improved the city’s image. Students and residents alike can now enjoy more shops, bars and restaurants in the city’s downtown area than they could five years ago.

While The Onion’s satirical newscast pokes fun at Kent State’s “state-school” status, we are indeed in good shape compared with our local counterparts. We are excited to see how these future changes to the university unfold.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.