President Lester Lefton delivered his annual State of the University yesterday, in which he outlined his goals for the future. So far he’s on the right track.

Not going to lie: We’re really pleased with the current state of our university.

Don’t get us wrong; there’s always room for improvement, and President Lester Lefton sounded committed to moving forward and tackling the next set of goals in yesterday’s State of the University address in the Kiva.

But things are pretty calm at Kent State, and we’re looking forward to what the future holds, especially when it comes to campus renovations. Many students would agree these renovations are necessary, even if we don’t agree with the way they want to fund them.

Only four months ago, Risman Plaza seemed like a wasteland. Now the center of campus actually looks like, well, the center of a college campus. For years, the academic accomplishments of Kent State have been overshadowed by the tragedies of May 4, 1970.

Instead of being remembered as the university where the Liquid Crystal was invented, Kent State has long been synonymous with the place where the National Guard opened fire.

With these renovations and our new professional commercials, Kent State is rebuilding its image. Most students probably think these improvements are only being instituted to attract more students, and in a way this is true. But the more people know about academic achievements of this university, the more our degrees will eventually be worth.

The truth is, a lot of our programs at this university are nationally ranked. But unless you’ve attended Kent State, it’s unlikely that you would know that. We’re hoping Lefton’s goals will change Kent State’s image from a place of tragedy to a place of innovation.

Lefton spent part of his speech talking about the need for the library to be updated, and this is clear to anyone who has ever walked the building. The academic heart of the university is in desperate need of a building-wide reorganization. We’re hoping new Library Dean James Bracken will make the process fast and cost efficient.

Overall, it’s clear Lefton has a vision for the future. We’re just hoping he stays committed to seeing it through.

The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board whose members are listed to the left.

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