Conferences bring together students, teachers and practitioners of a field. They are forums where ideas and theories are exchanged.

Eight students from the Student Sociological Collective, the sociology department’s student organization, will attend the annual North Central Sociological Association conference today through Saturday in Chicago.

This year’s theme is “Social Policy, Social Ideology and Social Change.”

“Going on this trip will give us a chance to get to know each other better,” senior sociology major Nicole Steward said. “The conference also gives us ideas for programs we can put on for the fall semester. The conference has generated a lot of good ideas in the past. We want to involve the whole campus, not just the sociology department, in this idea of social change.”

Stephen Keto, faculty advisor of the Student Sociological Collective, said each session will have a certain theme. The students will choose which they want to attend, based on individual interests.

Faculty and graduate students from Kent State’s sociology department will be among those presenting their work at the conference.

“This is the first time I have gone to the conference and I am excited about it,” Steward said. “I think it is a great opportunity for sociology students. It can give you a better idea of what the professional world is like. I hope to get a better idea of what I could be doing five years from now.”

Keto said the Student Sociological Collective is open to everyone. The group meets at 12:30 p.m. on Thursdays in Room 207 of Merrill Hall.

Contact College of Arts and Sciences reporter Abbey Swank at [email protected].