Jawbone poetry readings kick off weekend-long event

The 21st annual Jawbone open poetry readings will take place today through Sunday at the North Water Street Gallery and Fred Fuller Park.

The weekend-long poetry fest kicks off today with an open reading at 8 p.m. at the North Water Street Gallery.

The Jawbone Poetry and Pie Festival will take place at 11 a.m. tomorrow at the North Water Street Gallery. Pie and coffee are available for sale during a poetry reading as part of a fund raiser for Standing Rock Cultural Arts.

Pie and coffee will be followed by an open reading at John Brown’s Tannery on Summit Street.

The last event of the weekend will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday at Fred Fuller Park. This event will be a picnic and poetry reading.

All events and poetry readings are open to the public.

— Maureen Nagg

Ceremony honors Latvian, Lithuanian students, members

The 25th anniversary meeting for the Latvian and Lithuanian Scholarship Programs will be at 7 p.m. Monday in room 102 Bowman Hall.

This event is sponsored through the College of Arts and Sciences. There will be a presentation of a Latvian studies project by the current recipients of the Latvian scholarship, Kristaps Daukss and Edvards Lauge, said Vilmars Kukainis, president of the Kent State Latvian Community.

The scholarship recipients from both the Lithuanian and Latvian communities will also be recognized at the ceremony. Members from each of the local Latvian and Lithuanian communities will also attend, said E. Timothy Moore, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

There is no fee to attend, and anyone is welcome. Refreshments will be served, and parking will be validated.

The Latvian Scholarship is awarded to undergraduates at the university who can read, write and speak the Latvian language. The student must have a GPA of 2.8 to attain and keep the scholarship, participate in Latvian activities and also participate in an annual project pertaining to Latvian studies, according to a Latvian Studies brochure.

— Adria Barbour

Free medical help for college students at Chapel Hill Mall

If low funds are a derailment from getting a health screening, some area medical students have a solution.

Fifty medical students at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine in Rootstown are giving free vision, diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol and osteoporosis screenings tomorrow at Chapel Hill Mall. Their services are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the mall but will be centralized in the food court.

The students will supply information about various health conditions, said Heather Alexander, president of the American Medical Student Association, the organization responsible for the event.

Area physicians and residents will be present to help out, she said.

— Kim Thompson

Annual Relay for Life honors local cancer patients

Saturday, Kent State is hosting its annual Relay For Life event to honor and raise money for local cancer patients.

The walk is being held at the Liquid Crystal Institute and Small Group Track behind the DeWeese Health Center. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by a survivor reception at 10 a.m. in the survivor tent.

Opening ceremonies begin at 11 a.m., and the survivor lap will start at 11:20 a.m.

The walk and festivities will continue through Sunday morning.

— Jessica Sprowl