It’s Aug. 19, a sunny, 80-degree day in Kent, Ohio, and some of the nearly 6,000 5XÉçÇř students who will be living on campus are starting to arrive with their families – carrying boxes and bags, and a whole range of emotions with them.
From first-year students leaving the nest to upperclass students who came out to help new students move in, Kent State Today was there to get a glimpse of one of the most exciting days on campus.
“Don’t stay in your room.”
This was the parting advice Melissa Ellison of Canal Winchester, Ohio, shared with her son, Nate Ellison, as she and her husband were getting him moved into his dorm on Aug. 19.
“Get out of your room. Stay out of your room. You won’t find anything, do anything or be anything if you stay in your room,” she said.
“Meet people. Have fun. Don’t be bad,” added Chris Ellison, Nate’s dad, with a laugh.
A first-year student coming in as a sophomore thanks to College Credit Plus, Nate Ellison plans to study computer engineering technology with a minor in jazz. As one of the nearly 6,000 students who will be living on the Kent Campus this fall, he already had a positive impression of Kent State. Several family friends, including his Eagle Scout leader, shared that they were proud alumni, he said. Plus, Nate Ellison said he felt like he would truly be seen here.
It was the first university to seem like they actually wanted me as a person instead of just as a number.
The Second-Best Day of the Year
“The second-best day of the year is Move-In,” Kent State President Todd Diacon said while greeting students during Move-In. “First best single day at Kent State is commencement. I always say this: I want students to really be happy on Move-In Day, and really be happy at commencement, and then, in the middle, you know they learn, they struggle, they work hard, they have triumphs and then they become Golden Flash graduates. Really, that’s why we’re all here: is to make sure these freshmen that are moving in graduate and graduate in four years.”
Diacon said his wish for students this year is to lay off social media and get to know people in person.
“Seek out live, in-person conversations,” Diacon said. “Get to know people even if it’s uncomfortable at the beginning because pretty soon, we’ll all be part of this Kent State community.”
The Benefits of Living on Campus
That sense of belonging doesn’t end after Move-In. It’s a foundational tenet of the Kent State experience, and it carries long-lasting benefits for students. There are a number of great reasons to live on campus, according to Jill Jenkins, senior executive director of University Housing, including higher GPAs.
“I’ve done college student housing at Kent State for over 25 years, and year after year, the students are retained in higher number,” she said. “They do better academically, and they stay at the university longer if they live in the residence halls. So that speaks to the power of the experience of living on campus.”
With on-campus housing near capacity this year, University Housing is also introducing several new ways for students to build community in the residence halls. New this year, University Housing has introduced Theme Communities in the residence halls, which provide a focused and unique living environment that encourages students to connect with peers and explore shared interests. The new Theme Communities include Colorlab, the Eastway Experience, the Education and Human Services Theme Community, the Exploratory Community, the Hall of Champions and the Honors Residential Experience.
Programs like the Eastway Experience and the Honors Residential Experience – which drew more than 600 students this year – go a step further, Jenkins said.
“Those communities, what makes them unique and special, is that they have faculty and staff beyond just our housing staff involved with them, and that’s just another layer of support for our students.”
Student Support Is Only the Beginning
In addition to the welcoming environment that helps Kent State students find their fit here, the university’s national reputation is another asset drawing students from out of state.
Sky Johnson, a junior fashion merchandising major who transferred from Texas Southern University, was out bright and early with her pup, Chrome, to volunteer with Movers and Groovers, a group of students, faculty and staff who help new, incoming students get moved in. Coming from Texas, Johnson said Kent State’s national reputation for fashion education is what brought her here.
I wanted to study fashion, so I’d rather come to a school that’s nationally ranked instead of one that doesn’t even have that major.
Across campus, Anne Chagoya, a junior who also came to Kent State for the fashion program, feels a long way from her home in Lubbock, Texas. No matter the distance, her parents, Jennifer and Johnny Chagoya, said they want their daughter to chase her dreams.
“She’s making a big commitment,” said Johnny Chagoya, Anne’s dad. “It’s what she wants, and we support her, and we want her to be happy and be successful.”
Knowing she has the love and support of her parents is an added confidence boost while being far from home.
“I would say I trust in my own ability,” Anne Chagoya said. “I’m an only child, so I feel like there’s definitely a different relationship, but I’ve really been able, thanks to them, to grow up and be more independent and responsible.”
When asked what word would characterize how he was feeling at the moment, first-year student Eamonn Baeslack picked “anticipatory.” Baeslack is beginning his Kent State experience in the Exploratory Program, which helps students explore academic interests and find the right major through coursework and personalized advising.
Regardless of whether a student has picked a major yet, Baeslack’s father had some advice that applies to anyone just beginning their college journey.
“I know everyone says that you really get this one chance at this; you’ll only be here one time. Try to remember that and take advantage of it while you’re actually here,” Damian Baeslack said. “It’s easy to kind of remember that your junior year and realize how much you could have done your freshman and sophomore year. So, do your best at that. You won’t, but I’m telling you anyway.”
For Kent State’s leadership, getting to watch new beginnings unfold – box by box, hug by hug – is the whole point of the day.
It’s one of my favorite days because I get to see students starting on this brand-new journey and their parents ushering them on to this new phase of life,” said Eboni Pringle, Ph.D., senior vice president for student life at Kent State.“Yesterday on day one of Move-In, I saw so many hugs and kisses and celebrations. I saw amazing families sending students off and so proud of this next part of their life. So we’re so excited to welcome them into their brand-new community and the first-year students we’re welcoming here because we couldn’t have a 5XÉçÇř without them. The Golden Experience is what we’re ready to deliver.
