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Rally towels, strobe lights and the Marching Golden Flashes added to the celebration on Aug. 16, when ������ welcomed its Class of 2028 with a rocking pep rally at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.

Freshman Convocation is designed to get incoming first-year students excited about the start of their academic careers and to introduce them to university deans, faculty and administrators who are there to help them throughout their educational journeys.

President Todd Diacon entered the MAC Center to thunderous applause, and delivered an address reminding students of Kent State’s core values: “We respect freedom of speech, and we practice kindness and respect in all that we do.”

Diacon told students in this contentious national election year, it is particularly important to extend kindness to those who think differently from them.

“Don’t make a person’s political opinion your single measuring stick for determining the kind of person they are,” the president advised students.

As is becoming his annual tradition, Diacon introduced the freshmen to one of his favorite songs, released in 1969 by jazz great Pharaoh Sanders, and its brief lyrics:  

“The creator has a working plan, peace and happiness for every man. The creator has a master plan, peace and happiness for every man. The creator makes but one demand, peace and happiness through all the land.”  

He encouraged students to embrace the philosophy of Sanders’ lyrics.

“You will experience your share of storms, we are here to help you navigate those roiled waters,” Diacon said.

Sean Fabila, a freshman from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said the rally was fun and engaging.

“I enjoyed it, it was pretty engaging with a lot of student participation too,” said Fabila, who is studying sports medicine in the College of Education, Health and Human Services.

Fabila said he appreciated President Diacon’s message on Kent State’s core values.

“It made sense, especially with the history of Kent State and the shootings,” he said.

Senior Vice President and Provost Melody Tankersley, Ph.D., told the group of more than 4,000 students they were chosen from more than 28,000 applicants.

“Let’s hear it for you, Class of 2028. Welcome to ������,” she said.

Introducing faculty and the deans of Kent State’s colleges, Tankersley said, “Faculty will encourage, support and expect the best from you. … They are the best of the best and you get to have them in your classroom.”

“I hope you see the tremendous support you have here at Kent State,” she said.

Syndee Allen, a freshman fashion design major from Macedonia, Ohio, said she enjoyed the rally and thought it was a fun way to start the semester and her first year, for which she is “both excited and nervous.”

“It was a great way to meet new people,” is how freshman Jayla Smith of Wooster, Ohio, described convocation.

The early childhood education major emerged from the event with Noelle Reid, a freshman from New Castle, Pennsylvania, studying speech pathology.

Both Smith and Reid are in the College of Education, Health and Human Services, and met when seated together at the rally.

“I think it was a really good ice breaker,” Reid said.

Talea Drummer-Ferrell, Ph.D., associate vice president for Student Life and dean of students, hosted the event, and told the group that their education at Kent State, “Will inspire you to fight for what is right.”

At Kent State, “You will find yourself,” she said.

A special guest at the Convocation was Ambassador Edward F. Crawford, former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, who provided the largest single gift in Kent State history to enable the construction of a new business building on the university’s Kent Campus. The newly constructed building, Crawford Hall, is home to the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, which will be officially opened at a ceremony on Sept. 27. Crawford also spoke at the dean's welcome for students in Crawford College.

Following convocation, students took part in the annual tradition of posing for a “K” photo with the president.