Along with the print edition of the Orientation Issue, we will be posting all content online here at kentstater.com under a new tab labeled “Orientation.” The content will remain live on the site, as most of the content is timeless and applicable for all students. Be sure to follow kentstater.com on Twitter @kentwired. 

From the editor:

This summer was quite the experience. From the beginning I knew it would be a fun and interesting experience but also a tough and hard learning process. You see, this was the first summer the Daily Kent Stater went all-digital. With the exception of a special edition welcoming and highlighting Beverly Warren’s first day as president of the university. For the first time ever, all news content, photographs and feature stories were posted online only.

This Orientation Issue is the product not just of time spent reporting and photographing the wonderful campus and downtown that make Kent amazing, but experiences had along the way. I believe that life – and life spent learning from classes, friends and exploring the unknown, is all about the experience.

Whether you’re an incoming freshman or a returning student, I hope the following pages will provide you with similar experiences. Let these sections be a guide for your time spent at Kent State this semester and, for some of you, the next four years of your life. 

Section A is a Kent State Survival Guide. This section contains everything you need to know, from profiles on who you should know in the administration (there’s someone in charge of maintaining diversity?) to campus safety tips and numbers, how not to look like a freshman (trust me, you’ll learn) to what it’s like to be a commuter student, and even how to beat the “freshman 15.” 

Section B is focused on Life in Kent. Take a look at the full color map of downtown and read about the vast choices to make when it comes to food, drinks and shopping in Kent. Be safe and think ahead, always. Use the scavenger hunt photo page and see if you can find the locations we’ve caught through our lenses. 

Section C is all about Life on Campus. If you’re worried about getting involved, making friends just making it through the first week, read through these stories. Check out the list of student organizations you could join, including Greek life. Consider the options for studying abroad or where to go if you need medical help or want to vent.

Section D is all about Sports at Kent. With multiple championships and countless awards for individual players and teams, Kent State is home to some of the best athletic programs around. Find out which games you’ll want to attend this semester and what players to keep an eye on. This is where our opinion page is located, also. See what your fellow classmates have to say about surviving college, dealing with roommates and handling stress. 

I hope that we’ve provided the means for you to explore and learn Kent State and downtown Kent with this issue.

Be sure to stay up on campus news and entertainment this year with kentstater.com, the Kentwired app, as well as The Kent Stater, which will be printed Mondays and Thursdays, with Buzz on Wednesdays, and TV2 programming throughout the day and Black Squirrel Radio available online.

Matt Merchant, Summer Kent State editor