Kent State was one of many stops for Democratic Lt. Gov. candidate Yvette McGee Brown, as she campaigns with Ted Strickland throughout the area.

The two are campaigning hard for the upcoming election, and have a number of stops scheduled around the state this upcoming week.

Bill Clinton will host a rally Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Cuyahoga Community College Metro Campus Gymnasium in Cleveland for the candidates, and Strickland will have a televised debate with his opponent, Republican

Congressman John Kasich Tuesday.

Brown spoke to Kent State students in the lower level of Eastway Friday about the importance of higher education.

The Undergraduate Student Government brought Brown to campus as part

of its nonpartisan political candidate series. The NAACP, Black United

Students and the College Democrats also hosted the event.

During her visit, Brown told students not to count themselves out of

today’s global economy.

“The economy is slow, but if you prepare yourself, the opportunities

are going to be there,” she said. “Even if you have to take out a

student loan, understand that is an investment. You will be able to

pay that back.”

Brown told the audience how it took her 12 years to pay back her

student loans, but she always remembered that after earning her

education no one could take it away from her.

“That student loan has lasted me far longer than that first car loan

or that first apartment,” she said.

Brown said she and Gov. Ted Strickland plan to keep higher education

accessible for all students and prevent tuition increases.

Strickland capped the tuition hike at 3.5 percent last year after a

two-year tuition freeze in the state.

Brown said she plans to be active if she is elected and will continue

to align community colleges with public universities, so credits

transfer easier from school-to-school.

“I am not going to be a ribbon cutter, showing up for ceremonial

things,” Brown said. “I’m going to be doing work.”

Jasmine Harris, sophomore human development and family services major,

said she was encouraged by Brown’s speech because she recognizes the

problems in Ohio’s education system.

“There are a lot of things we forget, educational-wise, as far as

getting a good education,” Harris said. “I liked how she talked about

not just higher education, but starting in elementary school and

raising graduation rates, especially in Cleveland.”

Contact Kelley Stoklosa at [email protected].