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The independent news website of The Kent Stater & KSTV

KentStater

The independent news website of The Kent Stater & KSTV

KentStater

The independent news website of The Kent Stater & KSTV

KentStater

FAFSA is now open for students

Jillian Flack and Aden Graves November 22, 2024

Students are now able to complete the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which was officially released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education, 10 days before its Dec....

Graduates pose on stage Thursday at the Kent Student Center Ballroom for Lavender Graduation, an annual event honoring the accomplishments of LGBTQ+ graduates.

Lavender Graduation celebrates accomplishments of LGBTQ+ graduates

Aden Graves, Reporter May 3, 2024

Students, staff and families filled the Kent Student Center Ballroom Thursday for Lavender Graduation, an annual event honoring the accomplishments of LGBTQ+ graduates. The LGBTQ+ Center started the...

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill into law banning transgender students from using school bathrooms and locker rooms that match up with their gender identity. The law requires people at Ohio K-12 schools and universities use the restroom that aligns with their gender assigned at birth. | File photo

Inside House Bill 183: Ohio’s latest bathroom bill

Aden Graves, Reporter April 27, 2024

On the night of a formal dance at their high school, Aiden Zapisek, who identifies as non-binary and gay, entered a stall in the men’s bathroom. Soon after, a group of boys walked in and surrounded the...

Exterior of Taco Tontos, located at 123 Franklin Ave.

BOK ’24: Best Mexican food

Aden Graves, Co-Opinion Editor April 4, 2024

FIRST: Taco Tontos What started as a tiny food truck in the ‘70s run by a man nicknamed “Tonto” in downtown Kent, Taco Tontos keeps customers coming back 52 years later with its customizable baked...

In memory of Nex Benedict, a non-binary teen who died in February, participants of the KSURGE Candlelight Vigil hold candles and observe a moment of silence on March 21, 2024.

‘How many more?’: Candlelight vigil honors LGBTQ+ hate crime victims

Aden Graves, Reporter March 22, 2024

LGBTQ+ students and allies gathered Thursday at the rock on Hilltop Drive for a candlelight vigil honoring Oklahoma nonbinary teen Nex Benedict, who died last month one day after a school fight. Kent...

Courtesy of University Housing

Wigs, heels, community: University Housing to host first drag brunch

Aden Graves, Reporter March 15, 2024

Kent State students will sashay their way to the Student Center Ballroom on March 16 to see past and present students perform in drag during the first-ever KSU Housing Drag Brunch. The first 200 students...

THIS OR THAT: The Super Bowl: Less football, more entertainment

THIS OR THAT: The Super Bowl: Less football, more entertainment

KentWired Editorial Board February 3, 2024

This opinion was written by Kelsie Horner, Audrey Trevarthan, Aden Graves, Jackson Small, Taina Rivera, Casey Schroth, Hannah Saadey, Savana Capp, Annalexis Davis, Addison Foreman, Anneliese White, Emily...

KentWired Illustration by Mia Marino

OPINION: More than a pill: Why prescription drug commercials are so absurd

Aden Graves, Opinion Writer December 6, 2023

Cue the music. Cue the forced smiles, cringe-worthy dance numbers and terrible jingles.  From the copycat Ozempic theme inspired by the ‘70s Pilot rock song “Magic” to the jazzed-up ad promoting...

The Wright-Curtis Theatre is full of energy as the cast of Kent State’s “Cabaret” dances the night away. (via Bob Christy/University Communications and Marketing)

OPINION: Kent State’s ‘Cabaret’ echoes the horrors of society, calls for change

Aden Graves, Opinion Writer November 8, 2023

Just as you step foot into the Wright-Curtis Theatre, you’re transported into the jazzy and lively Kit Kat Klub, where everyone’s troubles seem to disappear… but not for long. This intimate nightclub...

OPINION: Halloween is the best holiday

OPINION: Halloween is the best holiday

Aden Graves, Opinion Writer October 28, 2023

It’s the time of year for leaves to turn into piles of red, orange and yellow. It’s the time for carving faces into pumpkins and sipping on hot apple cider. It’s the time for dressing up in...

OPINION: Mike Flanagan strikes gold with ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’

OPINION: Mike Flanagan strikes gold with ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’

Aden Graves, Opinion Writer October 25, 2023

It’s the twisted new show everyone is dying to watch. With his fifth Netflix limited horror series, Mike Flanagan has created yet another mind-bending saga, “The Fall of the House of Usher.” By...

Canva Illustration by Grace Clarke

OPINION: ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ brings a new meaning to horror

Aden Graves, Opinion Writer October 9, 2023

Editor’s note: This story contains topics of death, substance abuse and spoilers of the show.  Horror shows don't have to be filled with jump-scares or gory scenes to be scary.  While there are...