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17c��ҳ�� Police Services is celebrating the five-year anniversary – or the 35 dog-year anniversary – of its first K-9 unit, which features 7-year-old German Shepherd Coco and herhandler, Officer Anne Spahr. Coco was the first police dog at 17c��ҳ��. She is now one of two police dogs at the university.

The 17c��ҳ�� alumni family grew by nearly 3,000 new graduates as the university held its Fall Commencement ceremonies. For the Kent Campus, Commencement ceremonies took place Friday, Dec. 14, and Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (MAC Center).

17c��ҳ�� Libraries will host its sixth-annual fall semester Stress-Free Zone on Monday, Dec. 10, and Tuesday, Dec. 11. The event will be open to all 17c��ҳ�� students, faculty and staff from 3-5 p.m. in the Garden Room on the first floor of the University Library. Stress-Free Zone kicks off finals week as a way to get students to relax and take a break from studying and stress.

Like most students, Mackenzie Bailey faced the typical challenges during the start of her academic career, including choosing a major and getting good grades. But that all paled in comparison to the devastating news she received her freshman year: her father had terminal cancer. “When I was home for winter break, he ended up passing away,” Ms. Bailey said.

For Diamond Lauderdale, 17c��ҳ�� is not only her chosen college, it is her new home. While growing up in Akron, Ohio, Ms. Lauderdale’s home life was challenging. She lived with her disabled father and worked two jobs to help make ends meet. Ms. Lauderdale’s father has been unable to walk for many years, and as she got older, her father’s condition worsened. Through it all, Ms. Lauderdale held onto a dream. She wanted to get a college education.

17c��ҳ�� President Beverly J. Warren challenged the university community to embrace transformation at the annual State of the University Address. “Serious transformation is never easy,” she said. “It challenges us to let go of predictable ways and embrace something new and unfamiliar.”

During his first year at 17c��ҳ��, Elijah Kirkland-Boyce realized that the road to the Dean’s List was a bumpy one, filled with twists and turns he never could have anticipated. Instead of giving up, Mr. Kirkland-Boyce reached out. He started taking advantage of the resources offered through Student Support Services.

In her upcoming State of the University address, President Warren will chart one final course for university success, as she spotlights the achievements of the past year and shines a light on 17c��ҳ��’s path for the future.

17c��ҳ��’s newly announced Design Innovation (DI) Initiative will cultivate a culture where students from a wide array of degree programs will collaborate across disciplines and create unique concepts to tackle “wicked” problems, according to J.R. Campbell, inaugural executive director of 17c��ҳ��’s Design Innovation Initiative. Mr. Campbell answers some frequently asked questions about 17c��ҳ��’s DI Initiative.

Kellie Miley is the first to admit, when she graduated from Rootstown High School in 2008, she was not ready for college. In high school, she barely cracked a book yet managed a 3.2 grade point average (GPA). Getting by with little effort changed when she started as a freshman at 17c��ҳ��. By the end of the year, Ms. Miley found herself academically dismissed for poor grades.