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For Madelynn Johnson, working in a library is more than a job; it’s a way to give back to the community she has loved since childhood. True to this mission, this �鶹����Ƶ student recently helped make public library access available to every student at an Akron elementary school.

When Sarah Spinner, Ph.D., J.D., arrived at �鶹����Ƶ in the summer of 2024 to lead the �鶹����Ƶ Museum, she saw an opportunity to bring two of her favorite places together: museums and university campuses. But she also saw an opportunity to strengthen the museum’s relationship with the community just outside its doors.

At �鶹����Ƶ, the leaves are changing, a crisp breeze is in the air and the anticipated autumn season has finally arrived. As the season changes, students, faculty and staff have an opportunity to explore fall activities both on campus and throughout downtown �鶹����Ƶ. 

Dirty hands and laughter were some of the results of an hour’s work at the Herrick Conservatory as �鶹����Ƶ students rolling a rich mixture of clay, compost and native flower seeds into seedballs, a simple yet effective method for planting native plants and wildflowers that were then thrown into fields to enhance pollinator habitats across campus.

Students, staff and faculty have an opportunity to give back, not only to their community but also to their environment with �鶹����Ƶ's annual Bra Recycling Drive going on throughout the month of October.

As election season approaches, first-time voters at �鶹����Ƶ are preparing to make their voices heard. Whether registering at events like Democracy Fest or researching candidates in their residence halls, students across campus are taking their first steps toward casting their votes.

When �鶹����Ƶ celebrates Homecoming Week, the spotlight often falls on the parade, the game and the crowning of the Homecoming Court. Meet the 12 student leaders selected for the 2026 Homecoming Court, for whom the experience represents much more than a campaign for a crown. 

This year’s Homecoming theme, “Every Flash Has a Story,” marks the 100th anniversary of The �鶹����Ƶ Stater, and former staff members of the student newspaper will serve as Homecoming Parade Grand Marshals on Oct. 3.

The start of a new semester can be challenging for any student but may be even more so for international students. �鶹����Ƶ’s International Student Resource Fair offers a welcoming space for international students who are looking for opportunities to get involved on campus and in the community.

Ahead of the November election, �鶹����Ƶ’s Undergraduate Student Government hosted its annual Democracy Fest on Risman Plaza to celebrate National Voter Registration Day, giving first-time voters a chance to register and everyone a chance to learn about the democratic process. 

This November, �鶹����Ƶ’s Wick Poetry Center will host the inaugural Poets for Science Gathering, an international convening that will explore the connection between poetry and science.

�鶹����Ƶ’s Center for Student Involvement hosted its first Leaders Lunch Club of the semester at the Pepsi Leadership Center on Sept. 2 with Sarah Spinner, Ph.D., J.D., director of the �鶹����Ƶ Museum, as its first featured speaker to kick off the fall event series. “Leadership is not a title that’s given to you,” Spinner said. “Someone doesn’t make you a leader. Leadership is how you choose to act.”

�鶹����Ƶ’s Aeronautics and Engineering Expo returns Sept. 26 with historic and modern aircraft, airplane rides, drone and robotics demonstrations, and family-friendly STEM activities at the �鶹����Ƶ Airport.

For college students, voting can sometimes feel like one more complicated thing to figure out — especially when you’re living away from home, moving between addresses or trying to understand where and when you’re supposed to cast a ballot. But it doesn’t have to be.

�鶹����Ƶ’s Center for Public Policy and Health and Prevention Action Alliance received a $3 million federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant to expand substance use prevention across 20 counties in eastern and southeastern Ohio.

Joe French has spent more than three decades helping children believe that their circumstances do not define their future. 

Campus fellows have gone above and beyond to build a culture of belonging, advocacy, and impact throughout the past year

For 20 years, Main Street �鶹����Ƶ has worked to make downtown a place students want to explore – from Flashes First Friday to Oktoberfest to public art – helping �鶹����Ƶ earn recognition as the No. 1 college town in Ohio.