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Author: Thomas Cassidy

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  • Thomas Cassidy
KSU President Whitten joins NCAA Committee on Academics
  • News

KSU President Whitten joins NCAA Committee on Academics

  • Thomas Cassidy
  • November 4, 2019
  • 0

Kennesaw State President Pamela Whitten is currently working directly with the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics.

Global Learning Scholarship to slowly disappear
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Global Learning Scholarship to slowly disappear

  • Thomas Cassidy
  • October 7, 2019
  • 0

KSU’s Mandatory Fee Committee is currently attempting to remove the mandatory International Fee which has supported the Global Learning Scholarship fund since 2008.

Professor awarded NSF Grant for computational chemistry research
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Professor awarded NSF Grant for computational chemistry research

  • Thomas Cassidy
  • September 30, 2019
  • 0

Kaledin plans to integrate parts of her research into future course materials for undergraduate and graduate students.

KSU Student Government holds town hall, addresses reconstruction concerns
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KSU Student Government holds town hall, addresses reconstruction concerns

  • Thomas Cassidy
  • September 23, 2019
  • 0

In response to rumors of renovations to the Student Center, Kennesaw State University’s Student Government Association hosted a town hall meeting on Friday, Sept. 20, to address the situation.

KSU hosts campus safety day at Marietta campus, public safety showcased
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KSU hosts campus safety day at Marietta campus, public safety showcased

  • Thomas Cassidy
  • September 9, 2019
  • 0

KSU showcased the Office of Victims Services, Office of Emergency Management and Police Department on “Campus Safety Day.”

Diplomacy Lab aims to solve global issues through student research, innovation
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Diplomacy Lab aims to solve global issues through student research, innovation

  • Thomas Cassidy
  • April 23, 2019
  • 0

KSU announced a partnership with the Department of State earlier this month to establish the Diplomacy Lab, which aims to solve foreign affairs issues with the help of student research and innovation.

The Sentinel logo

The Sentinel is the student newspaper of Kennesaw State University. Since 1966, The Sentinel has provided an open forum to the campus community. It is published in print monthly and online weekly.

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Accessibility Statement

Copyright © 2025 The Sentinel Theme: Fact News By Adore Themes.

KENNESAW, Ga. — Since October 1963, KSU Student Media has dedicated itself to authentic storytelling and exceptional journalism written by the students, for the students. Over the past two academic years, Student Media at Kennesaw State University has seen significant traction and promise through strong student leadership and ambitious
initiatives.

OWL Radio, The Sentinel Newspaper and The Peak Magazine have grown into organizations whose reach, whether through written word or radio broadcast, touches tens of thousands of students.

Despite the lack of institutional support, Sentinel and OWL Radio have been nominated for the Atlanta Press Club 2026 Awards of Excellence and the GABBY awards for Student Radio, respectively.

Kennesaw State University administration is hindering progress by stripping the key funding for The Sentinel, The Peak and OWL Radio.

On March 23, KSU announced that there were no remaining funds for Student Media. This eradicated the possibility for additional physical prints for The Sentinel or The Peak and drastically cut funding for OWL Radio’s event programming. The justification of the funding removal does not come with a promise of better housing, parking, or safety on campus for students. Rather, it comes with KSU’s neglect of their debt to their music licensing budget.

For the fiscal year, Student Media was allocated a $97,000 budget by the Division of Student Affairs. However, instead of the entirety going to Student Media, $61,185.99 of the budget paid for music licensing fees for Registered Student Organizations (RSOs), Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) and Student Affairs as a whole.

This move through budgeting resulted in Student Media paying not just the debt for the music licensing, but Kennesaw State University’s ability to play music across campus freely.
Despite only being responsible for part of the music licensing costs, Student Media’s budget covers almost all of KSU’s music licensing fees, excluding athletics. These fees take up 63.08% of Student Media’s total budget, meaning OWL Radio, The Peak and The Sentinel are only receiving a fraction of the funding they need to function.

Here’s the truth: Kennesaw State is disinterested in the growth of Student Media.

We are in a dangerous and pivotal time in American History. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, under the Trump Administration, Press Freedoms have been dubbed “no longer a given” by the organization.

Student reporting and radio operations are becoming more crucial by the day to cover important topics larger media outlets look away from, and the stripping of funding follows a dangerous step for KSU’s perspective on Press and Broadcasting Freedoms.

This follows a concerning enrollment pattern in KSU’s journalism program while other university papers, such as the University of Georgia’s Red & Black and Emory University’s The Emory Wheel, continue to thrive. Editorial Board: KSU’s Neglect of Student Media Is Unacceptable

The university’s journalism program, which did not exist until 2017 according to Campus Enrollment Data, saw early success, with peak enrollment numbers in 2018 and 2020. However, the program has seen a steady decline since 2021.

Instead of taking the time to invest in its journalism students, KSU has opted to invest into their athletic department, pouring millions of dollars into sports and freshmen generations, including a $15 million dollar naming deal with FifthThirds Stadium and a lack of housing or class priority for students who classify as non-freshman.

Fundamentally, Kennesaw State’s recent history has been defined by an administration that has neglected the student body and proven repeatedly that KSU’s priorities are financially tied to athletics and tuition revenue from incoming classes.

To have a thriving campus community, KSU must invest in its student body. Students want a university that cares for each student, not how many students it can accept and pack into a classroom or a stadium. A university is only as great as its students’ success, and without true support, KSU will always fall short.

OWL Radio, The Sentinel and The Peak are calling for the support of the student body, faculty and alumni by donating to Student Media through KSU’s Giving Day. Any amount helps and will allow Student Media to continue quality, student led content.

Signed Kennesaw State University Student Media Editors and Managers, Zaire Breedlove, Devyn Byers, Alexis Barton, Tye Brown, Devyn Woodard, Joey Hawthorne, Mary Wingate, Mafe Gomez, James Harris, Jordan Scruggs, Scott Daniell, Jackson Louneoubon

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