Shortly before tipoff of Kent State’s home opener against Mississippi Valley State University Wednesday night, members of the basketball team walked into the stands of the M.A.C. Center in search of fans of different races to bring onto the court for the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner."
It’s not something that had been done previously at Kent State, but because of the political and social turmoil in the country, senior Deon Edwin approached head coach Rob Senderoff prior to the start of the season with the idea.
“We wanted to make a statement and let everyone know that we’re aware of all the things that are going on in our country and that we wanted to make a stand for unity,” sophomore Jalen Avery said.