The Cougar’s Byte

On Sept. 8, Reines Plaza filled with music, food, student organizations and university resources as Kean University brought its annual Kean Day tradition to the Jersey City campus for the first time. From 1 to 3 pm, students explored campus organizations, academic programs and support services while meeting other members of the Kean Jersey City community amidst music and dancing, free food, and a photo booth.

Kean University’s annual Kean Day brought dozens of student organizations, university departments and campus resources together on Friday, Sept. 11, giving students a chance to explore opportunities outside the classroom along Cougar Walk. From noon to 4 p.m., tables stretched from the Miron Student Center Plaza down Cougar Walk toward Harwood Arena, with organizations, departments and community partners introducing students to what Kean has to offer.

On the morning of Thursday, August 27, Kean University faculty, staff, students, and community members filed into the campus in anticipation of the annual President’s Opening Day Address. They filled every row of Wilkins Theater, hundreds settling in as they listened to jazz music ahead of the speech. It was Lamont Repollet’s seventh year addressing the Kean community as the university president. Ada Morell, a member of the university’s Board of Trustees, introduced Repollet as the event began.

What do costumed dinosaurs, bumper cars, Dubai chocolate strawberries, and ping pong tournaments have in common? As Kean Cougars can tell you, they were all part of the 2026 edition of Jump Into Kean Week. From August 25 to September 1, Kean University hosted several events to welcome new and returning students to campus to the start of the academic year.

A marching band led the way into Harwood Arena as hundreds of students packed the entrance, greeted by a balloon arch, dancing students waving pom-poms and cheers of “Cou-Coug-Cougars” echoing across campus. The celebration marked Kean University’s 2026 Freshman Convocation on Wednesday, August 26, where the university officially welcomed its largest freshman class in history, the Class of 2030.

The Kean campus continued its annual Unity Week celebrations through Tuesday, April 7 and Wednesday, April 8, bringing an evening game show and afternoon salsa dances to students, and capped it off on Friday, April 10, with card games from several cultures. On Tuesday, students filed into the Little Theatre in the Miron Student Center for a “The Price is What?” game show.

As students go through their formative years in college, there are many honors they can accumulate. One of the most widely known here in America is the Dean’s List, an award given to those who, at Kean University, achieve a GPA of 3.45 or higher during the semester. This month, qualifying undergraduate students had the opportunity to receive certificates highlighting their achievement and take a photo to commemorate the experience.

On Wednesday, April 8, the Student Life Media Team and the Kean Wellness Center hosted a Paws & Peace event, where students could relieve their stress with therapy dogs, coloring sessions, and a smoothie bar. From 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, Penny the lab shepherd, Willow the purebred poodle, and Annie the toy poodle gathered in the pre-function lobby in the Miron Student Center to welcome an adoring crowd of Kean students.

Every year, the Kean community takes two weeks to honor the establishment of our institution and the students who keep it going. During the Fall, there’s the bliss of homecoming, full of tailgating, football games, and iconic performers taking on the Wilkins Theatre. However, there’s nothing like that one week in April, where students come together to celebrate the founding of our University, Unity Week.

On Tuesday, February 17, Kean University stepped into the Year of the Horse with the annual Lunar New Year celebration. From 3:30 to 4:30 pm, the Miron Student Center atrium was awash in golden and red as students immersed themselves in Chinese culture and traditions. After checking in (and getting a fortune cookie), attendees could visit several stations for activities to commemorate the event. At one table, students could get their Chinese name written down with ink and a brush.