What an amazing time Kean University has had celebrating Unity Week 2025. From Monday, April 7th to Monday, April 14th, the campus was filled with fun and exciting activities for all to enjoy. Several clubs and organizations hosted events during this time to celebrate the diverse culture of Kean University and acknowledge its Founders. The featured student events included the Students vs Faculty/Staff Basketball Game, Culture Fest, Unity Week Comedy Show, and the Founders 5K Race.
Other events included Empower Hour Series, Pie a Sister, Step Into It Workshop, 2025 KWC Health and Wellness Expo, Careers in Education Job Fair, Kupcakes & Poppi Social, Bubble Tea with God, Zumba Class, First to Climb Higher Celebration, and Founders Day Celebration.
Here at Kean University, Unity Week recognizes the many cultures and unique differences the students, faculty, and staff have. This special time during the Spring semester means something different for everyone.
Danielle Clark, a Public Administration major and junior from Wharton, shared what this time means to her.
“To me, Unity Week just means showing pride for your school and other cultures and people’s backgrounds. It’s a great way to learn and get involved on campus.”
The week began with an exciting Students vs Faculty/Staff Basketball Game. With both teams playing competitively, the students walked away with a win with a score of 48-49.
But it was Culture Fest that truly kicked off the reason for celebration. What better way to show unity than by sharing your culture? Culture-based student-led organizations gathered in the Miron Student Center (MSC) with games, snacks, and music to display their cultural heritage.
Chetana Bidesi, a freshman and Biomedicine major from India, now living in Edison, celebrated Hindu culture with her group, Hindu Youth for Unity, Virtues, and Action (YUVA).
“Our goal here [is] to make people aware that Hindu culture is still here in this school, and we want to make people educated on what the Hindu culture is, not just like the basics but the history behind it,” she said.
“We have here kaju katli, that’s a sweet made of cashews, and it’s made into like a diamond shape just to make it fun. We also have bracelets here and earrings, just showcasing that Indian culture.”
Maintaining the Culture Fest hype, Wednesday, April 9, SGA and the Graduate Student Government (GSG) hosted the Unity Week Comedy Show featuring comedian and television personality, Sal Vulcano.
Leanny Regalado, from Paterson, and a Psychology major in her senior year, voiced her enthusiasm for the event and showed gratitude to SGA.
“I’m really excited for Sal, he’s very fun, so I’m looking forward to this! Props to SGA for bringing this event to life, they always kill it with their super, super iconic sell-out shows, so I’m really excited.”
Unity Walk 2025 was another event that successfully gathered the university together and was hosted by Well Being at Work, the Office of Student Government, and the GSG.
Makenzie Kuntz, President of SGA, explained the purpose of the walk.
“Today we have the Unity Walk, which is just a collaboration with Well Being at Work with Nicole Klein, who is spearheading this whole initiative. It’s just a walk to bring the campus community together to promote health and wellness during Unity Week,” stated Kuntz.
“We have students, faculty, administration [here] just to get outside, go on a nice walk, forget about the stresses of the day, and just enjoy some quality time together. That’s what today means.”
Rashaad Couloote, a Grad student from Piscataway studying Forensic Psychology appreciated the support from those on campus and enjoyed the peace of mind the walk gave as students approach exam week.
“I thought the Unity Walk was very important. It showcased togetherness and it was very calming, since finals are around the corner,” expressed Couloote.
“Also, it is great to get a lot of people from different departments to show up and do an activity. That’s hard for certain organizations to do, so I thought it was very powerful.”
The events included during Unity Week reflect the diversity of the Kean University campus and give students something to look forward to as the semester comes to an end.
Unity Week ended with the Founders Day Celebration at the MSC Patio. As the DJ played music, students took pictures at the photobooth, enjoyed refreshments, and received a complimentary T-shirt. Students were also able to write letters thanking donors who contributed greatly to the school.
President Repollet shared that this was the most successful Founders Day in the history of the university. Over $700,000 was raised from 423 generous donors. In addition, the College of Business and Public Management earned the Founders Day trophy for having the highest participation among all the colleges.
Unity Week 2025 was nothing short of amazing. Students, faculty, and staff enjoyed the various festivities that united the university. Unity Week showcased the culture and unparalleled experiences that bring us together and strengthen the values of our Kean University.
