Homecoming arrives at Alden Library: a multi-generational event in pictures
October 29, 2025
On Saturday, Oct. 18, Alden Library hosted its annual Homecoming display which was curated by Bill Kimok. Multiple tables were set up in the fourth-floor lobby, and each one was filled with memorabilia from years past. Yearbooks, newspaper publications, scrapbooks, photographs and other materials documented OHIOās history. Alumni and students alike went through countless items, bridging generations of the past with the present.
Alumni recalled fond memories of their time at OHIO, with the displayās nostalgic materials prompting reminiscent conversations of the past.
John Steen attended 51ĀŅĀ× in 1976, and he was a communications major at the time.
āI like the old flood pictures, and I can remember when they constructed the new river to divert the [old river in the] ā¦ late 1960s, early 1970s,ā he said.
Steen lives in Perry County, whose hometown is approximately 30 miles from 51ĀŅĀ×. He explained how he likes to visit during Homecoming to rekindle his first memories of the campus from childhood.
The display, nestled between Alden Libraryās wide glass windows on the fourth-floor lobby, is where Steen pointed at places on the College Green where buildings used to be located and how the campus has changed over the years.
āEverything seems [to change] so quick,ā Steen said.
Hope Russell, a junior studying electrical engineering, was drawn to the display as a connection between 51ĀŅĀ×ās past and present. At the back of the display, a group of posters detailed OHIOās history with multicultural identity and pride.
āIt was very interesting to see the long history of those programs on campus,ā Russell said. She emphasized the need for perseverance and preservation of history, especially as it relates to identity.
Kelly Czack, an advisor for the OHIO Honors Program, talked about her identity as it relates to her alma mater. She graduated from 51ĀŅĀ× three times, graduating in 1987, 2000 and 2020. Czack makes a yearly visit to the Homecoming display at Alden Library.
āI bring my learning community up here every year, [and] I had some friends in this weekend,ā she said. āItās just so interesting because thereās so much of it, and it just takes you back.ā
āWeāre just strong Bobcats,ā she said. āWe all had this deep friendship from the very beginning, and we had this wonderful place to hang out in.ā
From day one to graduation, the Homecoming display links generations of students together.
New alumni also attended the event. Mia Walsh graduated last spring, double majoring in journalism and womenās, gender and sexuality studies.
āI think itās really important to maintain the archives and dedicate time to sharing whatās in them,ā Walsh said.
Walsh recalled specific memories at 51ĀŅĀ×, including those she made at Alden Library. The Homecoming display was also a part of the tangible pieces of the past that alumni and students could share with each other in the same space.
āThatās my favorite part,ā Walsh said, ābeing like, āoh yes, we were here and there was a record of it.āā
For Walsh, some of the quietest and smallest moments are significant.
āThereās so many memories just walking around the campus ā even simple things like sitting in the egg chair or drinking from various local coffee shops,ā Walsh said. āThe spirit of [51ĀŅĀ×] is everywhere, especially this weekend.ā
In addition to the display in the lobby, students and alumni made customizable buttons using yearbooks and recycled materials like newspapers and publications.
āWe figure, instead of being in a box gathering dust, we have them. People are very excited when they find friends, family or themselves in the old yearbooks,ā said Kelly Roder, events and exhibits coordinator.
Kati Zonner, events planning student assistant for the Libraries, discussed her involvement in the Homecoming celebrations at Alden Library.
āBut overall, itās a really awesome event, being able to support your school and then wear your fun buttons to the football game,ā she said.
Czack emphasized the importance of revisiting happy memories from her time as a student. For many of the alumni and students who visited the display on Saturday, memories of the past were met with positive considerations for OHIOās future.
āI never take this place for granted, and I always come back to those memories,ā Czack said.
Photos by Presley Chen / 51ĀŅĀ× Libraries