Join us for Alden's 50th birthday at Camp Alden with s'mores and more
August 14, 2019
Welcome back students!
Come explore Camp Alden as we trek through all seven floors of Alden Library on a scavenger hunt and earn a free t-shirt; grill late-night s鈥檓ores on the patio; take in a game of cornhole toss or a few putts on the mini-golf preview; and create some wearable art with our button making station鈥攁ll in celebration of Alden Library鈥檚 50th birthday. This event is free and open to the OHIO community.
Held Wed., Sept. 4 from 8 p.m. to midnight on Alden Library鈥檚 fourth floor, Camp Alden is back by popular demand. Some may remember the first time, in 2017, when the Libraries were kicking off the 24/5 opening of Alden鈥檚 fourth floor.
Joey Walden, library support specialist for User Services, who worked the event in 2017, fondly remembers the reactions of some international students eating s鈥檓ores for the first time:
鈥淭hey had no idea what it was鈥ome people loved it [and], some people said 鈥極h, this is really sweet!鈥 You know [how it is] the first time having a s鈥檓ore, which is just sugar, chocolate and graham crackers. It was fun seeing their reaction.鈥
This year the Libraries is doing something a little different than 2017鈥攖hey are adding a scavenger hunt.
鈥淭he scavenger hunt is so sneaky, just because you have to go to the different floors to learn a little bit about [what] each of the floors [offer]. Like knowing the different layout of everything, or finding CoLab, and stuff like that. I just thought this is really cool,鈥 explains Walden.
A 2016 alumnus of OHIO, who completed two master鈥檚 degrees while working as a student employee at the Music and Dance Library, Walden understands first-hand how daunting it can be for new students coming into Alden Library.
鈥淲hen I first came over here from Music and Dance, I was terrified just because of the size of the operation. And I think the [Camp Alden activities] will help break the ice a little鈥f you have something fun [to do], I think it helps tear down that fear of 鈥極h no, I don鈥檛 know what I am doing.鈥 It helps make you feel a little more able to explore.鈥
The scavenger hunt, the brainstorm of Amanda DeLong-Carter and Jacob Jakuszeit, overnight library support associates, and Jen Harvey, events coordinator, is set up for students to explore Alden Library using clues that help demystify the seven floors and maybe learn something鈥攊n a fun way.
One of those 鈥渇un鈥 clues will lead students to the zero-gravity chairs, which not only finds students enjoying their studies seated on these chairs but, sometimes, the Libraries鈥 staff as well.
鈥淚 am a HUGE fan of those chairs. I have sat on them, and I love spinning on them occasionally. It is kind of scary at first, but it is a lot of fun. I was surprised at how comfortable they are,鈥 said Walden.
So, be sure to stop by on Sept. 4 for an evening filled with food, fun and games.