By Alex Sorrells / Jambar Contributor
The Youngstown State University history department is preparing an oral history project covering the life of Kilcawley Center, starting with the ‘70s.
Allison Bye, assistant director of alumni engagement, said interviews with alumni have allowed students to gain insight into the building’s generational history, creating a project that will be preserved in the William F. Maag Library, Jr. University Archives.
“We have every alumni from every decade that Kilcawley has been opened, as early as the 1970s all the way up to as recently as last year, and everyone is sharing their perspective,” Bye said. “People that were on student government, people that were involved heavily in YSU, whether in Greek Life or sports or any walk of life.”
Brian Bonhomme, history program coordinator, said the project allows alumni to experience their memories of Kilcawley before the building is razed.
“The danger is that the memory of it goes away,” Bonhomme said. “Asking people to come back and relate their memories and experiences reconnects them very much with campus. It’s a little bit like a high school reunion.”
Interviews are scheduled and the project is on track to finish in May. Bye said she hopes it continues into next semester for other history students to work on.
“All of the interviews that we are conducting will be transcribed and put up on digital.maag … and will be available there for public use and for research,” Bye said. “We’re hoping to get out of this potentially an exhibition, maybe housed somewhere on campus.”
Bonhomme said an emphasis on applied history plays a part in project development as students in the history department build experience.
“One of the things we’ve tried to emphasize a lot in the history program in recent years is hands-on activities, engaged learning and so on,” Bonhomme said. “Active experiences that affect the community or serve the community.”
Although interviews haven’t begun, history majors Ashleigh Hodge and Drew Baldwin are in touch with alumni. Hodge said they plan to interview 10-15 alumni and so far, many are happy to participate.
“We’re talking to someone who we’re interviewing in a few weeks … She [said] ‘Oh, I’d love to be part of that!’ and she’s telling us she was a homecoming queen while she was here,” Hodge said. “Alumni in general are excited to get back in touch with their roots at YSU.”
Baldwin said he’s already learned new information and interesting facts regarding Kilcawley and YSU as a whole.
“It’s given me a chance to look at the history,” Baldwin said. “I learned that there was a penguin, an actual live penguin here.”
Bye said as a popular building for activity, Kilcawley encompasses a feeling of fellowship and affiliation for students and alumni.
“As you’ll find out when you graduate, there’s always something that’s going to tie you here,” Bye said. “It’s important that — not only do we foster that sense of belonging and sense of camaraderie among students, but also remind our alumni [of] that [and] encourage them to stay engaged.”
