Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ celebrated Homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a theme honoring a century of student journalism. This year's theme, "Every Flash Has a Story," marked the 100th anniversary of The Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Stater, and former staff members of the student newspaper served as Homecoming Parade Grand Marshals.
Alumni, students, families, employees and community members gathered on the Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Campus in Ohio's best college town for a day of events rooted in a tradition that began in 1918.
The Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Stater published its first issue on July 29, 1926, under its first editor-in-chief, Peg Hayes, a few months after Searchlight, the university's first student newspaper, debuted in February 1926. For 100 years, the paper has operated as an independent, student-run newsroom where generations of reporters, photographers, designers and editors began their careers.
Block Party and Kiss on the K
The day began at 9 a.m. with a pre-parade Block Party on the Student Green outside the Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ Student Center along Summit Street, featuring games and family activities. Â鶹¶ÌÊÓƵ State couples took part in the annual "Kiss on the K" ceremony at 10 a.m. on Risman Plaza, sharing a kiss where their relationships began.
