A Year of Archives: In Review

A Year of Archives: In Review
Hannah Rogell

    WOW! One whole year of an official Archives G period existing, and WOW we have accomplished so much! Looking back, I am a mixture of exhausted and extremely proud. You’ve all seen The Archives Team in Chapel, but we’ve been doing a lot behind the scenes too! Let’s start from the beginning…
    In the Fall, we were busy planning Homecoming. We hauled tons of boxes down many flights of stairs, carefully sorted through them, and then spent hours in front of the scanner so that we could store our history safely from another flood (Please no.) In short: Homecoming was a HUGE success! We met so many wonderful people, uncovered shocking mysteries, and met some personal heroes, including Mr. Cheeseman! On behalf of The Archives Team, it was an honor meeting each and every one of our alums who visited, and we hope to see them again this fall for Homecoming, and then in 2026 for Wooster’s Centennial! They will surely be celebrations to remember. 
    In the Winter, we began presenting in Chapel, which was super scary at first, but I think we’ve got the hang of it by now! Your positivity and love for our work have meant so much to us, thank you! We scanned hundreds of pictures, read dozens of articles, and washed our hands a million times. We also got a second visit from Mr. Cheese, and he donated priceless additions to our collection, including a Wooster hot sauce! Personally, I think tasting it might be the end of me.
    In the Spring, we continued presenting, scanning, and slowly cleaning out the insanity that is the Chapel attic. We have found many treasures, including Eugenia Coburn’s scrapbook, vinyls from the 1950s, and lots, and lots, and LOTS of old film reels, some even dating back to the 1940s! I am SO SO SO excited to eventually view them, and don’t worry, I’ll make sure we can all watch them at some point next year (I hope). We uncovered the origins of an old clock, attempted to pin down the origins of DQ Day, and reminded everyone of that one time the Vice President came to Wooster. We also organized an “archival spread" for the friends and former classmates of Wooster alum Mitch Wilson, who sadly passed away last November; far too soon. It was our pleasure to provide a space for the ones closest to him to reminisce about their time here, and we hope you will be happy to know his picture is still hanging above our scanner.
    And now the year is coming to an end, which is hard to believe. A lot has changed and will continue to do so, including The Archives Team. Next year…The Archives Team WILL BE RETURNING IN FULL FORCE! WOOHOO! Our ranks are growing, our commitment is stronger, and we are so excited to continue bringing Wooster’s history to life! 
    Thank you again for all of your support, your curiosity is what fuels us. Have a great summer, and we’ll see you in the Fall!