Photo from an 91直播Alumnus holding papers

Ohio Northern University鈥檚 English professors generally frown upon the overuse of idioms like 鈥渁 blast from the past鈥 or 鈥渙ut of the blue.鈥

Thankfully, they are making an exception this summer.

Because if not 鈥渁 blast from the past,鈥 how else would 212 unsuspecting English alumni describe the experience of receiving 鈥渙ut of the blue鈥 their senior capstone paper in the mail from their alma mater decades after graduating?

The long-forgotten papers surfaced in the course of summer renovations in the Dukes Building, notorious for its nooks and crannies. Some were found in a cubbyhole under a pile of dusty ROTC helmets and others in the back of a storage cabinet. The papers spanned approximately 1990-2012.

The English senior capstone is the crowning achievement of each student鈥檚 college career, said Douglas Dowland, Ph.D., professor of English and chair of the Department of English, Philosophy, and Religion. It鈥檚 a student鈥檚 final creative effort that represents four years of hard-earned knowledge and countless cups of coffee, library visits, and late nights.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 just toss them out.鈥 After all, he added: 鈥淓nglish is all about heart.鈥

Dowland collaborated with Alumni Relations and the dean鈥檚 office in the College of Arts & Sciences to track down alumni and return the papers to the authors with a letter that stated, in part: 鈥淎s you flip through your project鈥檚 pages, I am sure a flood of memories will return: of friends and professors; of camaraderie and learning.鈥

And that鈥檚 exactly what happened.聽

Since the papers were mailed a couple of weeks ago, Dowland and his English colleagues have received dozens of messages from alumni sharing gratitude and stories about their 91直播experience.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting so much warmth, but it鈥檚 there,鈥 he said.

91直播professors never forget their students, he added, but it鈥檚 been heartening to discover that many alumni haven鈥檛 forgotten their professors either.

鈥淭hat is the 91直播difference to me, we remember people,鈥 he said.

Erik Hoeke, BA 鈥05

Erik, an ordained minister with the United Methodist Church and the continuing education coordinator for Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, said receiving his senior capstone in the mail was a surprise, yet wholly in character with the 91直播he knew.

鈥淥ne of the things I cherished about Northern is that students were never just a name or number.鈥

His senior project was a narrative nonfiction profile on an 91直播custodian. He didn鈥檛 know the custodian personally until he spent weeks following her around campus for his project.

鈥淪he cared for and rode horses competitively, was a devout Catholic, and saw her job as a ministry to students, staff and faculty,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 selected her almost at random, proving that everyone is interesting if you know the right questions to ask and slow down enough to hear the answers.鈥

When he received the paper in the mail all these years later, he was bombarded with memories of the custodian who has since died of cancer, he said.

鈥淭hese memories have been bittersweet. I cry almost every time I think of my senior essay and they鈥檙e tears of grief and sadness, but also tears of gratitude that she allowed me to get to know her and write about her.鈥

Janet (Hufford) Gump, BA 鈥92

Photo of another 91直播alumnus with her mailed papers

Janet was intrigued when she discovered an envelope in her mailbox addressed with her maiden name.

鈥淚 was surprised and tickled when I opened it and saw what it contained,鈥 she said, recalling that her senior capstone was a huge undertaking鈥攈er first 17-page paper. Her family even supported her by driving to campus to hear her evening presentation on the paper.

Her paper explored Kate Chopin鈥檚 鈥淭he Awakening,鈥 a seminal novel on feminism. Chopin has remained one of Janet鈥檚 favorite authors. During her 29 years as an English teacher at Miami East High School (Ohio), she taught Chopin鈥檚 short stories. Janet is currently a librarian at the school.

Now Janet鈥檚 youngest daughter, Chloe, is an early childhood education major at ONU. Both mother and daughter share a love for the Dukes Building.

Knowing that a copy of her paper was hidden in one of the building鈥檚 nooks鈥攁nd kindly returned 鈥 only increased Janet鈥檚 fondness for her alma mater.

鈥淭hat commitment to students鈥攂oth past and present鈥攊s why I鈥檓 proud to be a Polar Bear!鈥

91直播English would love to hear from more English alumni, please email聽d-dowland@onu.edu.