Libraries celebrates Dads Weekend with Alden Open

Miniature golf is not a common fixture in most university libraries, however, at Alden Library, it has become quite a tradition during Dads Weekend. The seventh annual Alden Open will be held on Nov. 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will feature a three-floor mini golf course in which participants will have the option of paying $5 to play nine holes or $10 to play 18 holes. The event will also include a variety of other games and activities, as well a host of snacks throughout the day including cider, donuts, popcorn, sweets and more!

“We want to leave students with a positive experience in the Library always... come to the Library and just have fun for a change..have fun with their dads and maybe view the Library in a different way,” said Jennifer Harvey, library events coordinator.

According to Harvey, the goal of Alden Open is to raise funds for the Student Research and Creative Activity Expo. For the past 15 years, the Expo has allowed hundreds of undergraduate, graduate and medical students to gather at the Convocation Center to present their original work and compete for cash prizes, and the Libraries is just one of many sponsors that aid in the organization of the event.

“Last year is going to be pretty hard to top. We had over 500 golfers through the course last year, so, we’re hoping to be as busy if not more,” Harvey said.

Halle Harris, a mechanical engineering major, said at the 2017 Alden Open that the game served as her first golfing experience in a library, and she was happy to spend it with her father, who traveled from Circleville, Ohio, to visit her.

“We wanted to do some of the activities and some one-on-one time,” said Halle’s father Jay Harris.

Harvey encourages students and faculty to come and support Alden Open. It’s not just an event for students; it’s open to anyone who likes to have fun, she said.