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YSU homecoming draws crowd, victory
By Bob Jackson
YOUNGSTOWN
For Gregg McDowell, it truly was homecoming Saturday afternoon when he walked onto the campus of Youngstown State University.
McDowell, 65, lives in Sandusky and graduated from YSU in 1973 with a business administration degree. He and his wife, Amy, 57, were in town for the university’s homecoming activities.
“This is the first time I’ve come back,” said McDowell. “I’m pretty excited. I’m hoping to see some friends I haven’t seen in probably 45 years.”
McDowell said life and work kept him too busy over the years to ever make the trip back to Youngstown for homecoming. But now, as he nears retirement age, he’s begun to reconnect with old friends through social media, re-establishing connections.
Several of his old friends still live in the area, but some were coming from as far away as Philadelphia for the mini-reunion.
The McDowells said that after an afternoon of visiting in the tailgate lot, they planned to stick around for the Penguins’ homecoming football game against Southern Illinois University. The homecoming king and queen were crowned at halftime of the game.
“We’ve already got our tickets and our rain gear, so we’re all set,” a smiling Gregg McDowell said.
The sky was mostly gray as pregame festivities carried on, but the colors of the day were no doubt red and white. Although the tailgate lot wasn’t as full as it is on better days, there were still plenty of people sporting their Penguin colors and getting ready for the game.
Kids tossed footballs, people played cornhole, and others, including 57-year-old Valerie Holcomb of Youngstown, danced to music played by Guys Without Ties.
“I’m just waiting for the parade to get started,” said Holcomb as she danced with friends.
John Keleman of Liberty was surprised by his wife and friends with a pregame 50th birthday party in the tailgate lot.
“I was totally shocked,” said Keleman, whose birthday will actually be Tuesday. “I had no idea, but this is great!”
After leading the crowd in a chorus of “Happy Birthday” for Keleman, Guys Without Ties launched into a rocking rendition of The Beatles’ “Birthday.”
Keleman, a 1988 YSU grad, said he enjoys attending homecoming activities, and especially the football games.
“Being a YSU grad, it’s sentimental to come,” he said. “We need a big win today. And you can’t get much better competition than Southern Illinois.”
Tradition is what John Naypaver said brings him to homecoming each year.
“I’ve been here every year since I graduated [in 1976],” said Naypaver, 63, of Liberty. “It’s tradition. It’s kind of like going to the Canfield Fair. When someone asks you why you go, you just do.”
Like McDowell, Naypaver said he planned to scope out the corporate tents in the tailgate lot before the game, hoping to find some familiar faces and do some catching up.
Naypaver said he wasn’t discouraged or surprised by Saturday’s inclement weather.
“It always seems to rain on homecoming,” he said, laughing. “You just get to expect it.”
Vaughn Gobel Jr. of Poland was among the many YSU students who took part in the homecoming parade. He was featured on a float entered by Sigma Chi, Delta Zeta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Dressed in a red YSU sweater vest, Gobel was playing the part of university President Jim Tressel, while other fraternity and sorority members pretended to be paparazzi.
“I guess I’m [Tressel’s] fill-in today,” Gobel said, laughing, as he waited for the parade to start. Gobel is president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and the theme of its float was “Lifestyles of the Greek and Famous.” The parade theme was “Bright Lights, Red City.”
“It’s definitely an exciting time of year,” Gobel, 21, a senior clinical lab technology major, said of homecoming week. “It’s a time to rekindle friendships and get to see some past members who come back to campus.”