Happy spring Lakers! To get in the spirit of spring cleaning, a number of campus cleanup events are being held in the coming weeks to help spruce up the campus.
Sustainability Club has partnered with Habitat for Humanity and MSG to make these events possible. These groups highly recommend that the student body participate for the cleanups to take full effect. This opportunity offers students a way to get service hours, but if a student is just wanting to lend a helping hand, they are more than welcome.
Three cleanup events have already been scheduled for the spring semester. These dates include April 11, April 18 and May 2.
The cleanup on April 18 kicks off Earth Week.
“[Sustainability Club is] very excited to be able to host a variety of events for students and faculty,” said Sustainability Club president, Erin Smith.
The Spring Cleaning Campus Clean-ups are scheduled from 12-2 p.m. on each of the dates listed above, and any student may participate at any time during those two hours.
If a person is only able to make it for a short amount of time, it is perfectly fine. Students do not have to stay for the full two hours, if they have another obligation. Any lending hand helps.
A sign-in table will be located outside of Old Main during the time of the cleanup. This is where students looking to participate in the cleanup can receive gloves and trash bags to accompany them when cleaning up. It is here that service forms will be signed by those running the table.
Oftentimes, littering may occur from wind picking up litter as well as garbage bins that are over-filled, not necessarily from the bad practice of students or staff on campus. However, these cleanups give the student body service opportunities along with a way to make the Mercyhurst campus more beautiful. Sustainability Club has always promoted trash clean-up events, but this year the group was limited.
“We have had to limit them this year due to COVID. In years past, we would travel to Presque Isle or other Erie parks to do cleanups, but the lack of transportation for all students involved made this difficult to do during the pandemic,” Smith said.
Now, Sustainability Club has decided to remain on campus and the surrounding area to do cleanups since transportation is not necessary with these locations.
As Sustainability Club president, Smith is looking forward to continuing their annual cleanup events even during the pandemic. Smith is also a member of the Habitat for Humanity board here at Mercyhurst, which has helped make partnering both clubs for these cleanups an easy process.
“Sustainability Club usually works closely with the sustainability committee of MSG, so we decided to provide more cleanup events this semester as well.”
These cleanup events give so many opportunities to students, while also making the Mercyhurst campus a cleaner, more beautiful place. If interested, do not hesitate. Go to the events and lend a helping hand, and you may even make some new friends along the way!