The Aftermath of Homecoming

Rachel Pukall rpuka198@uwsp.edu

The third annual homecoming clean up, took place Sunday, Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. following homecoming week.

The event is co-sponsored by the Student Government Association, the Residence Hall Association, and the Old Main Neighborhood Association.

“It’s a really positive community thing where we can get all of the students together,” said Ryan Specht, the Student Body President.

A group of over 50 students and about eight people from the Old Main Neighborhood Association, along with members of University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point athletic teams, got together and picked up trash in the neighborhood areas near campus.

“The Old Main Neighborhood Association are the people that live within a certain radius of Old Main, College Ave and Brigs,” said Jenna Furger, the Communication and Public Relations Director of SGA. “They are the homeowners that actually live there and go to meeting with students at the university.”

Volunteers met at the Dreyfus University Center at 10 a.m. where they listened to a welcome speech from the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor before they split into smaller teams and went off into different areas near Division, Main Street and Partners Pub. Everyone was given a pair of gloves and garbage bags as they picked up trash along the sidewalks and in front yards.

All volunteers received a free blue T-shirt that said “The Aftermath”, which they wore while cleaning and picking up trash.

“It’s cool because when you see the people in the shirts then you can recognize them because there will be a lot of people out cleaning up their own yards, so it’s kind of a cool way to show it’s student organized,” Furger said.

Toppers Pizza and Little Caesar’s Pizza also donated about 20 pizzas for the volunteers after the cleanup was completed.

“We love our student volunteers and we love it when people come and help out, so we try to give something in return,” Specht said.

The community loves the event, which has continued to grow each year. “Every year so far they have just loved the energy that students bring to help clean up. Rain or shine, sleet or snow, we’re going to be there,” Specht said.

It didn’t take the crew long to clean up with all the volunteers that came out to help.

“Since we had such a large turnout, it only took from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.,” Furger said. “Homecoming cleanup was a great success.”