Campus foliage was boasting the season’s vibrant reds and oranges as staff and students gathered outside Brennan Hall to take part in St. Mike’s Fall Cleanup Day. The event was organized by SMCSU’s Wellness Team and took place during St. Michael’s Wellness Week on the final day before the midterm break.
“It’s a great way to get outside and be a part of the community before everyone leaves for the break. I think it’s cool that we can take a break and help in our own small way,” says Justus Croskery, VP of Spiritual Life and a third-year student studying computer science and mathematics.
Participants picked up supplies to do their part to help keep the grounds tidy in anticipation of the upcoming winter season and then broke off into groups to tackle different areas of the campus.
“I love St. Mike’s! It’s always lovely to walk through the campus and I am motivated to keep it that way,” says Vaishu Koduri, a fourth-year student majoring in genetics and cell molecular biology. “This is a really nice green space, which is hard to find in the busy city. By participating, I hope to share a moment of gratitude for the space that we have,” she adds.
For Jack Sturman, a third-year history student and events coordinator for St. Michael’s Residence Council, it was his first time participating in a cleanup day. He decided to join as a way to get involved and help out.
“I know a lot of the groundskeepers and participating is a way to show my appreciation for all the work they do for us all the time,” he says.
He chose to join the group cleaning up cigarette butts that had been dropped in the laneway on the west side of the Kelly Library because the library is one of favourite places on campus and he wanted to do his part to keep it clean.
The clean up crew cleared eight bags of trash from the campus, before taking a well-deserved pizza break in the COOP.