Saddleback students clean up for Earth Day
For the campus Earth Day cleanup on April 22, students were each given gloves and a trash bag as well as a designated area where they picked up trash. (Noemi Bueno Rojo)
With gloves and trash bags in hand, some singing and dancing, about 20 students volunteered to take part in a campus cleanup around Saddleback College to commemorate Earth Day, the national holiday celebrated on April 22. Some took part for extra credit from instructor Morgan Barrows.
“I am doing the campus cleanup, because I believe it is really important to pick up our campus and keep it clean,” Logan Cherland said. “I think we have all noticed there is a lot of litter and trash around so Earth Day is as good as any other to do this, all while also receiving some extra credit.”
The event was organized by Brittany Poloni, substitute lab technician for the environmental studies department. Her job is to oversee anything in the department’s labs and campus events .
“A lot of people may not even really know Earth Day exists and it has been happening for several decades,” Poloni said. “So, getting involved in something small such as a cleanup whether here on campus or off, all it kind of really does is expose awareness and give people involved a chance to connect with each other about what is happening around them.”
Before heading out each student signed in, received their gloves and a trash bag and waited to be assigned with a group leader and designated area.
Barrows classes broke up into five different groups and went around with campus maps to pick up trash on specifically marked areas. These places were the main Quad, as well as the Health and Science, Fine Arts, Science and Math, and Learning Resource buildings.
In just a few short minutes before arriving to their areas, students were able to find all kinds of trash ranging from small straw wrappers to aluminum soda cans. Some of the trash was found on the sides of the dirt hills lining the parking lots around the school while there are trash cans just a few feet away from where the trash was picked up.
“I chose do this in the beginning for extra credit but then help beautify our campus,” Chris Camerino said.
