Spring is the time when many potential students come to Northern to check out the college campus. Unfortunately this is also the time when the snow begins to melt — exposing the trash that has been hiding beneath all winter long.
Gina Lombardini, director of the campus visit program, said she’s noticed an increase in the amount of trash on campus.
“I can’t believe the garbage that’s around,” Lombardini said. “Typically we get great comments, but this year it’s been difficult for maintenance to keep up with all the garbage.”
Lombardini and others are concerned with how the trash on campus will reflect upon the university.
“It’s bad because you have football recruits, students and parents of students coming here to visit,” she said.
“It’s unfortunate that they won’t see campus in its best light.”
Lombardini said the campus belongs to everyone at Northern and it is up to everyone to keep it looking beautiful.
“I just wish people took more pride (in their campus),” she said.
The abundance of stray trash blowing across the Academic Mall has prompted one student organization to take action.
The Environmental Science Organization (ESO) will meet in the Academic Mall on April 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. in order to pick up campus litter. The event is part of Earth Week, beginning April 16 and culminating with Earth Day on April 22.
ESO President Darcy Daggy said it is the students’ responsibility to keep the campus in good condition, and she encouraged all students to participate in the clean-up.
“We are our own community (at Northern),” Daggy said. “People can feel good about helping out in their community.”
Daggy added that taking pride in the campus leads to taking pride in the Earth – a clean campus equals a clean Earth.
Since 1970, when Earth Day was declared a national holiday, April 22 has been a day for cleaning the air, promoting land conservation and improving water quality, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Earth Day Web site.
Daggy said many students have expressed excitement to her about the event.
She said students are eager to take an active, rather than passive, role in helping the natural environment.
Mary Raymond, a junior pre-med major, said that the campus clean-up can have more of an impact than just beautifying the campus.
Raymond is member of the Sustainable Agriculture Club, which is participating in the clean-up.
“It encourages participants to incorporate recycling and not littering into their everyday life,” Raymond said.
Raymond said she thinks that if people stopped littering, and recycled more they could spend more time appreciating the beauty of the earth.
Daggy said volunteers don’t need to commit a lot of time to the clean-up – any amount of help is welcome and encouraged.
“People can help as long as they can, and leave whenever they want,” Daggy said.
