2008 Woodie Awards
Students sacrifice time to volunteer
Mark Powell
Issue date: 4/23/07 Section: News
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Six members of Delta Upsilon fraternity bantered with one another as they toted orange trash bags along a dirt path that flanks two grass recreation fields at Olinder Park in San Jose.
The San Jose State University students had been gathering litter and clearing brush for most of the morning, but in their momentary state of chitchat, they neglected to see a single, clear plastic cup, slightly crushed and laying in the path in front of them.
They walked right by it - but not 10 feet after doing so, SJSU junior and Delta Upsilon member Sam Baird stopped, turned, strode back to the cup, bent over and tossed it into his orange trash bag before walking back up the path to catch up with his fraternity brothers.
"People are so used to seeing trash they just walk right by it," said Bryan Williams, an Associated Students programming employee who volunteered during SJSU's first university-wide Day of Service on Friday.
Terry Christensen, executive director of CommUniverCity and a Day of Service organizer, said that at least 100 of the approximately 800 volunteers for the event put in their day's work at Olinder Park located at 19th and William streets.
"The turnout was great," Christensen said.
Though a Thursday night rain spell altered some plans, the volunteer work at Olinder went on as planned, Christensen said.
"We sort of had to regroup because of the weather," he said. "For instance, murals were supposed to have been painted at an elementary school, but we had to reallocate people."
Christensen said that he lives on 16th Street and visits the park occasionally to play with his dog.
Seeing two members of Delta Upsilon kick a soiled, muddy baseball back and forth during a short break, Christensen said, "Hey, I buried that ball for my dog here yesterday. I know that ball."
Tasks that volunteers were asked to complete included litter removal, weed pulling, various planting and clearing brush from trees and fences to improve park sightlines for those walking at night, said volunteer group leader Angela Navarette.
The San Jose State University students had been gathering litter and clearing brush for most of the morning, but in their momentary state of chitchat, they neglected to see a single, clear plastic cup, slightly crushed and laying in the path in front of them.
They walked right by it - but not 10 feet after doing so, SJSU junior and Delta Upsilon member Sam Baird stopped, turned, strode back to the cup, bent over and tossed it into his orange trash bag before walking back up the path to catch up with his fraternity brothers.
"People are so used to seeing trash they just walk right by it," said Bryan Williams, an Associated Students programming employee who volunteered during SJSU's first university-wide Day of Service on Friday.
Terry Christensen, executive director of CommUniverCity and a Day of Service organizer, said that at least 100 of the approximately 800 volunteers for the event put in their day's work at Olinder Park located at 19th and William streets.
"The turnout was great," Christensen said.
Though a Thursday night rain spell altered some plans, the volunteer work at Olinder went on as planned, Christensen said.
"We sort of had to regroup because of the weather," he said. "For instance, murals were supposed to have been painted at an elementary school, but we had to reallocate people."
Christensen said that he lives on 16th Street and visits the park occasionally to play with his dog.
Seeing two members of Delta Upsilon kick a soiled, muddy baseball back and forth during a short break, Christensen said, "Hey, I buried that ball for my dog here yesterday. I know that ball."
Tasks that volunteers were asked to complete included litter removal, weed pulling, various planting and clearing brush from trees and fences to improve park sightlines for those walking at night, said volunteer group leader Angela Navarette.
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