GO GREEN
Plastic cups, food wrappers, and beer cans are all things you can find around East Lansing the morning after a football game. With Michigan State being the spirited school that they are and knowing how to celebrate, people come from all over to take part in the tailgating festivities. Sunday morning when the party’s over, the aftermath is a bit unpleasant. Trash is something that is quite visible to the community and is not something that anyone wants to see. With the help of Community Relations Coalition Clean Ups however, the mess is able to be taken care of.
Being a student at Michigan State and being able to partake in the tailgating, I must say it is a sight to see. Families and friends come together to celebrate and root on their favorite team. Although the time together is a lot of fun, that Sunday morning after tailgate is never a pretty sight to see. Taking place in the clean up the next day really opened my eyes to the ‘damage’ we can do as participants. It felt good to take part in helping my community. Having trash and just an utter mess around our community, even if it is only prevalent one day out of the week, is not a welcoming environment. I learned that by doing something as simple as picking up trash for a few hours can make a big impact. Having a clean environment not only looks good for us as a community but is overall beneficial to the earth. Being environmentally friendly is something that is common throughout our daily lives. Whether it’s throwing out a piece of trash or recycling, you are doing something not only to benefit yourself but the community as a whole. It sure did make me feel good knowing that I was making a difference.
Although only a few took part in cleaning up after the festivities, it really made a difference. Lawns were clean and the place looked put together. I found it quite funny to see the looks people would give us while cleaning up. The first thing that ran through my mind was that they most likely thought we were doing community service. Even though people are so quick to judge, deep down I knew I was doing the right thing. Waking up that Monday morning for class and not seeing trash put a smile on my face. Being a leader in the community is something that is an easy act to follow. Knowing that you are making a group effort and taking charge to make a difference is rewarding. Leadership in this case is recruiting more people to put in an effort to help out. It can also mean doing your part even after the event is over. By just picking up trash as you pass is something that is so easy but can truly make a difference.
After being a part of the Coalition clean up I realized that I need to participate more in activities such as these. I think that by drawing more attention to this issue to students and people of the community, things could change for the better. We need to be more aware of our surroundings and how it is affecting us as a whole. I intend to use what I learned and put that into action. Whether it be cleaning up after a tailgate or serving at a soup kitchen, knowing that I am helping others and our community is satisfying enough.
