By Zach Waltz
Sports Assignment Editor
After year-long anticipation from the student body, Spring Weekend 2014 is just two weeks away, but the effects of one weekend leaves a desolate wasteland that is seen the following day by prospective students.
Every year in late April- early May, high school seniors around the country commit to the universities of his or her choice. While some students decide which school they will go to earlier in the year, late April is a crucial time for schools to convince undecided prospective students. Recruiting new students is a vital part of getting a large freshman class. With the renovation of Robinson and Falconio residence halls, the school is using that as a recruiting tool for prospective students. For this reason, admissions will be holding campus tours for prospective students the week after Spring Weekend.
According to the university events calendar, Spring Weekend begins on Friday, April 26 at 4 p.m., and events conclude at 8 p.m. on Saturday. St. Bonaventure has a beautiful campus, especially during spring when the trees grow back their leaves and campus is full of energetic students. Normally, the Richter parking lot is full of cars, and the lawn outside of Robinson is a frequent place for a game of catch or laying out in the sun.
But after Spring Weekend, this area turns into ground zero for what would appear to be a large garbage bomb. The lawn is flattened by the inflatables and trampled from students walking over it all weekend. The parking lot is trashed with half-eaten chicken nuggets and crumpled soda cans.
While Spring Weekend is easily the most fun weekend of the year, the large amount of students and social activities going on produces a lot of waste that accumulates on our campus after one short weekend. This garbage is an eyesore for everyone, let alone a student that may be considering St. Bonaventure. I know that if I had seen the Richter parking lot after spring weekend last year on my tour, I would have been highly offended. Maybe not to the point to dissuade me from coming here, but for those prospective students who haven’t decided yet, it’s these small details that may sway them to one school or another. Not to mention, I don’t think parents of prospective students would be too impressed by an empty parking lot full of spilled soda and errant plates.
The school made an effort last year to keep the athletic fields clean by implementing a rule that a kickball team would be disqualified if there was garbage left at the field after their game. However, trash was left on the fields regardless. Part of this, undeniably, is the lack of trash cans and recycling bins around campus for students to dispose of plates, bottles, cups or cans. Last year, there were multiple trash cans in the Richter parking lot for students to use and only four in the middle of the athletic fields, which were harder to access. Aside from those, there are almost no easily accessible garbage cans around campus on Spring Weekend.
The university is not solely to blame for the garbage though. We as students must make sure we do our part to reduce the amount of damage to the campus. It’s not that hard to pick up a bottle or can and walk it to a garbage can. If you bring something onto the fields or anywhere else on campus, have the decency to take it back with you and throw it away.
I don’t blame the school for wanting to hold tours for prospective students in spring. Our school is gorgeous, and it’s an important time of the year when it comes to getting students to come here. However, I think the university and student body should work together to make sure our campus isn’t destroyed after Spring Weekend. We shouldn’t let it stop us from celebrating the great weather and the end of the school year, but there should be a conscious effort all around to keep the campus clean and beautiful for prospective students to appreciate and enjoy our campus just as we do all year.
waltzzd12@bonaventure.edu
