Last week was Earth Week at the Siena Heights campus. Students involved in the Green Light Club student organization took it upon themselves to promote Earth-friendly days for the week. On April 21, they organized a Campus Clean-Up Challenge Day.

John Holowaty, chair of the campus clean-up challenge, said, “roughly 20 students came by the table, grabbed a recycled grocery bag, and donated their time to go out and fill up the bag with trash or plastic they were able to find outside.”

According to Sister Mary Beaubien of the SHU Archives, this used to be a reoccurring day here at Siena. It was named after Sister Carmelia “Carmie” O’Connor, who wanted to make the campus clean.

“She was a teacher at Siena for multiple years and could always be found in her habit with a smile,” said Beaubien.

Holowaty said he hoped the event opened students’ eyes, while “instilling a sense of urgency in them towards the issue, as well as giving them the feeling that they can truly make a difference by taking just five to 10 minutes out of their day to clean up their campus.”

Holowaty had not heard of “Sister Carmie Day,” but would “love to get that going again!”

He said thank you to all who came out and participated in making campus and Earth cleaner this week.