Last Friday, 22 York students had a green old time. They were part of an enthusiastic crew organized by York is U as part of York’s Orientation Week. The group set out to beautify York’s Keele campus in York is U’s annual Green Team Challenge.
Above: Some of the members of the York is U Green Team
The intrepid students, who included some enthusiastic frosh, got a little closer to nature. They became one with the land as they explored the nooks and crannies of the Keele campus in their hunt for treasure – keeping with the saying that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.
The Green Team did indeed find some treasure. Some of the more unusual items included a dead toad, several planks of wood with snails (which led to a snail kissing contest), a Treats coffee cup from the 1980s and a host of other strange items which were all entered as candidates for the “Most Unusual Garbage” award.
The winning find was a full medieval armour chest plate, complete with spikes and battle dents. “This floored us,” chuckled Jeremy Greenberg, coordinator of student alumni programs. The students gathered in awe and eventually all took turns signing it. “The armour now resides in the York is U office as a memory of the good things that come taking care of our beautiful campus environment,” said Greenberg.
In total, 42 bags of garbage were collected, which shattered the old record of a dozen bags last year.
Students were provided with gloves, bags, hand sanitizer and lots of snacks and drinks. Each participating student also received an official York is U Green Team t-shirt for their efforts.
“This event reinforces that York is our beloved home,” said Greenberg. “How else can you explain students spending hours with rubber gloves on picking up trash – and loving every minute of it?”