By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Downtown Bowling Green got spruced up Wednesday (Aug. 25) as about 40 BGSU students pulled weeds and picked up trash.
Tony Vetter, executive director of Downtown Bowling Green, said the effort to get ready for the Rally BG on Main scheduled for this Saturday (Aug. 28) from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and for the Black Swamp Arts Festival, Sept. 10-12.
A group of students was working around the post office. Vetter said they were pulling weeds, removing ground cover, and the remain of spring plants, “so things can grow,” he said
They are careful not to remove milkweed and other plants favored by butterflies and other fauna.
“We’re cleaning up … all the way down Main Street to the library,” Vetter said. “Just picking up and making the town look even better than it already does.”
Downtown BG has “a great grounds crew,” but the student volunteers are getting to chores the crew doesn’t have time for.
Vetter said he is impressed by how hard they worked, and their knowledge of what should and what shouldn’t be removed.
“I’m ecstatic.”
“We’re picking up for the rally on Saturday trying to make everything look pretty,” said Gil Lutz, vice president of Undergraduate Student Government.
The idea to recruit students came up at a planning meeting for the rally, Vetter said. Brian Heilmeier, associate dean of students, coordinated getting the volunteers.
Amanda Gamby, the city’s sustainability coordinator, was on hand as well.
The city provided bags and gloves and will take care of removing the detritus.
Alexander Chiarelott, president of Undergraduate Student Government, said he and about 20 others were volunteering as part of a student leadership retreat.
He’s looking forward to the Rally BG on Main. “It’ll be nice to have community members and students out and about together again for the first time in a while.”
The chance to get outside and socialize is especially important because the university has in essence two “first year” classes, given the limitations of the university experience last year.
Dianna Cooper, vice president of the Black Student Union, is interested to see how the rally will go, given it is a new event.
“I’m really excited to get people outside” she said. “I’m excited to get to the ‘new normal.’ It’ll be nice to see people in person instead on the Zoom screen.”
She has some concern about the resilience of the coronavirus. “I hope everyone follows the guidelines of masks inside and social distancing.”
Chiarelott echoed her sentiments. “There is some concern. I hope students get vaccinated and wear their masks and just make safe decisions for themselves and others.”
