Students clean up for spring

Nearly 200 students and community members journeyed into West Philadelphia Saturday morning to participate in Spring Clean '97, an event designed to clean up the neighborhoods surrounding the University. The cleanup, organized by the Program for Student Community Involvement and the Office of Community Relations, focused on the areas between Baltimore Avenue and Market Street, from 40th to 45th streets. Volunteers involved in the project cleared away garbage and debris from the streets, and painted over graffiti at some sites. The event began in the field adjacent to High Rise North, where participants received the brooms, garbage bags and paint brushes needed for the cleanup. They also heard speeches from several of the community leaders participating in the effort, including State Sen. Vincent Hughes, State Rep. James Roebuck, and City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell. The speakers stressed the importance of continuing to build a strong relationship between the University and its neighboring communities. "I hope that this builds a partnership between Penn and the West Philadelphia community," Roebuck said. The InterFraternity, Panhellenic and BiCultural InterGreek councils, the Undergraduate Assembly and the Kite and Key Society were among the many student organizations which participated in the event, which lasted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Greek involvement in the cleanup was extensive, with every sorority and nearly half of the University's fraternities sending representatives to the event. Lisa Levine, a College sophomore and Phi Sigma Sigma sister, explained that her goal as Panhel's civic committee chairperson is to "make an integrative spirit between our community and theirs." Levine also stressed the importance of "bringing together all of the [Greek] houses" to build bonds between the different sororities. Jason Judd, a College junior and the IFC's vice president of community service and academics, stressed that the IFC's commitment to such service extends far beyond Saturday's project. "Many of the IFC houses not involved today will be involved in independent community service programs next week," said Judd, the Tau Epsilon Phi chancellor. Spring Clean '97 is part of a city-wide effort to prepare for the Presidents' Summit on community service being held in Philadelphia April 27-29. President Clinton and former presidents Bush, Carter and Ford --Ealong with many other politicians and celebrities -- are expected to attend the summit. But the upcoming summit was not the reason Felicia Kennedy of the West Powelton Steppers chose to participate in the cleanup. "This is a good chance for everyone to get together to help the community that you live in," she said. "It should happen more often."