Surfers were out in full force at Ocean Beach, and so were thevolunteers participating in San Diego State’s first beach cleanup.Armed with trash bags and gloves, volunteers representing theColleges of Arts and Letters, Business Administration, Health andHuman Services, Sciences, Professional Studies and Fine Arts,Engineering and Education, and members of the student chapter of theCalifornia Public Interest Research Group (Calpirg), all took to thesand Saturday morning.
“We just want to try to get students more involved in thecommunity and this is our first effort in doing that,” KristinaJacobs, vice president of finance for Associated Students, said.
Water Watch, the campus chapter of Calpirg, specifically dealswith water-related issues and usually has two beach cleanups permonth during the school year.
“We run beach cleanups all the time,” Water Watch representativeSean Mandel said. “But we really wanted to see the student government- since they have so much influence and they do so many great thingson campus – get involved in what we see as a really important issue.”
Lisa Castillo, president of the College of Professional Studiesand Fine Arts, said in trying to find a community service projectthat would bring a lot of people out and make an impact, the beachcleanup idea came into effect.
Mandel said the beach cleanup not only sends a message to studentsthat this is an important issue, but to beachgoers as well.
“Every person who (went) to the beach on Saturday and (saw) 40 orso people cleaning up trash, taking their own Saturday mornings,their own time to do this, might think again the next time they leavea can, wrapper or cigarette butt on the sand,” Mandel said.
He said there’s a domino effect when people go to the beach, seetrash everywhere and decide to follow suit by not making an effortthemselves to throw away their waste. And just the opposite is trueif they see the beach is clean. People will be more motivated to dowhat they can to take care of it.
“It raises awareness that people are out there who care aboutthese issues and are willing to do something,” he said about thebeach cleanups.
Though the Water Watch chapter of Calpirg is relatively new andhas only been on campus for a year, support and participation for thegroup among students is growing.
“I think the students here at San Diego State have been reallygreat,” Mandel said. “They really do want to get involved.”
Involvement in cleanup efforts at a time of increased pollution isessential to any coastline.
Mandel said San Diego Bay is the second most polluted bay in thenation, with the pollution stemming from rain runoff, making itdangerous for swimmers.
“People get sick from swimming in the water,” he said. “It turnsour greatest resource into, literally, a health hazard.”
According to the Calpirg Web site, more than 175 million peopleflock to California’s coastal beaches each year.
“It’s impossible to argue that the beaches here in San Diegoaren’t our greatest resource,” Mandel said. “We value them so muchand rely on them for so much, that it’s so important that we takebetter care of them.”
If you are interested in future community service-related events,contact Associated Students. Volunteers are always needed. Calpirgmeetings are held at 4:30 p.m. each Thursday in Career Services.
You can reach Sean Mandel at (619) 594-0655 or smandel@calpirg.org.
