On Saturday, October 15,from 10am-12pm, many UNH students participated in the

Allingtown clean-up. This clean-up has been bringing UNH students into the

community around them for years now. Organized by the Office of Community Service

and co-sponsored by the NAACP, this event happens twice a year in an effort to clean-up

and unite the community with UNH. The event is unique in the way it unites the

community through such simple means.

“The event is important because it gets the students involved with the local community.

Knowing that UNH students care about their local community and want to be involved

helps build a relationship between Allingtown residents and UNH students,” says

Jessalyn Crossman. She continues saying, “Local residents and students have come

together over this event in a way that does not happen at any other time in the year.”

Volunteers can range from individual students to UNH and Notre Dame High School

organizations and even the West Haven Democratic Town Committee and Mayor

O’Brien. In the past there have been 80-155 volunteers at each clean-up. Volunteers

walk the streets surrounding campus for two hours, talking with their friends while

cleaning the neighborhood. The streets cleaned included Pruden, Wade, Norwalk,

Chauncey, Andrews, Hoffman, Walter, Allan, Orton, Ardell. The neighborhoods behind

the football field were also cleaned.

It is important that the surrounding communities know UNH students care about the

cleanliness of the area. It is too often that college students are thought of as destructive

and looked upon badly by residents near campus. UNH is determined to break that

stereotype by forming a bond with the community.

“They [the community] were all so happy to have us there,” says Megan Joyce

Each student had their own reason for wanting to participate in the clean-up. Some

participated with their organization and some with a just a group of friends.

Tia Blauvelt says, “My favorite part was doing it with a bunch of friends and being able

to be with them while also helping the community.”

Alissa O’Connell had similar reasons, saying, “My favorite part of this project was

helping our community while bonding with my friends. She continues saying, “We also

received a compliment from a stranger passing by thanking us for our service.”

The end of the event left student participants feeling good and empowered within the

community.

“It felt really nice that we could do such a small thing and still make a big impact,” says

Joyce. She continues saying, “You would be amazed how much trash there is

surrounding our school, and it’s really upsetting.”