Trash to treasure: FAU Community Service Club cleans up the beach, rewards volunteers
Around 20 student volunteers gathered at Boca Raton’s Red Reef Park for a “Beach Cleanup and Social” event on April 13, hosted by the FAU Community Service Club (CSC). This event marks CSC’s second beach cleanup this spring, part of their semester tradition of organizing events on and off campus to benefit the local community.
According to club president Jadyn Preyer, each volunteer filled half a trash bag with marine debris — which refers to any human-made litter that enters the ocean and poses a significant threat to ocean ecosystems, wildlife and even our quality of life, reported Boca Save our Beaches.
“We spent two hours pacing the beach and parking lot picking up trash, focusing on a lot of the microplastics [by shifting the sand] on the beach as they are often ingested by wildlife and ignored when it comes to cleaning up litter by other individuals,” Preyer said.
Following the beach cleanup, CSC held a social event with snacks, drinks and complimentary merchandise from Margaritaville University, an ambassador program that partnered with CSC to promote the event.
“While the events we do are rewarding to know we are making a difference in our community,” Preyer said. “I wanted to make them feel appreciated since community service is often a thankless effort.”
Anasia Been, the CSC bonding chair, planned the social event to show appreciation to volunteers for their service while fostering a social atmosphere to meet new people and create memories.
“I enjoyed having everyone come out not only to socialize but for a greater cause as a community,” Been said. “We plan to do more of these bonding events to ensure more engagement with people on campus.”
FAU provides partial funding for the club, Preyer stated, but the Beach Cleanup and Social event depended on fundraising to pay for trash bags, gloves and other supplies.
CSC was able to raise funds for this beach cleanup through a car wash held earlier in the semester, mentioning Jasmine Makkar, CSC fundraising chair. She perceives these beach cleanups as effortless, finding reward in the sense of positively contributing to the community.
“They’re always my favorite because they help the planet and community while also being so much fun,” said Makkar. “I also enjoy going to the beach in my free time, so I’m always happy to give back to help maintain one of my happy places.”
Michael Cook is a Staff Writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email cookm2021@fau.edu.
Latest University Press
- Behind the breakfast station: Mrs. Pearl, FAU’s adored dining hall employeeBehind the clatter of plates and the aroma of morning delicacies lies a story of resilience and community spirit. It’s 4 a.m. when Mrs. Pearl’s alarm goes off, signaling the start of her day – a day not only dedicated to serving breakfast but also to serving her community. “I love the students,” Mrs. Pearl,...
- FAU Faculty Senate weary of AI, adjusts course syllabus languageInstructors at Florida Atlantic University can now emphasize their own limitations on AI technology in the classroom, the University Faculty Senate decided unanimously on Monday. At the last Faculty Senate meeting of the 2023-2024 school year, members passed a policy change that allows instructors to individually decide their approach to AI technology. Additionally, the Senate...
- Baseball: FAU goes 1-3 in last four games; 4-9 in AprilThe Owls (20-18, 7-8 AAC) have 17 games remaining in the regular season after their losses to Tulane and Miami.
- Weekly Music Spotlight: “The Tortured Poets Department” by Taylor SwiftOn April 19, Taylor Swift released her long-awaited 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” with 300 million streams in its first day, making Spotify history. The album serves as a sentiment of her perspective on the fame she has accumulated over the years, revealing that through all of the speculation about her personal life,...
- From tragedy to triumph: The story of Raymond Adderly, incoming FAU Boca Raton campus governorFrom witnessing his father’s murder to becoming the youngest candidate to ever pursue office in the Broward County School Board, Raymond Adderly, FAU theater sophomore and incoming FAU campus governor, advocates for youth in politics, encouraging aspiring leaders. Adderly’s journey into the realm of politics was catalyzed by the loss of his father to gun...
- Men’s Basketball: Head coach John Jakus announces his new staffThree weeks after Florida Atlantic University hired men’s basketball head coach John Jakus, a source has revealed to the Field of 68 of four members he’s bringing to the staff. FAU’s assistant coach, Todd Abernethy, was retained. The three new faces are Jordan Fee, Isaiah Austin and Demond Parker. Last Thursday, FAU confirmed these four hires on their website. Austin,...