by Lorella Chin

     The Campus Beautification Project, initiated in the Spring 2001 semester, primarily evolved out of the need to evaluate and update the nearly 500 bulletin boards on campus. Approximately 25 boards are designated as open for campus community use; the remaining glass-enclosed boards are allocated to departments, offices, and student organizations. In spite of the many available boards, many have been underutilized due to long standing problems with broken locks, missing keys, or general disorganization of the boards themselves. As a result, some students feel that it is difficult to give and to get information on such a large campus; this has led to an increasing problem of an excessive amount of unauthorized and unsightly flyers appearing on college property.

     Work is underway to improve conditions, but it is not an easy task. Many areas of our college are called upon to help. Facilities has done a wonderful job installing four new "General Information Boards" in key locations around campus that will help alleviate the crowding on some of our boards. The Brooklyn College locksmith will also be instrumental in helping us with the numerous locks and keys that are associated with the glass-enclosed boards. Due to limited staffing, the large number of boards, the ever changing student population, and the considerable amount of area to cover on campus, it is difficult to routinely update and maintain these boards, while at the same time, ensuring that the posting policies are followed. This is where our students are asked to come in.
Student volunteers, who truly are Brooklyn College's "Best," are answering the call and stepping forward to provide needed help to ensure that the boards are properly maintained and to help spot unauthorized postings on campus. They are also helping to get the word out to fellow students about bulletin board locations and to advise them of the regulation that requires that all student postings be date stamped prior to posting. Thanks to our hard working staff and the volunteer efforts of these students, there has been a noticeable improvement in the way our campus looks and functions.

     Why call it Campus Beautification? Aside from the obvious -- less unsightly flyers appearing on walls, doors, etc., -- the volunteers will be taking part in not only updating old bulletin boards, but also finding creative ways to make them attractive so that people will pay attention to them and learn useful information that will be helpful to them. They are also the eyes and extra helping hands of the college to take special care of the little details that help to keep our campus not only attractive, but also beautiful. For example, the simple act of removing old tape from doors and surfaces as they are spotted is a small act that helps to improve our daily exposure to the campus.

In these photos, "Out With the Old and In With the New" is the motto of the day.

     Campus Beautification is also reflective of the beauty of the concept of volunteer work. It is the beauty of students to willingly give of their time and energy to improve things for their community, of the ability to work amicably together as a team with a diverse group of students, and of the character development of our students. One such example occurred during the Spring Student Life Conference Volunteer Day that took place in May. Approximately ten student and staff volunteers worked together to remove and replace all the old existing paper backing and a seemingly endless amount of old staples from the Basement Boylan Hall Flyer Room. New paper and borders helped to make a noticeable improvement in the appearance of the room. The volunteers were very happy with their work and felt a sense of pride because they were able to contribute to making such a difference.This project has just begun and our success and possible expansion will depend upon the cooperative participation of the entire campus community. For more information, contact Loretta Chin at (718) 951-5352 or visit the Student Life Office in room 2113 Boylan Hall.