UA students clean local neighborhood

Kristy Mangos Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore Kristin Hannah and junior Valerie Funk, both members of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, rake and clean surrounding UA neighborhoods along with junior and Sigma Alpha Epsilon member Ferdie Echiverri at yesterday's ASUA organized "Big Event." About 500 UA students worked together to clean up and help out the community by offering a day of free labor to the public.

The Big Event is a neighborhood beautification program designed to boost community relations by thanking UA neighbors in advance for putting up with the noise and congestion that Spring Fling will bring next month.

The Feldman neighborhood, encompassed by East Speedway Boulevard, East Elm Street, North Park Avenue and North Stone Avenue, was the Associated Students' target area this year, and over 45 area residents requested work on their houses.

Bill Ford, former president of the Feldman neighborhood association, said the homeowners truly appreciate the assistance.

"It's excellent," Ford said. "It's a very good effort from the university."

Many of the workers were members of various University of Arizona clubs, residence halls and Greek organizations.

Nathan Bowlin, a political science sophomore, was shoveling rocks with other members of his fraternity.

"It allows us to get out of our normal routine and give back to the community," Bowlin said.

ASUA Sen. Leslie Hunter was pleased with the turnout, but said the residents might even be more enthusiastic.

"Residents are so thankful for all this," Hunter said.

The Big Event's director, Sen. Summer Katzenbach, led the rest of the Senate in the neighborhood effort.

"I'm really excited," Katzenbach said. "It's great to see college students get up at 8 a.m. to contribute to the community."

Big Event Co-Director Heather Lafferty, a speech and hearing sciences senior, said the program started in 1994 and has grown ever since.

"Students wanted to give back to the community and pay back the residents for the noise," Lafferty said.

One Feldman area homeowner, Edith Hagler, said she does not have enough money to pay professional yardworkers and neither she nor her mentally disabled brother could adequately maintain the appearance of her front yard.

"I feel good about this and they (the volunteers) look like they're real happy," Hagler said.

Resident Terry Rillos, who helped volunteers beautify her property, was thankful for the help and appreciated the workers' positive attitudes.

"They're very enthusiastic and very helpful," Rillos said.

ASUA Executive Vice President-elect Cisco Aguilar stopped by Eleanor Forte's house to entertain and terrify fellow workers when he grabbed a giant pickax and started swinging it to assist in removing a stubborn tree stump on Forte's front yard.

Forte was grateful for Aguilar's and everyone else's help.

"The students deserve a great big 'thank you,'" Forte said. "I couldn't have done this myself."