The Traveler

Issue date: 2/9/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Veronica Pucci A UA student picks up sticks left on the Old Main campus after the ice storm. More than 700 students, faculty and staff contributed to the cleanup Thursday.

To help repair the damage left by an ice storm that closed the UA for four consecutive days in January, the Associated Student Government hosted "Campus Restoration Day" 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday.

The day allowed students and organizational groups to voluntarily clean up the debris left by the ice storm.

Roughly 640 volunteers signed up to help with the restoration day, and several hundred more helped clean up debris but did not sign in, ASG President Carter Ford said.

"I feel that these numbers are a huge success and prove how the members of the University of Arkansas campus can come together in time of need," Ford said.

While UA students could be seen volunteering around Old Main and behind Mullins Library on Feb. 5, various organizations, including the ASG, Volunteer Action Center and Greek Life, helped with the event, as well.

Also contributing to the event's success, Ford said, was help from people from every level of the university, including Chancellor G. David Gearhart, staff from the Division of Student Affairs, members of the football team, and Steve Voorhies, manager of Media Relations.

"As students, we are stewards of this campus for the time we are here," Ford said.

This sentiment was something many student volunteering seemed to echo.

"It is our school," said Meenakshi Prajapati, who helped out by picking up debris behind Old Main.

Some students simply wanted the UA campus to get back to the way it was before the ice storm.

"Somebody's got to do it or it will never get back to the way it was," Kate Thompson said.

While there are piles of limbs and tree branches cluttering campus, Facilities Management should have that taken care of shortly, Gearhart said.

"Then we will have to assess the long-term or even permanent damage to many of the trees and determine which ones may need to be removed and others planted in their place," he said.

To help with replacing the trees that may have to be taken down, an ice storm Web site (www.uark.edu/rd_vcad/urel/iceStorm2009/) is available with information about how the community can donate trees to help get the campus back to normal.

This year's Class Gift Council also has decided to give seniors the option of donating trees to help replace those that may have to be taken down because of the ice storm, Ford said.

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