More than 200 student volunteers participated Friday in the University’s first annual Spring Greening Day.Students from 23 organizations spent the day planting 14,400 flowers of different varieties, 3,600 pots of groundcover and 200 camellia shrubs in 30 locations throughout campus. The volunteers put down 2,700 square feet of sod and completed 100 cubic yards of mulch work under the oaks near Memorial Tower.”The volunteers played a critical role in helping Landscape Services by enabling them to complete these many projects in one day rather than over several weeks,” said   Ryann Denham, Campus Life practicum student. Spring Greening Day was a group effort by Campus Life, Facility Services, Landscape Services, Student Government and the Student Activities Board in support of the Green Tiger Project.  The Green Tiger Project is a collaborative force led by Jan Martin, wife of Chancellor Michael Martin, and the LSU Foundation to coordinate and support campus beautification efforts at the University.”I was really ecstatic considering the weather,” Denham said. “Everyone was out here at 10:30 and ready to go.”Volunteers from the CHAMPS program — Challenging Athletes’ Minds for Personal Success — planted outside Lockett Hall.”A large part of what we do involves community outreach and being well-rounded,” said Jade Bryan, assistant director for Diversity, Inclusion and Civic Engagement in the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student Athletes. “We decided this was something we wanted to do to give back.”Athletes from sports such as swimming, diving, volleyball, basketball and track were there to lend a hand.”After traveling to other schools, you realize how good we really have it,” said Laura Carleton, management sophomore and cross country runner. “LSU has a really pretty campus.”Brandon Gordan, finance sophomore and track athlete, said he was happy to be part of Spring Greening Day.”We should all want a beautiful campus,” Gordan said. “No one wants to go to a trashy school.”Representatives from the Environmental Conservation Organization planted flowers in the Quad.”This is important for ECO because it gets us outside and lets us educate other organizations, and we’re getting people interested in the environment,” said Lizzy Hingle, vice president of ECO.Hingle said the campus uses both perennial plants, which last three or more seasons, and annual plants.”I was really pushing for perennials, so we’d be purchasing less flowers,” she said.Members of Phi Sigma Theta Honor Society finished planting their designated area early and offered assistance to neighboring sites.”Regular maintenance is important,” said Sarah Bowers, architecture junior and member of Phi Sigma Theta. “I’m normally a clean freak, but this has been very rewarding.”Martin said she was happy with the student turnout.”I’m thrilled, especially on not so nice of a day,” Martin said. “I’m happy to support the Green Tiger Project because it’s really important. We have one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, and we can only make it better.”Mallory Trochesset, assistant director of Campus Life, said she was happy to see so much student support.”Students really braved the elements to do some tremendous work on campus today,” she said. “This is a critical time of year when plants need to be changed out for summer and graduation events.”Landscaping took place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and was followed immediately after by a celebration in the Live Oak Lounge.Clint Penfield, district manager of Raising Cane’s, and Cane II, the yellow labrador, were present to donate $5,000 to the LSU Foundation’s Campus Beautification Fund.”Raising Cane’s has been very actively involved in all the communities we serve, especially Baton Rouge,” Penfield said. “LSU supports us, and we support LSU in return.”SAB featured two bands — the Carolinas and American Fiction. Both bands work with Branch Records, a “Progressive, Visionary, Green” record label that plants a tree for every CD sold, along with other environment-friendly practices.Jeffery McLain, the LSU Foundation’s vice president for development, said Spring Greening Day was the first event the Beautification Fund could help support. “We hope this is the beginning of an annual event, and in 10 years, it will be the biggest thing on campus,” McLain said.
 
 
 
—-Contact Sarah Eddington at [email protected]