04/10/2009
SUNY Cortland Associate Professor Syed Pasha will be holding his annual campus-community cleanup on Monday, April 20, at the College.
A clean community has been a main concern of Pasha's since his undergraduate studies at Madras University in India.
"It's a passion of mine," Pasha said. "Some neighborhoods are so messy. It is no way to live."
Pasha, a communication studies professor, will begin the beautification effort with a rally on the steps of Corey Union at 4 p.m. The event lasts until 6 p.m.
"We begin with a rally to attract more people," said Pasha, a native of India who has worked for the College for more than 10 years. "It also teaches my students how to address large crowds which is important in the communications field."
The annual event, which he began when he first joined the College, attracts 20 to 60 students.
"It's amazing how students get involved," said Pasha, who does not give participants extra credit for taking part in the cleanup. "Everybody should and can participate. We need to take responsibility for our community."
"I started the cleanup in Cortland for two reasons," Pasha said. "First I noticed all the trash around the community and second, I wanted students to be conscious of their actions on the environment around them. I want the students after they graduate to continue with the attitude of keeping our one planet clean; to make the world a better place."
A trash collection drive not only makes the campus and community look better, it provides an enjoyable social gathering for all who are involved, one participant noted.
"When people visit our school, who wants to see a dirty campus?" said Alissa Kennedy, a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations and advertising from Syracuse N.Y., who will be participating for her second year. "I think it's a great thing to do to make our campus and community look better. A lot of people do it and it's actually fun."
Tidy neighborhoods benefit all the people who live there, Pasha asserts.
"It all starts with our own personal cleanup," Pasha said. "It makes us have a good life and have fun. Everyone else should have fun as well; we shouldn't ruin everyone else's life by ruining their living standards. I can't live a better life by myself. That would not be enjoyable."
For more information, contact Pasha at (607) 753-5790 or at syed.pasha@cortland.edu.