NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University students participated in V.L. Roy Service Day April 9 to give back to the university and the City of Natchitoches. The student-led event included approximately 80 NSU students working on volunteer projects that included city and campus clean-up, planting trees and providing free manpower.
On the NSU campus, students pitched in to clean and power wash the NSU Student Union, surrounding bridge and sidewalks, clean flowerbeds, rake and pick up trash. In Dogwood Valley, a study/conservation area near Watson Library, students assisted Dr. Betsy Cochran with planting new trees and shrubs, moving and distributing soil and cutting and moving tree limbs. Students also tackled picking up trash and tree limbs around Chaplin’s Lake. One group helped pulled weeds in the Elementary Lab School Butterfly Garden, painted the outdoor murals, moved soil to new flower boxes and worked on a recycling project.
Other student groups ventured off-campus. The Natchitoches Council on Aging got help in the community garden with putting in vegetables, moving soil and planting new flowers. Students moved books, cleaned shelves and prepared for a children’s program at Natchitoches Parish Library and walked dogs and cleaned cages and facility areas for Hope for Paws. Students working in Beau Jardin cut and moved limbs, cleaned flowerbeds and planted new flowers.
Members of the V.L. Roy Service Day community were Coby McGee, National Pan-Hellenic Council representative; Garrett Cook as the Interfraternity Council representative; Natalee Cook Order of Omega representative; Taylor Laughlin, College Panhellenic representative, and Zoe Johnson as the First Year Experience representative. Other students who assisted with leading the projects the day were Jazz Rasouliyan, Lauren Vienne, and Tracy West. Grace Gosserand served as the SGA coordinator for the event.
NSU students Landon Stephens, Maddy Hensley and Jaz Rasouliyan picked up trash around the WRAC and the Creative and Performing Arts complex during the university’s annual V.L. Roy Day of Service.
NSU student Natalee Cook helped with projects at the NSU Elementary Lab School Butterfly Garden. The school garden provides a hands-on way for students to learn plant and earth science, ecology and other disciplines while writing about what they learn and applying class study to a tangible project.
