BOLD Moves On Cochran Campus Cleanup
Author: Sheron Smith
Posted: Monday, November 9, 2015 2:53 PM
Categories:
Students | Pressroom
Macon, GA
men.
Aaron Lewis said that when Brian Harrell, director of Residence Life, put the message out to Middle Georgia State's University's Cochran Campus early this fall, the student organization he serves as president, Brothers of Leadership Distinction, decided to take on litter patrol on a regular basis. Each Sunday afternoon, BOLD members gather for about an hour to make a sweep of the picturesque campus, picking up any stray garbage left from weekend activities.
It's not as exciting as some of BOLD's other service work, such as helping out at a Habitat for Humanity building site, but the commitment captured the attention and appreciation of
campus administrators and others.
"There aren't many students who would step up and commit to picking up trash every week," said Henry Whitfield, director of Middle Georgia State's campuses in Cochran and Eastman.
"That these young men did speaks volumes about their characters. I'm not sure everyone on campus even knows they do this every week, but those of us who are aware are very impressed
and grateful."
About 35 students based on the Cochran and Macon campuses make up Middle Georgia State's Brothers of Leadership Distinction. Most members who take their classes in Cochran live on
campus.
BOLD’s purpose is to help young men develop leadership skills through service to the University and community and to provide opportunities for enhanced academic and other experiences.
"We're focused on growth - scholastically, ethically, professionally and socially," said Aaron Lewis, a Math major. "It's about becoming leaders while fostering peace and well-being."
BOLD participates in a variety of activities aimed at that higher mission - everything from organizing fashion shows – leaders have to look the part, after all - to presenting what members call "Real Talk" panel discussions about societal issues.
A weekly campus litter sweep might seem inconsequential to the group's loftier goals, but members said that's not the case.
"We have to take pride in our campus," said Business major Craig Bass, BOLD's secretary. "This is our community. We want to keep it clean."
Lewis plans to maintain the weekly cleanup as a regular BOLD event, perhaps even expanding the effort off-campus into the surrounding community. He said he will encourage his successors
to do the same.
"Setting precedents," he said, "is part of leadership."
Photo: Members of BOLD in front of Georgia Hall on the Cochran Campus. In the front row, left to right, are Daniel Dupiche, Criminal Justice major and group treasurer; Tyler Cooper, Education major and vice president; Aaron Lewis, Math major and president; and Craig Bass, Business major and secretary. In the middle row, left to right, are Thomas Smith, Math major; Wesley Dunn, Pre-engineering major; Jacob Daunt, Communications major; Davaughn Kerr, Aviation Structural Tech major; Kevin Coleman, Business major; and Javaris Hayes, Business major. In the back row, left to right, are Demetrius Smith,staff advisor; Jonathan Guyton Jr., Public Service major; Christopher Price, Business major; Trevone Sullivan, Aviation Maintenance major; and Damani Walker, General Studies major.