Landscape operations employees anticipate that homecoming will be a trashy weekend.
Tom Prenkert, manager of Landscape Operations, anticipates a vast amount of trash will be thrown out and left around campus during homecoming weekend, just as he does every other weekend when there is a home football game.
"We are accustomed to it. We know there will be more, but we know how to deal with it," Prenkert said.
Every Monday after a home football game, Prenkert said, the entire crew of landscape operations spends the day cleaning up trash in and around Kelly/ Shorts Stadium and tailgate areas.
Prenkert anticipates filling two 30-yard roll-off dumpsters of trash the Monday after the homecoming game.
The cups, paper and other litter that students may carelessly throw on the ground around campus is taken care of later by landscape operations.
Landscape operations is also responsible for mowing lawns, mulching, weeding, street repair, snow removal and the upkeep of all sports fields whether they are used for varsity, intramural or club sports, Prenkert said.
Landscape operations currently employees 15 full-time university staff members, as well as 32 students.
Prenkert also commented about the positive effect that working for landscape operations has on students. He noted a visible change in awareness of littering and caring for campus in students and even in their friends.
"I don't really think a lot of students realize the extent (of trash problems) until they are responsible for cleaning it up," Prenkert said.
Brad Schafer, Fowler freshman, began working as a grounds maintenance student assistant when he arrived on campus in August.
"I actually thought I was going to be doing more mowing lawns and working on sports fields than picking up trash," Schafer said.
Schafer agrees with Tom Prenkert's views on the effect working for landscape operations has had on him and his coworkers.
"I'm very conscious about throwing trash on the ground now because I probably going to have to pick it up. Or, the people I work with have to pick it up. I wouldn't even throw trash at Michigan State or Western anymore," Schafer added.
Picking up trash is not the most desirable job on campus, Schafer said, but it's only really bad after it rains or when people leave messy trash behind, such as food containers.
"After football games we pick up everything. Pop cups, popcorn buckets, hot dog wrappers, programs, candy wrappers. Things are completely destroyed," Schafer said.
Overall, Schafer enjoys his job and feels like he helps create a positive image for Central.
"It's not that bad because I feel like I'm making campus look better," Schafer said.
For this weekend's homecoming festivities, Prenkert recommends some common sense instructions for keeping campus clean. Simple things like bringing a trash bag to tailgate, and using it make a difference on Monday mornings for his employees. He also reminds tailgaters to extinguish charcoal before throwing it out.
"It's important for students to realize that it does make a difference if you don't throw your paper cup on the ground," Prenkert said. "It will make it a lot nicer for the future and for us on the morning after"