Matadors Pitch In to Beautify Campus and Community

  • A volunteer scrubs a chair at the playground of the Child and Family Studies Center.

    A volunteer helps clean up the playground at the Child and Family Studies Center. Photo by Lee Choo

  • Two people use gardening tools in yard

    Participants mulch the grounds at the Sustainability Garden at Matador Day of Service. Photo by Lee Choo.

  • Volunteers cross street

    Volunteers head down Prairie Street to clean up the neighborhood surrounding CSUN. Photo by Lee Choo.

  • Man dumps wheelbarrow contents

    Yan Searcy, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, dumps mulch on the garden grounds in preparation of a garden project. Photo by Lee Choo.

  • Several volunteers pose in front of Mission building

    A group of volunteers pose for a quick picture after volunteering at the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission. Photo by Lee Choo.

Matador spirit was on full display Saturday as hundreds lent a helping hand during the fifth annual Matadors Day of Service.

CSUN students, staff, alumni and community members got up early and spent Saturday morning, Sept. 7, volunteering to beautify the campus and surrounding neighborhoods. Volunteers swept the streets around campus, picked up bags of litter and worked in the CSUN gardens.

Armed with rakes, brooms, shovels and other tools, participants in white Matadors Day of Service T-shirts spread out in groups around the campus and Northridge to work on their projects. From the campus Sustainability Garden (near the CSUN Softball field) to the area around Calahan Community Charter ​​Elementary School, volunteers spent hours cleaning up.

CSUN administration, United We Serve, the Northridge Beautification Project and three Northridge neighborhood councils collaborated to organize the event. By working with external organizations, Matadors demonstrated that school spirit goes beyond the confines of the campus.

The event kicked off with speeches by members of the CSUN administration and the Associated Students President, Diana Vicente. Local politicians, including Councilmember John Lee, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel and Senator Bob Hertzberg, addressed the crowd with messages of inspiration and unity.

Participants wrapped up the event by celebrating and schmoozing during a picnic lunch on Bayramian Lawn. They munched on food donated by Sharky’s Restaurant and cooled down in the shade.

For more ways to get involved, check out the Matador Involvement Center’s website.

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