Gee, Mayor Coleman help students 'rock the block

WAYLIA BERRY/THE LANTERN Ohio State President Gordon E. Gee and Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman dance with the crowd at the annual 'Rock the Block' event Saturday. Volunteers gathered outside the Wexner Center before departing to clean the campus area and University District neighborhoods.

Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee and Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman were among many who attended the annual Rock the Block event Saturday on campus.

Rock the Block, sponsored by Keep Columbus Beautiful, is an event where volunteers spread out across campus and the University District picking up trash and cleaning the area.

"Before you, you see the best damn students in the land," Gee said. "We're a great university, but our greatness will be if we go out and take care of our neighborhoods."

Keep Columbus Beautiful provided safety vests, garbage grabbers and other supplies and equipment to student volunteers. Last year, 682 students volunteered at the event and that number was estimated to be about the same this year, said Jim Robinson, a representative from Keep Columbus Beautiful.

"We cover actual neighborhoods as well as streets and alleys at this event," said Sherri Palmer, program manager of Keep Columbus Beautiful. "Our university is different than most, and has residential neighborhoods mixed into it. We're trying to get the student population more engaged in helping."

Palmer said that the university has recycling bins available, and that every Columbus Public School site has free drop bins for recycling for members of the community.

"Litter attracts more crime," Palmer said. "It shows that no one cares, and we always want students to be safe. We're helping to make the appearances of our neighborhood look good."

Mayor Coleman, creator of the Get Green Columbus initiative in 2005, thanked volunteers at the event and expressed his gratitude for the help in keeping the city clean.

After addressing the crowd, he and Gee performed the well-known Soulja Boy dance. There was music playing before volunteers left for their cleaning excursion, and pizza after they returned.

"This is for the students, by the students, and we think you rock," said Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston, vice president of Student Life and an attendee at the event.

Ben Huebener, a site leader for the event, is a second-time volunteer.

"It's a blast," said Huebener, a sophomore in human nutrition. "I enjoy community service. It's a good cause, and we're keeping Columbus beautiful."