Students Plant Thousands of Daffodil Bulbs to Beautify Campus
Students plant daffodil bulbs in anticipation for the spring.
On Oct. 30, nearly 100 students and President Nicolette DeVille Christensen led an effort to plant more than 2,600 daffodil bulbs at 16 locations around campus in a beautification and sustainability effort made possible through support from the Office of the President.
Popular thoroughfares outside of Blankley Alumni House, the entrance to the Castle, areas surrounding Knight Hall, the Wishing Well, and the Spruance Art Gallery courtyard are some of the locations where bulbs were planted. Students who participated in the event noted how, in addition to beautifying campus, the future flowers can positively affect the mood of Arcadia community members.
“I first heard about the bulb planting through a club I am involved in, Arcadia for a Better Community,” said Sarah Daley ’18. “By planting these bulbs, we achieved a better sense of community by working together to accomplish a common goal—making the campus beautiful. In the spring, our campus will be blooming with color. This will hopefully brighten the students’, as well as the community’s, mentality throughout the spring semester.
Dean of Students Andrew Goretsky hopes this year’s bulb planting event can serve as a catalyst for an annual effort.
“Our hope is that this can repeat every year, and that the University can work with students to select different areas of campus to beautify, maybe to turn it into a nice fall-into-spring tradition,” said Goretsky. “It also can have a long-term impact, as students can return in the spring and see the fruits of their labor, and even return as alumni to see how they have contributed to the campus’ physical beauty and sustainability.”
Goretsky also stressed that three student groups (the Residence Hall Council, the Environmental Network, and the aforementioned Arcadia for a Better Community) spearheaded efforts in generating student participation. He also noted that Tim Gallagher, grounds superintendent for Facilities Management, was instrumental in helping with instructions for planting and in procuring supplies and the bulbs.
