‘Hell Block’ gets Halloween makeover
A fairy, the Black Plague and a pink lady straight from ’70s film “Grease” were among those who gave the 1100 block of West Grace Street a makeover Saturday. The environmental group, Student Sierra Coalition at VCU, and other volunteers wore their Halloween costumes to pick up cigarette butts, garbage and broken glass from the sidewalks of the mostly student-populated block, which is commonly referred to as “Hell Block.
A fairy, the Black Plague and a pink
lady straight from ’70s film “Grease” were
among those who gave the 1100 block of
West Grace Street a makeover Saturday.
The environmental group, Student
Sierra Coalition at VCU, and other volunteers
wore their Halloween costumes
to pick up cigarette butts, garbage and
broken glass from the sidewalks of the
mostly student-populated block, which is
commonly referred to as “Hell Block.”
“We are doing it by example out here,”
said Chloe Santulli, Student Sierra Coalition
vice president. “This is students getting
involved in cleaning up after students.”
Santulli said that along with the typical
garbage found on the block, the most
odd items found were a pair of shorts
and a belt. The two items were not found
together, she said.
The Hell Block cleanup is the second
such event the Student Sierra Coalition
has hosted this semester. The club tries
to organize direct-action cleanups once
a month, and the turnout to these events
has been good so far, said Grace Howard,
president of the Student Sierra Coalition.
“We’ve seen a lot of new faces,” Howard
said. “It helps to increase our visibility.”
The events have been well attended,
and other organizations have been sending
representatives to check out the group’s
success, she said.
“It is great for networking,” Howard
said.
Such networking is important for the
Sierra Club, Howard said – especially now,
as the group is working with the Student
Government Association to develop a
Green Campus Coalition, which aims to
turn VCU into a carbon-neutral campus.
Knowing such large policy changes
can take time because of resistance from
officials and red tape, the Student Sierra
Coalition is continuing to maintain a
core focus of direct action, education and
outreach, she said.
Students are directly affecting the
community they live in, Howard said, and
events like this cleanup can encourage
people to make lifestyle changes.
“People want a clean world,” Howard
said. “They just don’t necessarily want to
clean it themselves.”
