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The brothers of Alpha Gamma Rho are hard to miss when they’re cleaning up College Avenue in their bright orange T-shirts every month. The fraternity, founded in 1924, recently re-adopted a 1.5 mile stretch of the road running in front of the University of Maine campus. With the adoption, it became the duty of Alpha Gamma Rho to make it a nicer stretch for everyone that passes by. The group had originally adopted College Avenue in 2002, with similar intentions, but a lack of communication and proper scheduling resulted in the project falling apart. With the help of the town of Orono and Assistant Town Manager David Struck, the effort was reorganized and the group brought it back together this year.
Before they were able to start last week, the brothers spent the summer preparing. This meant placing new signs below the existing speed limit signs on the first day of the school year. They also designed magnetic caution signs for trucks and new T-shirts, according to Keith Gilmore, their live-in adviser. With these preparations, the brothers were ready to start.
On Sunday, Sept. 10, 14 brothers cleaned all the way from the Orono town sign to Park Street. They filled five trash bags, provided by the town of Orono.
“College Avenue wasn’t adopted, and we thought it was a really good way to give back to the community that we’re part of, especially since we live right on the street. It’s also a way to set an example for other organizations to adopt a street like us,” said Derek Nener-Plante, a third-year civil engineering major, and also the president of Alpha Gamma Rho.
But what motivates a group of college students to get up on a Sunday morning, just to pick up trash? Philanthropy Chair Paul Bertschinger explained, “I think community service is a lot about the small things. I like having the ability to do something for the community and to give back to the town. [People] get a chance to see that Greek life as a whole is about more than what you hear in the news. The more rewarding parts of being in a Greek organization are the efforts that are made to perform service. I like having the ability to look at the road before and after and know that we made a small difference.”
Alpha Gamma Rho also participates in other community service activities. They work alongside the Orono Public Library every year to put on a Halloween party and book sales for children. AGR is also active here on the UMaine campus, making residents’ lives brighter by painting the game rooms in every residence hall- with airbrushing by one of the brothers to add a special touch.
Because Alpha Gamma Rho is such a volunteer-oriented organization, Bertschinger encourages others- whether or not they are part of Greek life- to get involved in community service.
“Doing something small such as picking up trash is easy. There is no experience needed and you can see the results. I think large events and undertakings are great and the right individual or group should get involved, but do not let the idea that doing something small does not have the same impact. If we left the trash there, it would build up and then there would be a larger problem for the town as well as the campus. I guess my overall message is to get involved in something, regardless of the size.”
