UzhNU held a university-wide cleanup

Every year, on Cleanup Day, a nationwide cleanup campaign takes place, in which Uzhhorod University traditionally participates. The goal of the event is to clear the areas surrounding the university’s buildings and other structures of trash and the effects of winter.

The cleanup of the grounds at Uzhhorod University was originally scheduled for April 6, but unexpected weather changes forced a change of plans. Snow fell in the middle of spring, so the event had to be rescheduled for April 11. This time, the day turned out to be sunny and warm.

All faculties conducting in-person classes joined the university cleanup. Each had its own section, which students cleared of branches, leaves, and dry grass.

“We’re really happy to have the chance to clean up the grounds of our beloved university. When we go to class, the first thing we see is the university courtyard. We want it to always be clean and well-maintained, so we’re always ready to join in on initiatives like this. Especially since it’s beneficial not only for society but also for each of us,” share first-year students from the Department of Philology.

This view is shared by philologists and students from the Faculty of Mathematics and Digital Technologies, who have also traditionally joined in the cleanup. They joke that they held their “Clean Thursday” on the Tuesday before Easter. Pavlo Mulesa, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Head of the Department of Cybernetics and Applied Mathematics, jokes that the “sponsor” of the change in the cleanup date was the unexpected April weather: “We traditionally clean the area assigned to our faculty along the path from the main entrance to the university and to Koshytska Street on Maundy Thursday. And usually this happens before Catholic Easter, so that all students of the faculty can feel the symbolism of the event. However, this year the weather made some adjustments, so we moved the event a bit. The students’ motivation stems not only from the lack of an active student life but also from the knowledge that their social engagement can earn them extra points, which are factored into the scholarship ranking at the end of the semester. That said, our faculty has always had an active student body that isn’t afraid of hard work and responds to various initiatives.”

According to Pavlo Mulesa, the cleanup was primarily carried out by second-year students majoring in “Mathematics” and “Applied Mathematics.”

One of the volunteers, El-Fakih Muhammad Ali, a sophomore majoring in mathematics, says: “My classmates and I walk along this path every day, so we were eager to help clean it up. The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed—we finished the job in an hour. There were quite a few interesting finds, but what surprised us most was a box for a wedding ring.”

All in all, while having fun under the warm April sun, they collected two bags of trash. The students remind us: a place isn’t clean where people clean up, but where people don’t litter.

In addition to the students, university staff also helped clean up. Everyone tried to do their part for the common good. Together, they managed to collect mountains of trash, which was later removed from the university grounds.

“We hold a cleanup every year before Easter. We clean the area around the academic buildings and dormitories so that it’s a pleasure to look at. In this way, the environment where we work and live becomes more comfortable and attractive,” notes Ihor Korol, Vice Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work at UzhNU, adding that the campaign is not a one-time event. In particular, a cleanup is planned for May not only around the academic buildings but also in the UzhNU Botanical Garden.

UzhNU Media Center – Anastasia Labik, Ksenia Shokina