Students gather at Jones Beach for a day of cleanup. Photo Courtesy: Donald Proctor / The Hofstra Chronicle

On Sunday, Sept. 15, over 70 students and faculty from Hofstra University members gathered at Jones Beach for community engagement as part of the university’s ‘Days of Service’ series. 

The Pride returned to their local beach as part of the many schools participating in the International Coastal Cleanup program, which the university initially joined four years ago. As of 2023, Hofstra students have cleared hundreds of pounds of trash off the vast sands that comprise New York’s most visited state park.

The cleanup required careful collaboration between the Office of Commuting Students and Community Outreach, Hofstra Hillel and external organizations with the New York State Marine Education Association, the New Jersey Lattorial Society and the New York State Parks Department.

A section of the beach typically in the Pride’s crosshairs was closed throughout the summer, leading to a shocking contrast from previous years.

“There was no garbage; everything was clean,” said Rabbi Dave Siegel, leader of the cleanup effort, Executive Director of Hofstra Hillel and the university Chaplain. “It just goes to show how much we affect the beach with our day-to-day presence… [the New York State Parks Department] wanted to make sure we knew that there were other areas that needed our help.”

Under sunny skies, the Pride whisked down to Jones Beach Field 4 and left no stone unturned. In groups of three, students gloved up and kept their eyes down to fill dozens of large bags with a vast array of trash.

Volunteers enjoyed making new friends, soaking up the sun and creating a tangible impact on a coveted area of nature. 

“People throw garbage all around here… cleaning this up could make people a little more careful,” said Muhammad Vasali, freshman computer science major. “I said ‘Why not?’ I’d love to do something for the community.”

Rabbi Siegel and his father, Lou, representing the New York Marine Education Association, introduced additional context to the crew, connecting Vasali’s love for community involvement in nature to values of faith. 

Rabbi Siegel explained that the concept of radical amazement in the Jewish religion is a lens that requires people to think deeply and find amazement in the world around them. Even if an individual has visited the beach numerous times, the lens of radical amazement would procure someone to appreciate it as if they had never been. The crowd thoroughly embraced this concept. 

“I tend to get stuck in the whirlwind of college and I feel this is a nice way to disconnect from that and reunite with the rest of the world,” said Mohini Haque, a junior biology major. 

The event will continue next year as students readily volunteer to help clean up Jones Beach. The New York State Parks Department is credited with the care and disposal of the collected garbage.