A zip-close bag with vomit, a toothbrush, a shirt, a thermos without a top, liquor bottles and melted Tootsie Rolls® are some of the items that volunteers picked up during the Homecoming “Trash Bash.” 

Three teams of four volunteers were assigned sections of the Homecoming Parade route and other parts of Charleston to pick up trash Sunday.

Team One picked up trash along 6th and 7th Streets, team Two was assigned parts of Division Street and Polk Avenue, and Team Three covered the area between 1st and 4th streets.

Andi Morgan, a junior history major, said the “Trash Bash” was a way to help out the community and make Charleston a more beautiful place.

“Homecoming is like any other celebration,” Morgan said. “It is like cleaning up and taking down the tree after celebrating Christmas. It is something that just needs to be done.”

Rachel Fisher, the director of Student Community Service, said this was the second official Homecoming “Trash Bash,” but they usually have six or seven opportunities per semester where students can volunteer to pick up trash.

“I think it is nice for students to hit the pause button on their weekend and help out the neighborhood,” Fisher said. “It is very responsible to pick up after ourselves and end Homecoming on a good note with a simple way to make a great impact.”

Cecilia Maldonado, a sophomore psychology major, said she picked up a lot of candy, and the most odd things she found were a Frisbee® and a smashed pumpkin.

“Doing this makes me think (that) I will be more careful of not littering,” Morgan said. “I probably won’t throw as much candy on the ground at next year’s parade because I realize that people will have to clean it up.”

Kayla Horner, a freshman elementary education major, and Tionna Alderson, a freshman communication disorders major, found the bag of vomit.

“It is really surprising to see what kind of trash people just throw down,” Horner said. “I really hope that people learn to clean up after themselves and help keep our community looking nice.”

Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].