Kalvin Hodgson |
WELLSVILLE: Under a cold and constant rain, a group of
Alfred State students brought their strength to the Fassett Greenspace Project
to move heavy blocks, pull celery plants, hoist buckets of compost, spread peat
moss and dig 6 large holes in what looked to be soil but turned out to be stone
and mud.
Kalvin
Hodgson (Brooklyn NY, BA in Business explained that he was with a group from Psi
Delta Omega Fraternity. Hodgson said that the brothers focus on activities that
would be defined as philanthropy and youth service. In Alfred they often help
the Hornell Humane Society.
Brothers and pledges spread compost in the outer ring. |
They
meet with young people in Hornell, interacting with them and playing basketball
or other activities but through that they present to their young friends the
idea that they too can go to college. It’s always easier to aim high when
someone pays attention and tells you it’s possible.
Kalvin
said that he hasn’t heard this from someone yet but he knows others in the
fraternity who has been thanked by kids who decided to go to college.
Celery roots are long, fine and extensive. They hold tight to the soil. It's surprising how difficult it is pull the plant out. Quinn and Santos were surprised. |
While
this group often goes to Hornell to work, on October 27, they traveled to
Wellsille to do some heavy lifting at the Fassett Greenspace Project, ignoring
the rain and cold of an early nor’easter.
Jason Boden, Aleczavier Cowans, Jonathan Betances, and Tariq Yusuf helped dig the holes to place forms for the Freenotes Harmony Sculptural Instruments. |
These
brothers pledge to give 60 hours a year in community service. Jason Bodden
(Building Trades, Construction) said that he looks to the group to make life
long connections and says that the structure of the house encourages leadership
skill development. Fraternity brothers with academic skills share those while
others share their athletic skills. He described a defined governing structure
that they adhere to with the goal of building character.
Aleczavier
Cowans has a degree in Culinary Arts already but he is still in Alfred working
now to get a Bachelor’s in Business and in Tech Management. His family is from
Jamaica and they all do a lot of gardening so he was interested in the goals of
the Fassett Greenspace Project.
Santos Guevara, Brailen Tejada, Quinn Verpoten mixing peat moss in with soil and compost. |
10
volunteers from Psi Delta Omega Fraternity spent one of October’s nastiest days
helping the Wellsville community along side of four members of the Board of
Directors of the project: Andy Glanzman, Cassandra Bull, Murph Other members of Psi Delta
Omega are Robert Smith, James Martin, Santos Guevara, Brailen Tejada, Quinn
Verpoten, Tariq Yusuf, and Jonathan Betances.
Axtell and this reporter.