KANSAN.COM
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Whether it's paper cups or plastic bottles, it is picked up after athletic games and brought to the recycling center to be sorted.
Alex Robinson/KANSAN
Clubs spend hours cleaning Fieldhouse after games
▶ MADDY MOLONEY
@MaddyMaloney016
When Jason Finkelstein, a senior from Hopkins, Minn., attends men's basketball games he faces a dilemma - participate in the game-day tradition of tossing shredded copies of the University Daily Kansan into the air or save himself more work after the game.
As a member of the University's Ultimate Frisbee team, Finkelstein and his teammates are hired multiple times a year by KU athletics to clean Allen Fieldhouse following games.
"It's definitely hard to do," Finkelstein said. "It takes a long time, kids have homework, you don't get a lot of sleep, kids have 8 a.m.s., it's not ideal but as the club officers, they look forward to it because it's a lot of income coming in."
Jay Ellis, assistant athletic director of facilities, is in charge of organizing campus groups to participate in the Allen Fieldhouse post-game cleanup. It's a program that allows campus organizations
to clean up the sea of litter left behind by fans, taking the place of a janitorial service. In return, the campus groups receive $2,800.
The Ultimate Frisbee team puts the extra money toward a practice field, facilities, entry fees and travel tournament fees. This year, the team was able to participate in four cleanups. This resulted in the team being able to fly to two tournaments this year.
"It's definitely cool to be in Allen Fieldhouse after no one is in there." Finkelstein said. "[It] is pretty cool to see it empty and be part of the process of cleaning it up and allowing [KU] to have another game and it's cool that they pay us."
The money, however, is not easily earned. It takes, on average, five to six hours to clean the Fieldhouse. The cleaning starts after the broadcasters finish postgame, which
for an 8 p.m. game can mean students don't get out until nearly 4:30 a.m. It can take some groups until the next day's lottery to finish cleaning. Groups that do not complete the cleanup or do not clean up satisfactorily will have their pay cut, and KU Athletics will then hire a custodial service.
Ellis said he agrees the experience can be overwhelming and makes new groups start cleaning after women's basketball games to work them up to the full-house men's basketball games.
cheese is like gum." Ellis said.
Groups that participate in the cleanup remove approximately 3.750 pounds of waste, according to Waste Reduction Manager Eric Nelson. 40 percent is now recycled due to the fact that in 2013 the athletic department adopted a partnership with KU Recycles called Rock Chalk Recycle, which promotes reducing waste at KU sporting events.
"I've done stadium cleanups and everything is fine until you put your hand in nacho cheese, nacho
["KU] athletics has been great in embracing this program." Nelson said. "It's good marketing for them and it's just the right thing to do. It's also what you're seeing in the professional sports market
as well."
Of the nearly 1,500 pounds of recycling sent to the KU recycling center each game, Nelson says a majority of what he receives is either Coke products or ripped up pieces of the Kansan, and occasionally Fireball shooters, picked up by the organization's cleaning up.
"It's a dirty, thankless job, but we appreciate it. We appreciate all the groups that work really hard doing this."
- Edited by Garrett Long
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