VENTURA : Students Attack Graffiti, Weeds

The dirt and grime didn’t stand a chance.

Take about 400 energetic students, arm them with paintbrushes, shovels and garbage bags, and six hours later the result is a clean campus.

More than 300 windows were washed, eight classrooms painted and mounds of bubble gum removed at Ventura High School on Saturday as students, teachers and staff attacked graffiti, overgrown ivy and anything else unsightly on the 40-acre campus.

Some students came to earn extra credit, some participated because they were forced, and a few showed up because they didn’t have anything else to do.

About 275 students asked people to pledge money for participating in the cleanup, and about 130 additional students showed up to help, said Jim Sargent, a history teacher who helped organize the project.

Students and teachers alike pronounced the project a success, saying about $30,000 would be raised by the students and community for programs, athletics and maintenance.

“It’s good because the students aren’t just going out asking for money,” Sargent said. “They’re learning to work together too. Some of these kids have never picked up a shovel before.”

Ricky Smith spent his Saturday painting classrooms because his basketball coach threatened to keep those who didn’t show up off the court, he said.

“I thought it would be boring,” Ricky said, “but it’s OK because all the other guys are here and you get to get all dirty and no one cares.” By the end of the day, he had white paint splattered in his hair, on his shirt and on his knees.

Freshman Catalina Coleman helped prune trees and remove graffiti because she would earn 60 points of extra credit in her geometry class.

“A lot of people wouldn’t have come here if they didn’t get extra credit,” Catalina said. “But I think a lot of people won’t trash the school as much, because it would be like, ‘Hey, don’t mess with that, I just pruned that tree.’ ”