Summer is supposed to be a time to relax, but more and more ORU alumni have been using that time to make the ORU campus a cleaner, brighter place. 

It all began five years ago when 30 volunteers--alumni, spouses, and offspring--took part in the first Summer Spruce-Up. This past summer, 229 volunteers gave a week of their time to clean up and fix up dormitories and other buildings. 

In Wesley Luehring and Susie Vinson Halls, all hallways and stairways and many rooms were painted; plumbing repairs/upgrades and electrical upgrades were completed. Some serious cleaning was also done in several other dorms and the Student Center. The phrase "I don't do windows" was not in anyone's vocabulary, so windows were sparkling in all the dorms, the Student Center, and Timko-Barton Lobby by the end of the spruce-up. Alumni also completed a variety of tasks in the Educational TV department. 

Ray Hall (75) is a true Summer Spruce-Up veteran. He's one of the original group of 30 who has returned every year. Why does he do it? "I believe in ORU," he said. "It has had such a major impact on my life, I just want to give something back." 

Mark your calendars now for the next Spruce-Up, July 24-31, 1998. Donating "elbow grease" is a good way to help the University rather than, or in addition to, a monetary gift.