Sweeping at the Eastfield Mall (April 13, 1969)

April 13, 1969

This photograph shows Springfield College students sweeping the Eastfield Mall parking lot, which had a 4,500 car capacity. More than two hundred students participated in the “sweep in” to raise money for Work Week 1969. The students were paid $200 for their three hours of sweeping. According to the Springfield Union, “Spring fever and refreshments threatened to disrupt the business at hand, but the students persevered to make the parking lot spotless.” Work Week was a precursor to Humanics-in-Action Day, which takes place every fall at Springfield College and reflects the school’s long tradition of community service. The 1969 Work Week was particularly ambitious and productive. As one of the kickoff events of a capital campaign led by Art Linkletter, the famous television personality, students hired themselves out to local businesses and individuals. Over one thousand students contributed more than three thousand hours of labor to the effort, and the contributed $34, 570.81, to the ca