{"673884":{"#nid":"673884","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Beautification Day Celebrates 25 Years","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe campus community is invited to participate in an Earth Month kickoff event on April 6.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt one of last year\u2019s Helluva Block Party pregame events, I met Tech alumnus Tony Agusti. I was sitting behind the wheel of an Ioniq 5, one of the new cars on display from the Hyundai Motor Company. Someone slid into the passenger seat and we both admired the cool dashboard and interior of the electric vehicle. We chatted, and it was not long before we realized that we had something in common: Tech Beautification Day.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETwenty-five years ago, Agusti was a mechanical engineering major who started Tech Beautification Day, inspired by his work with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scouting.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScouting\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ayf.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAmerican Youth Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E. Originating as a collaboration between the Freshman Council, Student Government Association (SGA), and Georgia Tech Facilities as a day of service, the inaugural event took place on May 22, 1999, and drew 40 volunteers, including Georgia Tech students and staff \u2014 among them, two horticulturists from Landscape Services.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs we sat in the electric car, I was excited to share with him that I worked in Infrastructure and Sustainability (I\u0026amp;S), the campus unit that supports Tech Beautification Day, and that plans were underway for a 25th anniversary event in the spring. \u0026nbsp;Agusti, now a program specialist in the electric power division of Caterpillar Incorporated, happily agreed to return to campus, along with his family, as an honorary guest this year. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs with many other campus events, Tech Beautification Day was put on hold for a few years because of the pandemic. But last year, SGA, in collaboration with Greek Week, brought it back in full force. With the support of the I\u0026amp;S Landscape Services department, this milestone anniversary will offer both a celebration and a full slate of projects focused on improving the campus landscape.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis year, the event will take place on Saturday, April 6, and hands-on opportunities range from planting flowers, shrubs, and trees to laying pine straw and replacing the letter T from campus signage. The event begins with breakfast and a welcome from the Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance, Shantay N. Bolton, who will introduce Agusti.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTech Beautification Day\u2019s legacy is a testament to Georgia Tech\u2019s mission to making a positive impact in the lives of people everywhere,\u201d Agusti said. \u201cI am honored and humbled to return to campus 25 years later with my family, serve alongside our community, and instill acts of kindness within my children.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAssociate Director of Landscape Services Neil Fuller also speaks fondly of the event. \u201cStudents gain a sense of pride when they can look at a completed job and say they did it. And it gives them a chance to make their mark on campus and be able to come back and point out a specific plant or tree and tell their family how they planted it years ago.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETony Agusti will be able to do just that, and Georgia Tech can thank him for creating one of the Institute\u2019s beloved traditions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EApril 6 Schedule:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E8:30 a.m.: \u0026nbsp;Breakfast, check-in, and welcome (Tech Walkway at the south end of Tech Green) \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E9:30 a.m. to noon: Volunteer projects\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E12:30 p.m.: Cleanup, return tools, closing remarks\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/event\/10034968\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERegister to Participate\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENote: Please wear close-toed shoes and long pants. Bring sunscreen and bug spray.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETech Beautification Day celebrates 25 Years.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tech Beautification Day is April 6."}],"uid":"35028","created_gmt":"2024-04-01 18:32:05","changed_gmt":"2024-04-01 19:11:01","author":"cbrim3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-04-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673574":{"id":"673574","type":"image","title":"agusti_25yearsago_resized.jpg","body":null,"created":"1711997892","gmt_created":"2024-04-01 18:58:12","changed":"1712069223","gmt_changed":"2024-04-02 14:47:03","alt":"Volunteers at the inaugural Tech Beautification Day 1999.","file":{"fid":"256985","name":"agusti_25yearsago_resized.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/01\/agusti_25yearsago_resized.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/01\/agusti_25yearsago_resized.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":724348,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/01\/agusti_25yearsago_resized.jpg?itok=6l1Zhk7j"}},"673576":{"id":"673576","type":"image","title":"bee_purple_petal.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBumblebee on petal.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1711998400","gmt_created":"2024-04-01 19:06:40","changed":"1711998400","gmt_changed":"2024-04-01 19:06:40","alt":"bumblebee on petal","file":{"fid":"256987","name":"bee_purple_petal.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/01\/bee_purple_petal.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/01\/bee_purple_petal.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":165176,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/01\/bee_purple_petal.jpg?itok=QJPzb-BR"}}},"media_ids":["673574","673576"],"groups":[{"id":"383831","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"35921","name":"Facilities Management"},{"id":"1045","name":"Tech Beautification Day"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECathy Brim\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInfrastructure and Sustainability \/ Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["cathy.brim@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}