California State University, Stanislaus, (Stan State) had their annual “Butt Hunt” event on April 20. 
In celebration of Earth Day, which was on Saturday, September 22, Stan State students decided to get together and observe it on Thursday. 
“Earth Day is an annual clean-up event that is coordinated throughout all universities by the California Youth Advocacy Network,” Bryan Jimenez, an intern at the Health Education Office at the Student Health Center said.
This event aims to support colleges on the fight for smoke free campuses. This year the event was utilized to give out vital information in order to create this ideal campus.
A special task force will be occurring in the next couple of months to try to make this change happen. It will be focusing on an executive order form the Chancellors Office (refer to Executive Order 1108 for more information) calling for a systemwide smoke and tobacco free environment for all CSUs by September of this year. 
The Stan State “Butt Hunt” consisted of students gathering on campus to pick up tobacco trash like cigarettes, wrappers, spit tobacco cases, lighters and tobacco butts. 
“We were cleaning up so that they can put up to ‘No Smoking’ signs,” Ainee Elizarraras (senior, Psychology), an Earth Day volunteer said.
Elizarraras explained that event coordinators asked the volunteers to go around campus and pick up anything that was trash. So then that later other volunteers could go and put up the signs.
“You get what you give, So I think its important for us to be cleaning the campus to let other people know that this is a cute campus,” Joseline Martinez (freshman, Spanish), another volunteer, said. 
Apart from having the advantage of having a cleaner campus, the students who volunteered also benefited from this event by gaining community service hours.  
“We also sign off on community service hours and hand out a Certificate of Participation for those that need proof of hours completed [whether it be for a class or as part of an organization on campus]”, Jimenez said.
One of the students who benefited from the community service hours aspect was Joseline Martinez. 
“For me not only the cleaning but getting in my community service hours that helped a lot”, Martinez said. 
“Gaining experience and participation is one of the most crucial aspects on the road to success. You gain insight and meet people that can help you on later down the road,” Jimenez said.