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As the spring semester comes to a close, thousands of students who live on campus are about to embark on a small rite of passage that amounts to a large endeavor of muscle and energy: moving out of the residence halls.

Amid final exams and year-end ceremonies, rooms must also be cleared, often leading to rushed decisions over the disposal of household items, clothing, food and furniture that won’t be needed back home or in a new apartment — or simply won’t fit in a suitcase, carry-on or back seat.

The ensuing piles of unwanted possessions have some 91���� students seeing an opportunity: A group of President’s Leadership Fellows will lead a move-out drive next week, collecting items to donate items to Tampa Bay nonprofits.

“I completely understand why it happens,” said Cassandra Miller ’27, of the items that get thrown away during move-out week. “But that doesn't make it like any less upsetting to see. I don't want to put anything that's completely fine back into a landfill,” she said.

Part of being a leadership fellow is participating in a social change project that improves the Tampa Bay area, and the students running this year’s move-out drive inherited the project from another cohort. Last year, 91���� students moving out of residence halls donated over 240 pounds of food; nearly 8,000 pounds of furniture; and about 100 bags of clothes.

Furniture collected this year will benefit New Life Warehouse; clothes will go to the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation; and food will be donated to Feeding Tampa Bay. The goal, said Miller, is to donate more than last year.

But despite what will likely be an ample amount of stuff, there are a few challenges, Miller said.

“The biggest problem is logistics,” Miller said. “We’re right downtown, so there’s not a lot of space to store (donations). There are cars coming in and out for move out, and trucks can’t be here during business hours, so all of that combined can cause difficulties.”

Looking ahead, Miller said the idea is for the effort to grow each year. She hopes to get a moving company on board to help with transporting items to the benefitting organizations.

This year’s donation drive will accept donations between 12 and 7 p.m., May 4-6, on Sykes Lawn. Students interested in volunteering to assist can sign up on Involve.