Youngstown State University students spent the weekend before finals fighting blight on the city's north side near the campus.

YSUscape, a university student organization, and 20 volunteers helped clean and board 15 blighted properties Saturday.

Volunteers included members of the YSU football team, honor societies, greek life and high school students.

The work day was organized to demonstrate the impact students can make in the community, even with the weekend before finals week.

“Our hope is to build upon on the collaboration efforts and see more properties cleaned and boarded, which helps the neighborhood become more secure” said Jordan Wolfe, YSUscape’s Blight Club coordinator.

The organization is working to clean up the area near campus because students walk by the blighted properties on their way to campus.