In a new video pitch targeted to New York City Council, student athletes are lobbying for capital funding to overhaul BCC’s antiquated track and field. “We are student athletes at Bronx Community College who care deeply about the success and well-being of our institution and its student body.” says Women’s Basketball player Ciara Shillingford in the intro.

Building the case for modernized athletic facilities, students point out that student athletes consistently graduate at an approximately 2.5 times higher rate than the general BCC population and a two times higher rate than the general CUNY student body. They speak to the long-term benefits of the field improvements, not only as they relate to the College’s Athletics program, but also to BCC’s overall recruitment and retention efforts and the Bronx as a whole.

“Today we are asking for the long-overdue and much needed improvement of our athletic facilities, specifically BCC’s Ohio Track and Field. This important project will have a positive impact on the Athletics Department for decades to come and serve as an asset to the entire Bronx community,” says Abdul Mohammed, member of the Men’s Soccer team.

Currently, the field (known as Ohio Track and Field) is the only field on BCC’s campus and is used primarily for baseball and soccer. The upgrades requested include an outdoor control booth, new audio-visual components, a new electronic digital scoreboard, and new LED field lights to meet the current and future needs of BCC students, faculty, staff, and the community for sporting and outdoor events.

BCC Interim President Dr. Milton Santiago says he is proud of the students for advocating for a transformed track and field. “We look forward to setting a new standard for athletic excellence in the Bronx,” Dr. Santiago adds.