The janitors at our school are truly incredible. These hard working men and women clean for a school that holds over 3,000 people, along with a constant barrage of visitors. They clean the halls, they monitor the rooms, they clean the bathrooms, they dust, vacuum, spray and wipe much of this 504,626-square-foot building and they do it amazingly. There have been days that I have seen pizza slices thrown at the walls and spilled coffee just left to stain the tile, but the next day, all evidence of these disgusting acts is completely gone. They work their magic and I am so thankful for them and truly impressed by all that they put up with.

Sadly, it seems like this year in particular there are many that seem to constantly leave all their lunch food, trays, and empty chip bags strewn wildly about their lunch table. My friends and I have been staying after lunch trying to clean up the few tables around us that we can reach in a timely manner. Normally we are only able to go to two tables with at least five of us with hands full of trash. Every day there are still nine or ten other tables with garbage left across their length. It saddens, disgusts and annoys me that I have to see this every day. It disappoints me, because I know that now, on top of all their other duties, the janitors must take extra time to clean up after you.

Dear student body: please pick up your trash from your lunch table. I know that many students do, but to those that do not, I have to ask, why? Are you trying to create some sort of modern art that displays the disorder of modern society? Do you not realize the school has trashcans on both ends of every other table? Are you just too lazy? Have you not heard the APs telling you to clean up? Do you have a hearing problem? Or are you expecting your mother to come clean up after you?

Surprise wildcats, your mother is not here. If you want to be treated like an adult, you have to act like one, and part of being an adult is learning to clean up after yourself. So here is my challenge to you: Take pride in yourself and your school, grow up and clean up after yourself.