Story by Alyssa Jara and Alyssa Velasquez
Staff Writers
LA PUENTE – As junior Jackie Villasenor walks to her last class of the day it is hard for her to not notice Bishop Amat’s grounds littered with burrito wrappers, Doritos bags, uneaten food and empty water bottles thrown under benches and on top of the lunch tables.
“It is really sad because this is our school and we should keep it looking nice,” Villasenor said.
Although it being a bad habit, students continue to litter the halls because they are not the ones cleaning it at the end of the day.
“Students have to pick up after themselves,” said Dean Mrs. Eugenia Yrene. “They think it’s the janitor’s job and it isn’t, it’s everybody’s.”
Some students and teachers blame litterers’ habits on their upbringings.
Senior English teacher Mr. Marcus Lewis said that students may leave trash around because they are used to those ways at home and may be used to others picking up after them, letting these ways follow them to school.
“That’s not the way my mother raised me,” he said.
Mr. Lewis emphasized that Amat is like a second home and students should bring it upon themselves to regulate each other and be conscious of their actions.
But regulating their friends is tough for many students.
Senior Andre Villa said he doesn’t force his friends who leave trash behind after a day’s lunch to clean up after themselves.
“It reflects on peoples’ upbringing, but I don’t tell them anything,” he said. “I’m not their mom.”
Mrs. Yrene said that personal responsibility is the answer.
“If everyone picked up after themselves it wouldn’t be a problem,” said Mrs. Yrene.
Junior Idilio Sanchez said litterers should be punished.
“Hold people accountable for what they leave behind,” he said. “Give them trash duty if they are caught littering during lunch.”
In addition, he called on students to dedicate themselves to campus cleanliness.
“We could have a day of everyone picking up the trash on campus at least once every two weeks,” he said.
