As the school year progresses, campus maintenance can become challenging. Clean rooms, cars and backpacks can become difficult to upkeep. However, keeping our school clean is not a habit that we should let deteriorate. With the introduction of the waste reduction project in the 2021-2022 school year and a new trash can system, cleaning up after ourselves as students has never been easier. 

Commenting on Foothill Technology High School’s (Foothill Tech) new waste processing system, videographer Cole Dinkler ‘23 stated that it’s “a way to make Foothill a better and greener place for all of our students” in episode two of the “FDP-TV.”  While the student body is surrounded by administrators and faculty who care for the campus, we need to do our part to show our campus the respect it deserves. 

Gallery • 2 Photos

Linda Manzo

As break continues, a dangling banana is left in the compost section of Foothill Tech's new trash can system.

Vice Principal Frank Davis emphasized that he “picks up trash every single day.” As it’s not in the job description within our administration to care for students in such a way that doesn’t relate to our education, as in picking up after ourselves, we are not only caring for our environment, but for our authorities as well. 

While our environment is being taken into consideration, Environmental Club member Lily Ventura ‘24 advises the student body that, “it’s up to us, the custodians can’t do everything.” While our helpful custodians are able to maintain our campus, their responsibilities do not also include being responsible for students. It’s extremely simple, if everyone is responsible for themselves, the problem would be solved. 

The implementation of the new trash can system graces our campus with environmentally friendly assistance, however, Vice Principal Katie Tedford worries that “[the new system] is not altering people’s behavior on whether they take their trash or not.” With the dedication that is routinely put into our campus, the minimal reciprocated effort is to be responsible for our own waste, placing it in the appropriate section of trash. 

Failure to care for our trash results in another member of our student body or staff taking time out of their break to assist our school. “It’s such a small school, so it’s more noticeable,” describes Jasmine Guzman ‘23, who also routinely picks up trash after nutrition “everyday on my way out of [teacher Melanie ‘Captain’ Lindsey’s] classroom.” Devon Carbajal ‘24 jokes that “it’s a good thing we don’t have a seagull problem,” but that our bad habits, “makes the school look messy.” 

Such a simple act of cleaning after ourselves has a large ripple effect throughout the school, holding enough power to keep our campus respectable and polished throughout the school year. “A part of our campus being beautiful is us taking care of it, the more we take care of it, the better the school is for everyone that goes here,” Tedford advises. Our school is a place that we all attend five days a week, whether you’re a senior or a freshman, our one commonality is our campus. As this is our common denominator, in caring after ourselves, we’re caring after each other.