Frankly, I am offended by this campus.
For my final project, I am doing littering on college campuses. So for the powerpoint portion of the assignment, I took my camera and took photographs of trash I found littered around campus. I was a bit short on time, so I ended up taking pictures mainly around my apartment complex and the University Place dorm. Adjacent to that area is the university’s shuttle stop. There was tons of trash in just that particular area. I had a bag along with me and I picked up everything after I got a photo og it. I was pleased with the seventeen photographs for the project and pleased with the trash no longer littering my campus or obstructing an otherwise pretty view. The next morning, I walked to the shuttle stop to catch a ride to my Spanish class. And what do I see?! More trash! There was even more garbage than I had picked up the day before. Fliers and cans and plastic silverware and bags…it was ridiculous.
It’s such a disheartening thing to see. After I spent my free time cleaning up other peoples’ abandoned refuse, I return to find my effort a moot point. What was the most interesting thing was that Cat brought up the idea of disrespect in class yesterday, after I’d begun this blog post. She was suggesting the idea of proposing the creation of a town garden in Kutztown and she wanted to know what our reactions to it. It was a resounding “no!” that the garden be on campus. One of the students (or was it the professor) suggested that some of the green lawn near Old Main be used for such a garden, as a way to create a communal project here on campus. Cat said, and rather fiercely so, that the students on this campus were too disrespectful for such a project. The entire class seemed to agree to that.
And just yesterday evening, my friend and I were discussing the trash on this campus. Since I’ve begun this class, she said she’s been paying way more attention to the litter on campus and just noticing the issue we truly have. We talked about the increase of litter this year. We’re not sure what exactly is the culprit (decrease of care, decrease of respect, increase of uncaring freshman, etc) but whatever the reason, it’s disgusting.
Then I was walking to class this morning and saw the lawn maintenance people keeping up on the appearance of the campus. What I find so ridiculous is how they spend their time. However, it’s entirely possible I just don’t see all that they do. But they spend their time sucking up leaves that have built up against the curbs and mowing the lawn to keep it green rather than littered with nature’s refuse: leaves. Can’t they leave the leaves alone and deal with more important things?
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