The lunch room is the one room in the school all students have in their schedules (minus a few exceptions). At the end of C lunch, after all the traffic and a few spilt milks, the place can get kind of dirty. We on AHLAHASA’s staff have one request for you: pick up the mess you make.
That place gets dirty enough without you leaving your junk lying around. Pick up. It is a sign of respect, and we can think you’ll even feel good about it. We’ve all seen it; those students who leave their trays on the table, even after they have been yelled at by a supervisor. How lazy can you get?
All you have to do is put it on a revolving rack. It’s not like you have to wash them (thank the lord!). Moreover, it’s not just trays, but the little things, too, like apples and silverware that are getting left behind. The signs in the lunch room that politely state “the mess you make someone has to clean up” are testimonies to the truth.
Some of you will say “Yea, so? It’s their job.” The lunch ladies and supervisors already do a lot for you. That food on your plate wasn’t magically summoned from the fiery depths of Mordor. Often the lunch ladies are in the kitchen two hours before A lunch preparing meals for at least 1,000 people. They care, and they know you’re hungry. Even if it is their job, picking up after yourself shows respect. All of the lunch workers really appreciate it. Not only that, but these actions don’t just show respect for the workers, but a respect for yourself. You are a teenager now. Take pride in the fact that your parents don’t have to wipe the food off your face or put your toys away.
We would also like to encourage you not to stop at that. Say thank you when your food is served, or be patient when the cashiers are ringing up your items. Listen to what the workers have to say. The lunch line people aren’t there to stand and supervisors aren’t there to gawk at you while you eat. To those of you who have been doing a good job at being respectful, we would like to take a moment to thank you. You are the glimpse of light through the dirty window pane. Hopefully you can feel good knowing your actions really do make a difference.
That being said, we hope you will think twice about leaving behind that spoon you dropped on the floor or picking up that tray someone has left behind. Do your part.
Thank you.