Life at Northwood can get messy, whether you’re an antsy freshman navigating the slopes of a new school or a seasoned senior. But, the challenges of high school aren’t an excuse to abandon Northwood’s core values of integrity, compassion and mutual respect.
In case you’ve forgotten, here are a few reminders on etiquette to help you make what we call “home” for five days a week the best place it can be:
1. Throw your trash away
As you walk to your sixth or seventh period, it would be tragic to slip and fall on discarded pizzas that lay askew on the sidewalk.
According to Northwood plant manager Emic Medina, it takes the custodial staff over four hours to clean the school every day. From time spent picking up lunch trash to elcaning up after tissue paper everywhere on the floor, their time is being taken up by simple carelessness.
What would the kids from Portola and University high schools say about us? The trash-talking wouldn’t end on the field. We need to do our part to keep our campus crisp, and throw trash in the cylindrical can with a hole. This way, the custodial staff can change the liners and take the trash away instead of picking up trash piece by piece all over the school floors.
“We’re going on 26 years and it sure doesn’t look like it,” Medina said. “[Northwood) looks like a brand new school!”
2. Sit with new people
Especially at the beginning of the year, many students are still trying to fit in and find their people in high school.
For many, it is daunting to approach someone and ask to sit with them.
Lunch tables are made for making friends, so if you’re looking for a place to eat and see someone sitting alone. or someone looking lost and unsure of where to go, chances are they’re in the same boat as you. Oflen, you can make somcone’s day by simply inviting them to sit with you and your friends.
Who knows—you might meet your future partner in crime!
3. Don’t push in the lunch lines
Along with the excessive wrappers that can be found littering campus, the lunch lines are starting to resemble cell duplication, with students overcrowding the line by pushing and cutting just to get a slice of pizza.
“It gets kinda annoying when I’m trying to get my lunch or talk with my friends and I’m getting pushed from all directions,” junior Sean Latchman said. “It just makes everybody’s lives harder.”
In addition, use the separate lines designated solely for pizza and the lunch carts around campus offering a smaller selection of food. Taking a calmer approach not only keeps you safe, but also makes sure you actually get to eat. But when you use the lunch line, be mindful of the people around you and join at the back of the line instead of saucezing near the entrance.
If you’re seriously bored, instead of trying to push through the line to minimize a couple minutes of wait time, you could talk with your friends or spam Spanish Quizlet flashcards on your phone.
4. Keep our bathrooms clean
We are T-wolves, but that doesn’t mean we should act wild. We should remember that indoor plumbing is not something to be taken for granted. Keep our bathrooms clean, and your shoes will stay unsullied by.. well, you know. In previous years, when students disrespected school property, basics like mirrors and soup were removed from the bathrooms, so no one could check if they were looking fly during breaks.
“Although we do have some things to work on, the bathrooms have been surprisingly clean compared to past years.” Medina said.
However, cleanliness does not have a limit. One small improvement from one person is a major change for the entire school! It is also important to remember to flush the toilet after you finish, to not eat Chick-fil-A in the stalls, and to put your feminine products in the trash. If you wouldn’t throw your toilet paper on the floor at home, don’t do it here!
In conclusion…
Remember that many of the freedoms granted to us as high school students are not guaranteed. Luckily, making our campus feel like the welcoming home it deserves only requires a few moments from your day. So, whether you’re sitting on the fresh, clean turf near the oak or talking to your friends while walking down the lunch line. remember that all this cleanliness and comfort is the result of hours of work from our custodians and mutual respect from everyone on campus
P.S. If you’re not convinced, you’re always welcome to join the custodial staff on their daily lunch trash pickups.