Litter lines the landscaping of our district’s buildings. Wrappers scatter across the hallway as you walk between classes. Plates and milk cartons sit on lunch tables in the cafeteria as students leave their mess for others to take care of.

For those students who always throw away their garbage and keep our school clean, thank you for doing your part.

For those students who never throw away their garbage — nor attempt to keep our school clean — I share a message from those who are sick of your lack of action.

Pick up after yourself; it isn’t difficult.

The five seconds you spend finding a trash can for your refuse saves custodians time and keeps KHS clean.

I’m tired of walking down the 400 Hallway to find gum wrappers, plastic packaging, and papers in the middle of the hallway.

Pick up after yourself; it isn’t difficult.

If you visited another high school and saw litter everywhere, what would you think of the district?

We pride our district on being one of the best places to learn in Genesee County. Let’s clean up our act and treat our facilities with due respect.

Pick up after yourself; it isn’t difficult.

The worst offense in litter occurs when students leave a mess for custodians to clean.

Custodians aren’t hired to haul away your lunch mess. They’re not butlers or maids.

Would you leave your plate and garbage on the table at home? Would you disrespect your own property like you disrespect our high school?

Littering occurs outside as well.

Receipts, wrappers, and even large items fall out of students’ cars and sit in the parking lot for days until the wind carries them off into the land surrounding KHS.

The litter problem isn’t exclusive to KHS.

Take a walk around Burgtorf, for example. Bottles, candy packaging, and other garbage lines the parking lot and fencing. A look near the building reveals countless cans and bottles blown against it.

Some may claim litter occurs at KHS because of younger students’ immaturity.

It’s time we stopped cutting excuses. When you come to KHS, you should come with the common sense to clean up your mess.

Staff at Armstrong Middle School don’t allow students to litter, so why do students think they hold the right to litter now that they attend a larger school?

Even for students who don’t buy into environmental care, everyone holds the intrinsic human ability to tell right from wrong.

It isn’t a shocking statement to say it’s wrong to litter.

It doesn’t take much thought to realize that a lifetime of littering isn’t justifiable. It shows immaturity and disrespect.

Pick up after yourself; it isn’t difficult.