In the middle of the hallway, a half-eaten piece of toast and freshly opened carton of milk sit waiting to be picked up by the next custodial staff member who walks that way.

Each day at lunch, during passing periods and activity period, students leave their messes for the custodial staff to clean up. From splattered ketchup packets in the breezeway to spilled corn on the stairs to messy bathrooms in every hall, Canyon High students can do better.

While part of a custodian’s job may be to clean half-eaten plates of chicken tenders lying around in the commons after lunch or a mountain of used paper towels sitting on the bathroom counter inches away from the trash can, the excess garbage makes it all the more difficult. More importantly, it is their job to keep the school operating as functioning environment for students to learn. This means working at the school for hours at a time just to make sure the job is done right. Each day, they work tirelessly so students can have a productive and clean environment. They perform tasks day in and day out with a smile. It is time the student body shows more appreciation for Canyon High’s custodial staff by taking better care of the campus.

However, the problem also lies with the students who see it happening and do not clean up the messes left behind. A bystander to a wrongful act is no less guilty than the person committing the act. In order for there to be change, student accountability is key. Next time a crushed plastic dish of smashed tater tots sits, waiting to be knocked down to the floor, students should pick it up. Yet, day after day, students forgo picking up trash. This leaves custodians cleaning up the school until late because too many people were too lazy to do the right thing.

To those who say it is the janitors’ job to clean the school, no matter the mess; first, the title is custodian, not janitor. A janitor is only entrusted to clean a building. A custodian has the responsibility to look after a building and make sure everything is in order. If the custodians did not work so diligently each day, Canyon High would be falling apart. Custodians work up to 12-hour days to ensure the building is a suitable learning environment for students and teachers. Students should promote a higher level of respect for the custodians around the school. This means there should not be a disgusting mess of food, liquid or other matter lying around the school, and students should address the problem by taking responsibility for others’ litter as well as their own.

It takes everybody working together to keep a school clean. Student have to do their part in order to show appreciation to the custodial staff. It is time everyone cleans up the mess.