TRASH BUSTERS: STUDENTS TAKE ACTION AGAINST POST- LUNCH TRASH

This year Monte Vista Christian School’s California Scholarship Federation (CSF) students have taken initiative on encouraging other students to clean up their trash at lunch. In recent years, there has been a trash issue at MVCS and students have not been cleaning up after themselves. Some students decided it was time to hold each other accountable for their trash.

CSF students wanted to do something about the trash. “When I met with my CSF presidents we talked about how we could make campus a better place,” says Mr. Nystrom, the administrator in charge of NHS. “They came up with the idea to clean up the trash and Mrs. Swing immediately said yes for the students to lead this opportunity.” The administration loves that the students want to be involved with beautifying campus.

CSF saw that teachers were cleaning up after students. CSF leader and student Bryce Ebrahimian says, “This year we wanted CSF to step up and make a bigger impact on campus than in the past. We noticed that last year, teachers were primarily the ones cleaning up after lunch instead of students, and we felt this needed change.” CSF members can participate easily in picking up student trash, and through this work makes encourage other students to do the same.

Ebrahimian also gives insight on why students may be leaving their trash after lunch. He tells sources from the Vista, “I don’t think people are leaving trash intentionally, they just get occupied doing something else and forget. CSF wants to convey the message that when someone doesn’t clean up after themselves, it means that someone else has to do it for them. We hope that when people see CSF members cleaning up during lunch, it is a reminder for students to pick up their trash.”

The administration knows the problem will only be solved when students change and become more thoughtful in their actions. “We need to respect our custodians and not be selfish and lazy with our responsibility for the environment around us,” Nystrom said. “If someone treats their environment poorly, it makes it a less beautiful place. We want this place to be beautiful.” Administration want to make this place beautiful so that people want to be here. They want to make everyone feel a part of our family, and by taking care of the campus we are taking care of our home.

But with any new project, there have been complications that the CSF students are quickly trying to counter. Mr. Nystrom mentions, “I think that in the early going there were struggles to figure out what the clean up should look like. We don’t just want CSF students to be cleaning up trash, but advocating for others to pick up their own trash. We want to encourage other students to clean up after themselves. But in case that doesn’t happen at first, we have gloves and everything for our students to help clean up the area.

Ebrahimian also mentions, “The campus has been a lot cleaner after lunch and administration has even complimented us on how much of an impact we are making.” The Monte Vista staff is very grateful for the work these students are doing and hope that the entire student body will become aware of their trash habits through this project.