As all of the bottles, napkins, milk cartons, and wrappers are left behind on the lunch tables, our two custodians struggle to clean the cafeteria in the little time between lunches.

Some students have come forward to help clean the mess, including sophomore Sanjana Venkatasubramanian, who has helped ever since she joined the Pack last year.

“I just can’t see people in trouble, and sometimes I notice that these custodia[ns] frantically pushing the chairs, so that motivated me” Venkatasubramanian said.

The custodians appreciate the helping hand she brings.

“I so happy, you know the girl for the clean the B lunch, she help for three… no two year[s], and she[‘s] cleaning maybe two lunch[es]. She every day help for the, right here for cleaning the cafeteria. She’s so nice,” said Rosa Peraza, one of our two lunch custodians.

But they don’t have a helping hand after every lunch, so they continue to fight through the clean up.

“It’s only three minutes for clean the tables and pick up the trash. It’s only three minutes, you know, it’s…too fast,” Peraza said.

Other students have noticed the situation and have stepped up to help.

“It’s been a lot of messy, like seeing like, a lot like…students left the items, left the cafeteria and then I usually pick them up, and put them in the lost and found area and make sure someone can find it. If someone left a drink in there or papers or something, I just throw it away,” sophomore Brian Rios said.

“Well it’s kind of disappointing sometimes, that seeing like all the kids leave their stuff behind ‘cause you know, they take it for granted that people do it every day. But your moms aren’t here helping you clean up after you. And so just knowing that sometimes you have to have integrity and take the initiative and throw your trash away. It’s not that hard of a thing to do,” senior Connor Wolfe said.

The motivation is different for each student that stays to help.

“Ever since I was a kid, I never thought about it, I always helped,” Venkatasubramanian said.

“The custodians always have a smile on their face, even if…I have a bad day, it’s always good to see them smiling because then it’s like man, sometimes they don’t have the best job but they can always do it with a positive attitude, then I have no reason to complain. So if I come in smiling everyday and try to make their day better, then I’m doing for them what they do for me. It’s something small we can do, and you know it’s the least we can do for them ‘cause they always have a smiling face, they always want the best for you,  and so I think it’s our job to do the best we can for them,” Wolfe said.