We’ve all heard it before: “Throw away your trash.” “Clean up after yourself.” “Don’t litter.” It comes from every teacher and every campus supervisor. We have heard it on CHSTV and get daily reminders at lunch.  Every single student at this school, even the new little freshmen, have been exposed to the importance of cleaning up. Yet somehow, the problem still persists. On the third week of school, trash already lines the walkways like accessories and food litters the places we eat. The great Carlsbad trash epidemic is in full force and shows no signs of stopping.

At the beginning of the year, it is customary to run into problems as new policies are put in place and everyone falls back into their usual rhythm. The trash epidemic, however, does not fall under this category. This is a simple problem with an extremely simple answer, and yet for some reason it refuses to disappear.

If you have failed to notice it before, there are numerous trashcans located oh-so-conveniently throughout campus. It is safe to say no matter where you are at this school, there is a trashcan within eyesight. Yes, it is such a struggle to get up and walk all ten feet over there, but just think of the rewards you will reap if you do, or better, the consequences you will face if you don’t.

If you need proof of the dangers leaving trash on the ground can produce, all you need to do is remember the seagull invasion of 2012. And 2013. And… well you get the point. If we want to prevent the flying beasts from dropping bombs on our heads again, all we have to do is throw away our trash. We can end the vicious cycle of terrorization and bird droppings all while making the campus prettier and healthier.

Also, while we’re on the subject, the solution to this problem is NOT to throw said  trash at the seagulls. Yes, they are annoying, and yes, they may or may not use your head as a bathroom, but this will not help the issue at hand. In fact, it will probably make it worse. Rather than having a bunch of birds pecking at your food, you now have a bunch of angry birds pecking at your food.

Every student knows how common it is to see Cheetos bags rolling through campus like tumbleweed from a corny western movie. Trust me when I tell you this is not a good thing. A new year has begun, and so should a new mindset. This is not Ebola or the Swine Flu. This is the Great CBAD Trash Epidemic, and it can end one piece of trash at a time.