I am having a hard time understanding anything anymore. It seems as though college has its own strange customs that are void of the rest of society’s expectations. Or, scarily enough, maybe this isn’t true. Maybe real world people, the average joes, are just as inconsiderate as the typical rowdy, belligerent college student.
There is no questioning that, at this point in our lives, we are at an awkward transitional period—stuck in between the desire to grasp onto teenagerdom with every fiber of our being and society’s expectations pushing us into adulthood.
What does it even mean to be an adult? What does it even mean to have responsibilities? It amazes me how that question still baffles people or at least it seems as though it does. Let me explain.
I am under the impression that a large majority of students are unable to grasp “responsibility” for several reasons. The article would be too long if I were to list said reasons but I’m sure you the reader will have no problem filling in the blanks.
After having lived in an Owl’s Nest this year, I can honestly say the most prime example of how immature people at this college really are is how the students choose to treat the Unicco workers who clean up after them.
Ranging from garbage bags in trees, to feces on the bathroom floor, to exploded mac ‘n’ cheese in the microwave, Unicco workers have to spend too much of their time cleaning up the aftermath of reckless living.
I find it astonishing that the dumpster that is 20 feet away from the building is still too far for an individual to bring their trash to.
Instead, I am constantly seeing (and this is not just in my Nest either) people who purposefully leave their trash in inappropriate places because they know someone else is going to take care of it for them.
I took the time to talk to a Unicco worker one day to apologize for my peers’ inability to take responsibility for themselves and their tendencies to be extremely rude in the messes they decide to leave behind for her.
First of all, she was surprised I even spoke to her.
We got into talking, and she told me horror stories of things she has had to clean up in the past. For example, she told me once that she had to spend a good hour or so cleaning up what had appeared to be a shaving cream fight in a boy’s bathroom.
The facility was covered in shaving cream and vomit, and she just didn’t understand why they would write “[Expletive] Keene State” on the mirror if they were paying to go here.
Another encounter with a couple of Unicco workers only made me more infuriated about how poorly they are indirectly treated by the students.
I had rearranged the furniture in a common room in order to do some homework. These particular workers were on break and because I had moved things around they were sitting on the floor.
Right away I offered them the furniture back, to which one of them responded, “No, no, no, it’s okay—this is your house” to which I quickly replied, “Yeah, but you’ve been cleaning it all day.” The shock that came upon them made my chest heavy.
How could they honestly be surprised that someone would offer them a chair after they’ve been cleaning up after “them” all day?
This is not just an Owl’s Nest occurrence. Unicco workers all over campus are unappreciated in the sense that the students go about their actions with the mentality of “someone else will clean it up.” That isn’t how life works.
Someone living on his or her own could tell you right away that there’s no one to clean up your puke after you’ve thrown up all over your hallway. There’s no one to take out your trash when you are too lazy to walk outside.
Yeah, we are in a growing period I suppose, still trying to get used to taking care of ourselves and being adults (whatever that means). I guess the point I am trying to make is that it is not an excuse to be an inconsiderate person.
In a way, the fact that Unicco workers still have to clean up this stupidity and laziness only supports it.
The only real punishment that comes from it is, at most, a $20 fine divided throughout the building that mom and dad are probably going to pay for you.
Taking advantage of the services provided by the Unicco workers is irresponsible, rude and immature, and life is going to hit these people in the face hard and fast when they figure out that real life is a lot different and you actually have to take control of the repercussions of your actions.
Elissa Fredeen can be contacted at
efredeen@keene-equinox.com