It was the eye of a storm that had passed. It would touch down in an hour in another form on the opposite end of the campus. I stood staring at its aftermath, stunned. Dozens of college-ruled pages wafted like butterflies being carried by the afternoon breeze. Small composition books slid on the slick cement surface as more assertive breezes randomly pushed their way through mercilessly littered hallways.
Early for a graduation, I witnessed not a natural disaster, but a hidden social phenomenon: the compulsory last-day-of-school emptying out of lockers. The depths of my gut groaned, “So much for Earth Day.” I rounded one corner after another. Each hallway was equally obscene. Trash cans overflowing; piles covering the floor between cans. The recyclable goods at this school alone could fill a store. I wondered, “Do all the schools in the County look like this today? What is the impact nation-wide? How is this possible in this economy?” I pondered what was the ugliest: The trashy, low-class mess? The wasteful indulgence? The environmental impact? The cost to taxpayers and the parents? The ignoring of the poor who could benefit if someone cared just enough, one time a year? I spied a stack of journals perched on one pile, new but for a few scribbles. Underneath were all kinds of clothing and supplies: coats, rulers, organizers, and combination locks—even high heels and new “hip” jeans. All were in clean and in good condition. Worst of all: hundreds of textbooks on all basic subjects.
The one thing I didn’t see was trash. What I wanted to see were news reporters before it was all hauled to landfills instead of the needy. I pictured families in areas nearby who could not afford these things. The books alone might unlock them from the cycle of poverty through education. They could use the clothing.
It was clear what happened. The school’s edict was, “Empty your locker before you leave school today.” The kids’ response was to dump everything and say, “I’m out-a-here.” School administrators have their hands full at the end of school. Trash costs are invisible to the taxpayers. Waste management vendors are just doing what they are paid to do. The landfill has no choice but to receive the “trash.” Parents have no idea their children discard these valuables. And the high school students? They need our help!
This is a socio-environmental issue at its core. There is hope when we recognize the larger impact of seemingly small-scale oversights. “Locker madness” adds up, and can be remedied with effort. A responsible adult community noting the need, taking preparatory steps, and taking appropriate action could profit greatly. Environmentally-active people would gladly show up at the schools if they only knew. Using containers and implementing a plan, students could be guided toward responsibility and gain strong leadership examples. Charities are eager to help the needy acquire such useful resources. Getting conversations going about this invisible condition can be an easy way to make a local impact.
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