Just
bring it
By Peter D.
Barresi
Last
semester was my first at Rider. I went to my classes (sometimes) and to the
Student Center—that is about it. This year, however, I have been
exploring campus a bit more. For whatever the reason, before or between classes,
I find myself walking around our campus. I have been quite impressed. We have
some aesthetically beautiful, well-built buildings here. We have grass-lined
fields and lush trees. We have a very nice chapel and a man-made lake filled
with life and a fountain for good measure. I look around and marvel at the
beauty and at the creations of both man and nature coming together so nicely.
Then I see the garbage thrown disrespectfully all over it, the holes in windows
and names carved into doors.
For
all of you who commit these acts, here is a nice, dirty gesture just for you.
You make me sick. You disrespect the place where you have to live and/or study.
What you need is to wake up and realize that you are adults.
I
am disappointed every time I walk past Centennial Lake and see something
floating in there, other than a bird. I get angry every time I see a crushed
beer can outside one of the residence halls. Have people ever heard of a
garbage can? Or are you just too lazy to get up off of your butts and walk over
to one? We have a very nice place to go to school. Let’s take care of it!
However,
if you do not think it is nice enough to take care of, try this one on for
size. Upkeep of this campus is paid for with the same money that just about
everything else is—our tuition. Every time Rider has to put more money
into keeping the campus clean, where do you think they were going to get it?
Professor salaries? Sorry, guys. It is going to up our tuition again.
So
unless you want: (a) an ugly campus, (b) more money paid out of your pocket, or
(c) more money paid out of your parents’ pockets (and therefore YOU get
the guilt trip), show some respect. Find a garbage can. Toss rocks into the
lake to see how big of a splash you can make. Whatever you do, do not mess with
the beauty of our campus. If you do, you will make me very angry, and ladies
and gentlemen, you would not like me when I am angry.