Let’s be honest: you think you’re hilarious when you deface the bathroom stall or chuck yogurt on the floor. Guess what? You’re far from being a comedic genius. In fact, you share the same maturity level as a fifth grader. Congrats! Seriously though, a majority of students taking part in these shenanigans are trying to hassle the establishment. News flash – the principal and teachers don’t clean the school; janitors do.

We’re honored to have such a pristine school, but it takes more than sweeping and some febreeze to make it look the way it does. Janitors are on the clock from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, but they cannot fully begin their duties until most of the students have left the building. Their job becomes tiresome when students leave unnecessary messes in the school.

Every day all the classrooms are diligently cleansed. The chalkboards and whiteboards are wiped down while the floors are vacuumed. Each hallway gets swept and every bathroom is sanitized. The hallway out by the gym gets a machine to detail the floor when needed, and every inch of the auditorium is vacuumed. Then, there’s the cafeteria.

For some unknown reason, students at this school are very fond of throwing food. I don’t see the amusement in it. In all honesty, I threw a carrot across the room once. Not that thrilling! Why does flinging a grape at the soccer table give you a rush? I would love for someone to please enlighten me on that subject. On top of the thrown food, there are bottles left and sometimes spilled on the floor, paper crumbled, and scuff marks from chairs remaining on the floor.

Once lunch nine has left, the tables are folded and 120 chairs are stacked, so the floor can be swept and mopped if necessary. Unfortunately, they do not get to place the tables and chairs back until 7 p. m. when after-school activities leave the cafeteria.

Numerous times students have forgotten their materials and needed to return to the school after hours hoping to retrieve it. Other schools lock down their building come six o’clock but, because our janitors are on the clock until 11 and are very kind-hearted, we luck out.

I have had numerous conversations with the janitors in this school. I even know some of their first names. Our janitors are some stellar people! They’re always willing to toss you a joke or compliment, and students repay them by defacing the school? Let’s be honest: they did nothing to you, so calm down and quit it.