Keeping a clean campus

When was the last time you took a look at Southern University? I mean really paid attention to the campus. Well it’s been a while since I took a glance, but under the advice of one of my professors, last weekend I decided to grab my CD player and take a tour.
In my opinion Southern University is a lovely campus. I, like many others, may have been to preoccupied in juggling my social and school life while scrambling from place to place trying to accomplish my daily tasks.
It’s funny what you walk by on a daily basis without even a glance taking it for granted. I was so appreciative of the scenery that I decided to go out again Tuesday to recap the same sights. Things were far from what I expected when the population returned home.
This campus happened to be going through an internal struggle at that moment. It seems the more beautiful it becomes the worse it’s treated by students and faculty members. During the summer session, while student population was down it was one of the most beautiful places to visit, chill or relax.
Now it’s been reduced from “The Yard” to “The Place Mat.” Has anyone noticed that the grass maintains a barbershop trim every week? Think back and try to remember the last time the grass was not maintained. You can’t say it because it rarely happens.
One thing that you may notice, however, is the dirt road appearing in the grass like an old school part in an Afro. For those of you who aren’t aware, Mother Nature doesn’t perform droughts in straight lines around high traffic areas. You might not remember high grass but you may remember seeing some people trample over the grass right after it rains burying it into the mud.
Has anyone ever taken time to pay attention to the landscaping of the campus?
Our campus maintains hundreds of bushes and trees lining the walkways and buildings. They’re actually spaced close enough to provide constant shade while allowing room for growth. Many of us have posted up and relaxed under the cool shade of a tree while being protected from the Louisiana sun. Ever noticed that you barely have to take more than a few steps to find some shade?
“The Bluff” over looking the Mississippi River is one of the most beautiful sights in Baton Rouge- no matter night or day. I drove by the president’s house and caught an early morning glimpse of the hwy 61 bridge over the river and I was perplexed at the fact that I pass this everyday and never took the time to look at it before then.
Another sight that has been bastardized by students is the infamous Lake Kernan. When walking past the lake you can see the evil stares from the local wildlife.
On any given afternoon you can walk past a half-empty trash can surrounded by trash as if to say that it was too much work to make the extra inch. The trash is sprawled around like leaves in the fall. I’m not the “Crocodile Hunter,” however I’m sure there isn’t a type of fish in National Wildlife Registry with a Coca-Cola logo on its side. Yet our lake is over flowing with Coke cups and empty bottles.
This trash around the campus isn’t natural.
Mother Nature isn’t being sponsored by McDonalds. Those who choose to drop their trash with the idea “It’s their job to clean up after me” should be ashamed of yourselves.
The people in light blue are not maids to be cleaning up behind us; they’re maintenance and are responsible for basic upkeep of the campus. The people who attend this campus either make it better or worse. Why go all the way to LSU’s lake when you could sit at a bench and look at The Bluff or feed the ducks at Lake Kernan.
It takes a real hypocrite to drop trash feet from a trashcan, then complain because no one picks it up. I thank those who keep up “the Yard.” The student body needs to pull our own weight and get it together- this is our campus too.
I believe that we need to make the extra effort to clean up after ourselves. We can all benefit from a better-looking campus.