A freshman at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., penned an opinion piece in the school’s newspaper, The GW Hatchet, in which she implores her peers to respect and empathize with the university's custodial staff.
Freshman political science and music major Laya Reddy’s passionate piece starts with some strong imagery. She recalls how she had seen a fellow student walk through a hall littered with trash on the floor. Much to Reddy’s disappointment, the student didn't help to clean up a single piece of the mess, but instead chastised a custodial worker for not having the area cleaned.
“Students created the mess she complained about after all, and they should bear some of the responsibility for picking up after themselves,” says Reddy.
As the opinion piece points out, students will not hesitate to say something when there's some sort of cleaning issue, but won't give thanks or even acknowledge all the work that is done well. This irks Reddy, who points out that other university faculty and staff, like professors and drivers, get kudos for their work.
To read the rest of what Reddy has to say, access the Feb. 13 edition of the Hatchet here.