As a naive, wide-eyed freshman moving into Keeney, I was extremely unprepared for the interesting events that were to come in my college experience. Upon arriving at Brown, I was impressed by its beauty and superb maintenance; the fall foliage of the trees seemed to perfectly complement the brick buildings, and I remember thinking that the actual school was so much prettier than the photos I had seen until then. After the first few days, though, my impression of the school changed slightly.
While I didn't expect the campus to eternally remain in a spotless, immaculate state, I also didn't expect people to run through the hallways with a shopping cart on the fourth floor of Keeney. Most likely forgetting the basic skills of picking up after themselves that were once taught in elementary school, many students would unabashedly litter and leave it to the custodians to clean their messes up daily.
A few weeks into the year, I realized the permanence of the situation. Every Sunday morning I could count on seeing smashed up "EXIT" signs on each floor. Every time I went to the lounges, the tables would be sticky from spilled beverages, and the presence of colossal piles of trash in the halls was never missed. Despite numerous e-mails from the peer counselors, students often seemed to disregard common courtesy and leave trash everywhere, thus bestowing additional work unto the custodians. As if cleaning the vomit stains off the toilets and unclogging chunks of hair from the shower drains wasn't enough, students gave the janitorial staff the extra job of clearing out their giant bags of trash from the halls and bathrooms as well.
The seeming lack of care for Brown's environment does not only apply to the Keeney Quadrangle; it happens everywhere. The minute the sun starts shining in the spring after a bitter mini-ice age better known as an east coast winter, people feel the need to dine outside and absorb UV rays. It is no coincidence that the Main Green, Lincoln Field, and Wriston Quadrangle suddenly become littered with takeout boxes during this time as well.
Along with the warm weather comes the occurrence of outdoor festivities, which adds more garbage to the campus, this time in the form of alcoholic beverage containers. The black metal trash receptacles are filled to the point where they appear to be spewing white boxes rather than storing them, and empty beer cans coupled with broken glass become partially embedded into the soil of the grassy fields nearest the Ratty. Needless to say, I'm certain the photos in university brochures are not taken during Spring Weekend.
The sad fact of the matter is that the extent of the horrible conditions to which I had become accustomed didn't register in my brain until the second semester of my freshman year. I went to the bathroom one fine morning only to find that the shower curtains had been torn off their hooks and thrown out the window, and the soap dispenser had been completely ripped out of the wall and discarded as well. I was amazed; how could someone even find the brutality to do that, and for what reason? My best guess was that someone took her anger out on the bathroom facilities in a drunken fit of rage.
Following this debacle were some intimidating e-mails from the peer counselors, explaining the severity of the situation as well as how it affected everyone living in the hall. Within two days, however, our angel of a custodian had replaced the shower curtains and supplied a substitute soap dispenser. Naturally, this resulted in an abrupt decrease in interest in the search for the bathroom abuser.
I am doubtful that students would realize just how poorly they treat this established, reputable school's campus if the bathrooms were not restored so quickly, but at least it would serve as a reminder of their influence on the school. I had figured that by this age people would be more aware of their surroundings and the impact they have on the environment; not only does leaving trash around decrease the aesthetic value of the campus, but it also makes someone's job more difficult.
We've all had those moments when we just throw some garbage away in the tiny trash cans in the bathroom because it's too much of an effort to walk down four flights of stairs to the trash room. Nonetheless, the next time you want to take the easy route, do everyone a favor and think about the people who clean up your mess for you.
I extend my sincerest thanks to the underappreciated janitorial staff at Brown.
Deniz Ilgen '13 is a civil engineering concentrator from Los Gatos, CA. She can be contacted at deniz_ilgen (at) brown.edu.
