Students should make it a priority to create an organization dedicated to cleaning up as snow melts around campus and trash becomes visible.

With the weather improving students can be seen walking around campus and enjoying the fact that it is not negative degrees out. This increase in student outdoor activity also seems to have increased the amount of trash visible on campus. Trash like old straws, cups, newspapers and food wrappers can be found in the grass outside the CHANCE program office in Williston Hall.

NIU does not have a student organization dedicated specifically to keeping campus clean and this is a problem students must address. There is a lack of student initiative to keep NIU campus clean as many can see by the litter.

I, amongst other students, feel that while campus is fairly clean, we could benefit from some changes.

“… I was at Northwestern [University], there was a whole group within the student government associated with keeping the campus green and clean,” said Aimee Arvayo, sophomore political science major. “I think if we could up recycling … people would recycle more instead of just throwing what is recyclable on the ground.”

I have seen bits of trash near the streams and in the grass on campus, which I find very disappointing. The grass near the streams between Neptune Residence Hall and Cole Hall is consistently littered with old Cheetos bags, napkins and food utensils. I would like to be able to describe to family and friends how beautiful NIU’s campus is, but can’t when I constantly see trash laying around.

“Main campus is fairly clean,” said Sabrije Fejzoski, freshman early childhood special education major. “I think anywhere would benefit from an organization dedicated to cleaning up though.”

Starting a new organization is not a hard process; someone out there needs to take the initiative to get a group like this going. All a student needs to do is contact the Student Association vice president and propose his or her idea, said Student Association Speaker Dillon Domke.

“All you really need is an idea and we can help you from there,” Domke said.

Students should take pride in their campus and feel responsible for keeping it clean. By starting an organization dedicated to campus clean up, students can keep the campus clean and spread awareness.