November 27, 2016

Idle hands wander under desks daily, only to touch uncomfortably damp, squashed gum on the underside. We jerk our hands back in disgust, and silently curse the person that left it there. People putting their chewed gum on the underside of their desks is a real problem at McCracken County High School, and it’s not unreasonable to seek change.

Most teachers allow gum in their classroom, so there’s no reason to hide the fact that it’s there. There are garbage cans in every single classroom, and around the school. In other words, there are plenty of proper disposal methods all around. It isn’t difficult to stand up and walk a couple paces to throw gum away correctly. Even if the flavor runs out while a teacher is giving a lecture, there are two options: keep chewing it until the lesson is over, or get up and throw it away anyway. It’s not as big of a distraction as it seems.

There’s a particular name for the type of gum on desks: ABC gum. That stands for Already Been Chewed. People don’t want to touch this. ABC gum has saliva all over it, and one thing that not all teachers have in their rooms is hand sanitizer. “It’s disgusting,” says Madison Scott, a junior here at MCHS. “I think everyone feels that way.”

She’s right. Most people do feel that way. Take Mrs. Goode, House 3 English teacher. She has this to say: “Traditionally, food-like substances are not placed on furniture after use; it hurts the trash can’s feelings.” It hurts others’ feelings too. Students and teachers alike feel annoyed, disgusted, and a little bit disappointed in our peers.

So, who are these people that commit this heinous crime, and what is their motive? Is it laziness? Malice? An attempt to prove that they’re Chaotic Neutral in the Alignment System? The thing is, no one ever sees these people stick their gum under the desks, and no one would ever admit to doing it. It would seem the gum just appeared there, but it’s not that ghosts do it. This terrible situation that disrupts the peaceful life of this school must come to an end, and quickly. It’s one thing to show PDA with one’s significant other and get sick. It’s another for an unsuspecting victim to accidentally touch gum still covered in a stranger’s saliva. It’s especially a problem around this time of year. Flu season is never fun, but it’s even worse when it’s brought about by such a disgusting habit.

Mr. Ceglinski has a motto that he says every morning during announcements, and it’s plastered all around our school. The saying is “Work Hard, Be Nice”. Sticking gum under the desk instead of throwing it away properly isn’t working hard at all, nor is it very nice to leave it there for someone else to touch. We attend an amazing school that we should take pride in. Let’s all do our best to keep MCHS clean, and throw away our gum correctly from now on.