At the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Japanese fans are seen with a blue thrash bag, picking up empty plastics to plastic bags and other items “thrashable”. It is said that this virtue of keeping their surrounding neat is being taught at home and schools. Depite the presence of stadium workers, they took out the thrash as a ritual, leading by example and letting other countries fans at the world cup follow their example. Countries like Morocco and Saudi Arabia joined in the act of cleaning up after a game though not their duty but they felt a sense of responsibility as said by a fan.
There are non-teaching staff employed to take out the thrash and clean the surrounding at the Faculty of the Social Sciences, they work for what they earn and are expected to make the surrounding freindly and safe for students. Despite their efforts in doing their job, we still get complaints most especially with the use of the toilets available to all students “the toilet is dirty, stinking, no water available”. These complaints are directed towards the Faculty management for a change or an improvement in the provision of these service.
For a problem to be general, it begins with the particular. The Faculty management and those responsible for tidying the environment have done their part in providing a safe and neat environment for the students to make use of but perhaps unlike the Japanese, the habit of maintaining a neat social environment is not being taught in the home and schools of some students or there is no shared responsibility of maintaining a safe environment. Despite the provision of Water in the toilets, dustbins in visible corners, buckets and bowls it has been observed that students neglect the use of them. Perhaps the essence of these provision is not known to all or a Manuel is required on the use of public bins and water in the toilets.
The uncultured manner of using a neat toilet without flushing or rather making it unsafe for another person to use, chewing gum and placing it on tables or beneath the tables in lecture rooms, consciously littering the environment with snack wraps should be condemned by all. Yes there are those who are paid to make the faculty a “better place” but I don’t think students visit their lecturers offices and leave oil stains on the table, snack remains on the floor and exhibit any other dirty act.
Probably the only time some students are neat in their conduct is when they visit places they consider “sophisticated” or when the substance they are dealing with is illegal or personal, we scarcely see leftovers of cigarettes or sachet alcohol in the school environment, condoms, sanitary pads and more. Perhaps there is a shared sense of responsibility in disposing the above items or the need to be conscious in putting away these items.
The so called “cleaners” as we call them are not opportuned at every minute to clean the surroundings or repeat their duty. So it is expected of us as social beings to ensure that an environment initially neat and safe should be maintained with little effort. The dustbins around the faculty are provided for students to make use of. The water in the toilets are there to ensure students maintain neatness. Uncultured conducts should be reduced to the barest minimum and dangerous items be trashed properly.
As Social Scientists and by doing so, we show we care and are conscious about our environment, making it safe for others including ourselves.
