This year teachers and administration are enforcing a new system in the lunchroom that mitigates the trash students leave behind after lunch.

During lunch, teachers assign a student at each table with the responsibility of making sure their eating area is spotless before they go to class. This initiative was spurred by a committee of teachers who wanted to alleviate the laborious workload of Jose Zavala, the Aspen High School custodian, who was hospitalized over the summer with an illness.

Since the system was implemented a month ago, students have become more adjusted to tackling their cleaning responsibilities in the commons.

Adam O’Bryan, the English teacher who helped mastermind this initiative, believes the system was an imperative step to help Zavala recover.

“The reason is that we don’t want Jose to have more work than he needs,” O’Bryan said. “That’s why we asked kids to stack chairs. If we ask everyone to do a tiny bit, it takes a lot off of what Jose has to do.”  

Karen Zohar, AHS biology and freshman seminar teacher, shares a similar outlook with O’Bryan.

“This change this year started because our long-time custodian, Jose, was very ill over the summer and was hospitalized. When he came back we thought it would be nice to make cafeteria clean up as easy as possible for him during his recovery,” Zohar said.

Zohar, among others, feels as though the program shows promise in evolving throughout this school year. She notes that the initiative has been effective thus far.

“I think students have responded really well to take on this responsibility. We all have Jose’s best interest in mind,” Zohar said.

Caprice Seaman, AHS sophomore, isn’t fond of the enforcement but she feels that it is a necessary step to help our lunchroom.

“The students might not be particularly supportive of this system in our lunchroom but if they’re not willing to clean up their own trash then what is the school supposed to do,” Seaman said.

Jamison Delaney, another AHS sophomore, discusses how she is not fond of the new system either.

“I personally don’t like it very much because what if you’re not at lunch that day or you leave early and it’s intervening on your personal life,” Delaney said.

When asked of students complaints, Zohar spoke about a few students who disagree with the system.

“There has been a small minority of students who have resisted and lashed out on both me and the idea in general but that okay. Let’s keep in mind that the goal is to have the cafeteria looking clean,” Zohar said.

O’Bryan is also optimistic in the student body adjusting to the system more in the following months.

“I think if people get used to the system then it will continue to work,” O’Bryan said. “If we ask everyone to do a tiny bit it takes a lot off of what Jose has to do.”