Have you ever been in the middle of a test and you suddenly look down at your desk to find yourself reading those lovely comments and drawings? Or are you one of the many talented graffiti-artists who draw on the desks at AHS? Maybe you are the student who always gets up to leave his or her desk only to find a scrumptious piece of gum smeared to your leg. I don’t know about you, but it makes me feel just dandy when I read, “ %$*# you!,” on my desk. Overall it may be funny to occasionally read the notes left on desks but in reality it gives our school a poor image.

The majority of the desks at Annandale are in very poor condition. They have a heavy amount of graffiti and linoleum covers that are peeling off. Neither are they leveled, nor are they free of trash inside the desks.

One of the most common problems with the desks at school is that many of them are covered in graffiti. This includes profanity, vulgar drawings, doodles and messages. This causes distractions among students, but they also give you a good laugh now and then.

A very annoying issue with some of the desks is that their linoleum covers often peel off. Students picking and peeling the covers off when they are bored often causes this. It can be a potential hazard because of the sharp edges. Sometimes a section of linoleum will come off completely which makes it very hard for students to use their desks effectively.

Good portions of the desks at AHS are not leveled correctly. The unevenness of the desks is a result of the different lengths of legs. It is irritating when the desks wobble back and forth when one is trying to write. The noise is also aggravating to the entire classroom.

Trash is commonly found in the desks, although most teachers turn the opening of the desks facing away from the students. It’s a nauseating feeling when you stick your hand inside a desk only to touch melted chocolate that gets all over your hands.

The movies are the only place that illustrate students finding gum stuck to their bodies. Such is a real problem at AHS as well.

It can only be assumed that students ruining the desks irk the staff at AHS. Some teachers have their students clean their desks if they catch them defiling said desks. This is helpful, but often times the desks will be ruined again, in just a few days.

For the most part the desks at AHS don’t need to be changed. “If we do not have desks, we contact the county warehouse to see if they have a surplus of student desks and if that does not work we contact neighboring schools to see if they have a surplus and can donate the desks to AHS, ” assistant principal Aaron Schneider said.

“The amount of graffiti is minimal and when it does happen in most cases the teacher or student can clean it off. In the few cases that the graffiti has been severe (carvings) we have the desk removed from the classroom by our custodial staff. We don’t have a budget [for desks], so we ask the county and other schools if they have any desks,” Schneider said.

It is humorous to look at the doodles and messages on the desks when you are bored, but AHS shouldn’t have to ask FCPS for more desks once they are defiled. This is a waste of money that could be used in a more resourceful way.