The iconic senior courtyard is the perfect spot to escape the stuffiness of the cafeteria. However, permission to eat at such haven is one of the few privileges that seniors are permitted to hold.

“Since day one, it’s always been a small goal that kept me motivated,” senior Kevin Huynh said.

These soon to be Annandale High School graduates hold their courtyard near to their hearts as they spend a 30 minute period in the middle of the school day outside.

Nevertheless, this sacred ground is slowing rotting from the inside out. The students leave for class after every lunch period to their courtyard looking the way that it always is: trampled and filled with waste. Some go to the lengths of comparing the courtyard to a “mini landfill.”

“There would be food trays left and trash on the ground,” senior Nicole McCoy said.

“It’s pretty dirty and it’s gross to look at,” senior Justin Vo said.

Despite this wondrous opportunity given to them, they fail to keep it in orderly shape.

“We’re too lazy and because of that the janitors have to clean it for us,” Vo said.

The students believe that cleaning up this privilege granted to them by the school, is not in their job description. Rather, they are solely doing exactly what previous graduates did themselves.

“We do it just because we can,” Huynh said. “Rising seniors are going to do the same thing.”

While some may not see littering as an issue, others believe that change must occur. Since it is their courtyard, they must go out of their way to clean it up for themselves.

“It’s just common courtesy to pick up after yourself,” McCoy said.