Full Transcript of the Litter Assembly Speeches

I wrote the following paragraphs on 9 December and a delegation of legendary people, as well as myself, delivered them to the usual applause. The segments I personally delivered are marked in blue.

At the beginning of September, I gave a speech welcoming you all, and I hope it was a memorable speech. In that, I mentioned the Common Room and how we as a collective need to keep it tidy. Unfortunately, we on the Student Council aren’t impressed with the attitude we’re getting.

The problem is apathy amongst the sixth form. Apathy is defined by Google as: the lack of interest and motivation.

People don’t seem to care about their school environment, and think it’s someone else’s problem to clean up after their mess. I’m sure none of you today would do this in your own homes, so why do it at school? That’s the question I think you have to ask yourselves; if you don’t, simply everyone loses out on the Common Room.

It is very easy to put one item of litter in a bin, and takes no time whatsoever. Mass cleanups, on the other hand, waste a lot of valuable time, and for those who have to clean up after those who litter – this takes a lot of time out of their day which is very unfair. Time is one of those things that teachers have very little of, and it and make it very stressful for them if all their free time is taken by picking up litter, or badgering the Sixth form to do the same.

Many things regarding the litter problem in the common room are tedious. Cleaning the common room when it is full of other people’s junk is tedious both for teachers, pupils and staff. Having to constantly lecture the Sixth Form into keeping the place clean due to the actions of a few people who refuse to tidy up after themselves is tedious, and it’s tedious for us as Sixth Formers as well to have to be lectured like this. Put it simply, dispose of your litter the right way and it makes life a lot less tedious for us all.

We as a sixth form are lucky to have the common room, and even that we do, we’re always looking to improve and take the sixth form into new areas. As a student council, we played a heavy role in securing the common room food hatch, and we are always discussing new ideas to make that place better. But, our time to discuss is limited, and we need to stop discussing the same silly problems week in, week out – the main one being litter. So help us to help you by giving us nothing to complain about, more time to discuss what really matters, and keep the common room tidy.

If we all work as a team to keep the common room decent, to pick up litter, to clear away abandoned cups appropriately, we can ensure ourselves that this brilliant facility will remain. Surely it’s not too much effort to move a wrapper into the bin or return a plate to the counter?

All of us here are part of a sixth form community, and such, we should be proud of our surroundings. But with that pride comes responsibility, both to keep ourselves in a good environment and also to maintain this environment for others to enjoy. Everyone here is a member of the sixth form, and everyone should help us to take it forward, and you can all help by simply keeping the common room in a good state for all.

As sixth formers approaching adult life, you should take it upon yourselves as a community to clean up after yourselves without the prompting, without the nagging, and the “can’t someone else do it” attitude of assuming someone else will always be there to pick up the rubbish that is so visibly displayed by a considerable number needs to change to “why should someone else do it?”

I think what has been said today by these people and I highlights a clear message. One of the sixth form having a wonderful facility in the common room, but one that I personally feel is misused and taken for granted. Therefore, change is required.

We need, as a sixth form, to take responsibility as a collective, and encourage ourselves and others to keep things clear. It should not be up to the responsible majority to clean up, and lose out due to, the selfish minority, who spoil it for all.

Therefore, we need cohesion to make sure that we all keep this common room clean, pleasant and most importantly open and available for us all to enjoy.

Now, I ask you, volunteer yourselves to clear up this mess, that I made, to make a point and show that you share our feelings this afternoon.