1. Huge groups of people

I sit in the commons at lunch with six or seven of my friends. We sit on the floor, but we don’t balloon out to cover so much of the floor that no one can get by. The groups that do this usually sit right smack dab in front of a door too, causing traffic problems galore.

2. Asking to share

What, are we in the third grade? By high school, students should be able to bring or buy the food they need, and know how to keep from complaining about it. Also, high schoolers are old enough to try for a little bit of empathy and compassion. If someone sees their friend forgot to pack a lunch and offers to share half their peanut butter and jelly sandwich, that’s great, but begging is not.

3. Bragging about food

I get it, there’s magnificent chicken salad on the menu for lunch today. And someone is very excited about it. But maybe I can’t have that chicken salad because I’m on a diet or allergic, and making me jealous is not helpful. In fact, it’s quite rude.

4. Leaving trash

I’m nobody’s mother. If a granola bar is eaten, a granola bar wrapper is picked up. I shouldn’t have to pick up anybody’s garbage but my own. If students’ litter doesn’t get picked up, the custodians have to do so. We make enough of a mess as it is, so let’s be considerate and pick up our trash.

5. Poor table manners

Mouths should be kept closed when chewing. I saw the chicken salad before the girl put it into her mouth and bragged about it, I don’t need to see it again in it’s mashed, mangled, horrifying state. If something gets spilled, get a napkin and clean it up, don’t just stare at it as if it’ll magically be poofed away.