To the Editor:
I was walking to campus today from my place on Sargent Street and decided to take a short-cut through the parking lot behind Thayer and the Theta Delta fraternity house. What I saw in that parking lot disappointed and disgusted me. An enormous amount of "trash" was overflowing from and surrounding the dumpster. A broken futon frame that I thought I could use as a platform outside my apartment door led me to take a closer look.
You know that saying, "One person's trash is another person's treasure"? Several of the items surrounding the dumpster could have qualified as either trash or treasure: a desk that was missing two drawers, a record collection, an old worn trunk. But I found many things in that pile that were far from being landfill material: at least one mattress, a suitcase and several smaller pieces of luggage, crates, un-used computer disks, at least three sweaters, five shirts, three pairs of pants, one pair of tailored shorts, a barely-used pair of hiking boots, lightbulbs, bookends, an old hard-bound copy of "For Whom the Bell Tolls," phone cords, and a fuzzy green blanket.
While I was only able to salvage the things mentioned above, I would be willing to bet that there were many other articles of clothing and other items in that pile that were in as excellent condition as the ones I was able to take with me ... some of the clothing looked like it had barely been worn!
I am writing to encourage students to please take the time donate clothes and other useful household items to the thrift store at the LISTEN center. You don't even have to drive to Lebanon to do this ae there is a collection box for these things in the basement of the Tucker Foundation.
It is an incredible shame for clothes, shoes, luggage, and other items in such excellent condition to be trashed.
