When most people picture college dorm rooms or apartments, they imagine a disaster area with clothing, papers and books strewn about.

But what about classrooms?

A dirty, cluttered floor may not be the first thing that comes to mind when one envisions a facility of higher-learning.

But in the case of many Penn State classrooms, though, garbage is part of the landscape.

For example, we all know what Forum classrooms look like at 5 p.m. on a typical weekday. The time and labor needed to remove trash from floors or stains left by spilled drinks on carpets is undoubtedly costly for the university.

It is an unnecessary expense that we as students should try to mitigate. It won't be easy, but if we pull together, we can accomplish this goal. Here's how: pick ... up ...your trash.

Otherwise, the alternative could be banning food in general purpose classrooms. Believe it or not, a measure under consideration by the University Committee on Instructional Facilities would do just that.

Hopefully, the university won't adopt such a puritanical policy. If officials were to even consider such an action, it would show a complete lack of understanding for students' lives on the part of the university. All students have their days when they simply cannot take the time to sit down and have a meal. Many of us are busy and constantly on the go.

Though many officials might assume most of us are carefree partyers, many of us are not. We are busy and we should not have to choose between eating and going to class.

And besides, what professor worth his or her salt would enforce such a silly policy?

It is simple: Practice common courtesy, and you can help Penn State waste a little less money and make our classrooms look a little less like a dirty dorm room or pigsty. By posting signs over trashcans that say, "FEED US," one group of student is hoping the rest of us get the message. We ought to listen.

Still, we must remember we brought this on ourselves to some degree. And so, the bottom line is this: We all should clean up our act.