Gum, a common part of the teenage life, has changed from a harmless piece of chewable sugar to an obsessing product, commonly disposed of under the most convenient surface.

It would seem as if anywhere on campus, whether it’s the cafeteria, quad, or classroom there will be someone chewing gum.  So many students chew gum that it seems a rarity to find an individual who has refrained from doing so.  It has become yet another staple of the student life.

For several students at Franklin, that stick of gum has become just as much of a necessity as food and water.  It’s something they need to function through the day comfortably. 

“People get especially addicted to a certain brand or flavor of gum,” said freshman Laura Neff.

With all of the gum on campus, the question is raised as to where this concession ends up.  The answer is extremely simple to find.  By looking under the closest desk or table, you can find an assortment of different colors and sizes of used gum.

This disposal however, leaves the janitors in an unappealing predicament.  To remove the gum from the classrooms, a dry ice compound serving as a kind of antifreeze is used to harden the gum and it is then broken apart.  Maintenance involving gum costs the school thousands of dollars which could be spent better elsewhere.

“We could spend the money used in cleaning up gum on other things for the school,” said freshmen Katie Coyle.

In addition to costing the school money, removing gum is a tedious and time consuming chore. Custodians are left with the problematic and lengthy process of disposing the gum that was left irresponsibly under desks and chairs.

It requires so much time, that custodians can only clean gum from one classroom a night in order to balance their other responsibilities.

“They have us check one room a night for gum,” said custodian Nick Abeyta.

The difficulty that removing gum poses relies on the length of time that it was left stuck underneath a surface. While sticking gum to other objects can be done simply and effortlessly, detaching it can be difficult. Fresh gum can be separated from desks with more ease then older gum. However, both can prove to be stubborn obstacles in cleaning a classroom.

“There’s been times when it takes me ten minutes to take one piece of gum off,” said Abeyta.

While disposing of gum in the closest trash can is more hygienic and clean, it has become more common to stick gum onto the most disguising surface.  Evidence of this is in any of the school’s numerous classrooms.

Does gum end up under desks out of its convenience or is it in attempts to avoid being caught by teachers?  Gum is discarded in a more problematic way because of the lack of care and concern that some have.

“I guess it’s just easier to throw it away where you are and not want to walk to a trash can,” said freshmen Ruby Bal.

It would be incorrect to say that everyone who chews gum discards it in a careless manner. Some throw it away in the garbage can and show concern for campus cleanliness.

For those who don’t stick their gum on the closest surface, finding it under their desks is unpleasant. They are not happy to see it displayed blatantly on school property, and they feel that the campus should be respected.

“I think that if kids chew gum they should be respectful of school property and know where it’s appropriate to chew it,” said Neff.

Depending on the individual, gum can be used because they find the variety of flavors and tastes appealing. Gum provides a variety of colors, tastes, and consistency under different brand names.

The assortment and selection is a favorable trait to gum chewers.  It is one of the reasons that so many students engage in chewing it. They enjoy the selection. 

“I chew gum because I like the flavors and it keeps me busy,” said Bal.

The constant and repetitive motions of chewing gum can provide a way of occupying time for students. The activity can have an engaging and soothing effect on those who use it.  It has the capability of calming down nerves and anxiety.

Some students see gum as a tool in helping them to relax and focus.  It creates a less frenzied and chaotic atmosphere.

“I chew gum because I like the flavor and it helps me be relaxed,” said Coyle.