Visual pollution

It is common for people in Jakarta to talk about pollution -- air, water and noise pollution. But "visual" pollution is something different and very rarely becomes a topic of discussion. Yet it has a negative, if not dangerous, effect.

I am talking about university campus, a place known as a central source of knowledge and science which has been tarnished by visual pollution. A girl wearing a tight shirt and miniskirt and lots of make-up, a boy wearing an earring and sometimes smoking on campus, are some examples of visual pollution.

The worst visual pollution is students making love on campus, in a quiet corner somewhere, in an empty classroom or in the bathroom.

Why does this happen on campus? Don't they realize this is a stupid thing to do? It's terrible. As a consequence, they seldom attend classes and usually do not join campus activities such as discussions and seminars in which they are supposed to gain practical knowledge and experience.

I think these people lack ethics and religious values and have psychological problems. External factors -- the environment, strict cultural norms etc. -- may have contributed to their misdeeds.

But there must be a solution to this problem. The students must realize that it is unbecoming to perform profanities that may cause visual pollution and be indifferent about campus life. They are supposed to be educated people and participate in the establishment and development of their society and know people's aspirations.

SRI SLAMET

Surakarta, Central Java