There have been many  issues in the bathrooms at PA this  year. Some students are now  scared to use them at school. It seems as if people have forgotten the lessons learned in elementary school on  how to properly use the bathrooms, so here is  a guide of  “don’ts” to help keep the bathrooms clean and safe and open (read my article about the steel gates here) . 

Do not flush large amounts of toilet paper down the toilets: I have seen obscene amounts of toilet paper clogged in the toilets to the point where the majority of the stalls in one of the bathrooms were unusable. People have been flushing vapes down the toilets, as well as food, juices, sanitary products, etc. There are trash cans for a reason.

Do not take the doors off stalls: Let’s be real for a moment. As a student at this school, you will have to use the bathroom here at some point. Do you really want use stalls without doors on them? Bathroom time is private time. Keep the door on the stall. There is already a limited amount of working/usable bathrooms at this school. With students ripping off the doors there will be even fewer places to relieve yourself. What are you going to do with the stall door anyway? You can’t take it home. Just leave it attached to the stall.

Do not break soap dispensers: We need soap to wash our hands. The pandemic has slowed, and we do not need another spike in cases. We have all learned the importance of washing hands with soap and water.

Do not meet up for fights in the bathroom: This has been a large problem this year. Although there are no cameras in the bathrooms, and teachers aren’t watching your every move, do you really want to be rolling around on that disgusting floor with possible open wounds? Think about it.

Do not schedule hangout time  in the bathroom: Frankly, the concept is gross. People are not meant to hang out in the same place where they relieve themselves. It’s uncouth. When you hangout in the public restroom, anyone can hear you. I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve heard random gossip that I definitely wasn’t meant to hear in the bathroom. And why would you want to spend extra time in bathroom?

Do not draw on the stall doors or walls: I understand we have many great artists in this school, and apparently lots of them are fascinated by anatomy. As much as we appreciated your art skills, there is a time and a place.

As high school students, we should not need to have our  bathroom privileges restricted. Everyone is affected by the people who vandalize the bathrooms. Students are missing more class time now since they have to wander the school to find an open bathroom.

Seriously, please think before disrespecting the bathrooms, and pay heed to my advice.