Opinion: GHS bathrooms need attention
December 3, 2015
The boys’ and girls’ bathrooms are old and run down at Gloucester High School. The stalls are broken, the toilets are broken, and there is writing all over the walls. The toilets do not flush, and are always overflowing which causes toilet paper to pile up over time.
Soap is often missing, and many soap dispensers are broken. Soap is the most important resource in a bathroom. If there is no soap, then people will not wash their hands and sickness could spread.
Does GHS want to be responsible for possible illnesses that students and faculty could receive? Not having soap is a health concern and putting soap into the bathrooms needs to be a priority.
The girls’ bathroom does not have any paper towels, nor working hand driers. What are people supposed to do when they wash their hands and have nothing to dry them with? It’s crazy to think that a school would omit something as important as paper towels in the bathrooms.
The lack of sanitary disposal units in the girls’ restrooms is unacceptable for a number of reasons. A majority of the stalls in the science wing at GHS are missing these boxes, which are extremely important for all girls to have available at any time.
While some bathrooms have the boxes, there are no bags inside and they are not properly secured to the walls. Sanitary disposal boxes are supposed to be thoroughly cleaned everyday because they pose a health risk. Without the bags the health risk is increased.
Also, the writing on the walls should be covered up because it is unnecessary and usually contains vulgarity. Some schools use sticky notes to write positive sayings on them and stick them on their bathroom walls. This alternative can put a smile on someone’s face and they can look at that instead of the insulting comments.
So students, if the toilets are clogged and stalls are broken – tell someone. If the soap dispenser is empty and the hand dryers don’t work – tell someone. If the sanitary disposal units are filled, or missing, or broken – tell someone.
Bathrooms should be cleaned daily to keep up with the cleanliness and safety of students. Ask anyone their opinion on the bathrooms and how they feel. Paper towels and soap should be maintained 24/7 so that people can go to the bathrooms and feel clean afterwards.
Lauren Wood • Mar 17, 2016 at 7:54 am
I agree, the bathrooms do need some help. Im glad that you brought this subject to people attentions.
Carissa • Dec 6, 2015 at 7:02 pm
Ugh i hate tge bathrooms too.Ive heard the boys bathrooms are worse than the girls.PLS FIX OUR BATHROOMS
Tyler • Dec 5, 2015 at 1:14 am
Very well written!
To the writing on the walls – I have been saying for years that they should either put a whiteboard up, or paint a section of the wall with chalkboard paint. The kids would be able to write whats on their mind(as they will do regardless, unfortunately) and at the end of the day it could simply be erased!
Vinny • Jan 15, 2016 at 7:56 am
That is a terrific idea! I graduated last year andi don’t know if it is still there, but in one of the men’s rooms, there was a giant smiley face that stayed there ( and was added to over the coats of) two years! If there was an erasable board it wouldn’t take a can of spray paint to fix silly stuff like that.
Julia • Dec 4, 2015 at 6:59 pm
I can ignore the profanity, honestly, of course it’s crass and low-class, but I just look away, that simple. Or, since I’m in high school, simply ignore the words as the product of some ignoramus. They really do need better disposal boxes, all these blood-borne diseases out there… Bathrooms should be cleaned daily for sanitation, and the smell could be better!
brandon • Dec 4, 2015 at 9:01 am
this is so true Rachel omg thank you for finally saying something about it.
Madison • Dec 4, 2015 at 8:31 am
This is so accurate. Going into the school bathrooms fill me with rage because of the way people treat it. It makes me almost hate the people in the school who disrespect the facility that we all use and need. It’s a very important place to keep clean, maybe even the most important place, and it is atrocious.