Flushed with anger
For the most part, I don’t mind community bathrooms. I’ve never had to wait for a stall, and I don’t have to worry about the trash, mopping or buying toilet paper.
A few people manage to ruin the experience, however. Every so often, the counter is flooded, as if the previous user bathed an uncooperative cat in the sink instead of washing her hands. There’s the occasional unflushed toilet. And there’s the hair in the showers. It’s always frightening to push back the curtains to a black drain monster creeping on the floor or a clump of brown mysteriousness suctioned onto the wall.
Really? It’s common sense. I don’t know why you’re splashing around so much, but wipe up the sink afterward. After dropping some kids off at the pool, yes it’s tempting to bolt from the stall, but it’s not that difficult to flick the flusher down. And if that’s your hair — first of all, pick it up. Second of all, think about going to a doctor — if clumps that big were falling out of my head in the shower, I’d be a little concerned.
Perhaps the Residence Hall Association should impose more stringent measures — an exam taken at housing registration? Because responsibility and common sense are such hard concepts to grasp, a study session could be provided. A guide would bring each student through the bathroom like a flight attendant before takeoff: “Directly behind you, you will find the flusher. Press it downward until you hear the sound of rushing water,” and, “In the case of hair loss, locate the nearest trash receptacle to dispose of your clump.”
Students would then go through their routine in front of a panel of judges to see if they are worthy of the community bathroom experience. This test would instill positive behaviors and remind students of confusing concepts like respect.
After all, we learned about that all the way back in kindergarten! Who remembers stuff from that long ago anyway? The ACT and SAT test our academic skills, so the RHA can test our common sense. If that’s what it takes to weed out the wild-at-the-sink, shedding, flush-o-phobiacs, then so be it.
Danica Harvey
Undergraduate
