For the most part at this school, students are granted the privilege of using the restroom whenever they feel the need to. With the exception of some teachers’ judgements and bathroom passes, students  will almost never come across strict administrative scrutiny for traveling to a bathroom. However, with this freedom, students should consider how they use and treat the school’s restrooms—using them for hygiene and not for other purposes. Moreover, they should consider the general health of the CHS community when using the bathroom.

A major problem with student bathroom use is whether or not students truly use bathrooms for personal hygiene. In a study conducted by the Society for Women’s Health Research, up to 84 percent of school nurses reported that students leave the classroom “for reasons other than to use the bathroom” and that 58 percent of students misbehave in the bathroom. It is important that students recognize these problems. Students should not leave the classroom to socialize or meet up with their friends, nor should they go to the bathroom to avoid class, watch YouTube videos or even JUUL. The bathroom should be used solely for the purpose of cleanliness.

Furthermore, students should more than just consider themselves while using the bathrooms; these facilities are public for all students to use. In many restrooms across the school, it is a common sight to see unflushed toilets, strewn toilet paper, wet toilet seats and dirty sinks. These present health risks to other users, who inevitably become exposed to germs due to the poor quality of hygiene in restrooms. Moreover, in a tightly-packed school where potential illnesses can easily travel from student to student, it is in each person’s best interest to maintain a higher standard of health, which can begin by treating a frequented spot—a bathroom—with hygienic respect.

Of course, maintaining these standards may not be easy for many students. The aforementioned sights can be sickening and even unhygienic for students to deal with. However, while the task of maintaining restrooms often falls on this school’s custodial staff, the responsibility of dealing with these problems still partially goes to students as well. If students see problems beyond their control, they should notify administration and custodial services, who may become too busy to notice these problems. In this way, the student community at this school can help promote a higher standard of cleanliness.

For the students that feel the urge, feel free to use the restroom. However, as a message for all students to consider, use the restroom responsibly and with others’ health and well-being in mind.