Using the bathroom is something that everyone does, and is an inevitable part of day-to-day life. School bathrooms can be intimidating for some people, but using basic manners and respect in the restroom is something that keeps bathrooms clean and more comfortable to use. Here is a do and don’t guide to using the bathrooms at OHS. This will help keep the bathrooms from being locked for cleaning and security.
DON’Ts
Don’t just hang out in the bathroom for fun. Throughout the school day, especially during passing time, people tend to hang out in the bathrooms in large groups. With this, it is not necessary to have more than one person per stall. This can be extremely intimidating for people who just need to do their business. When passing time is five minutes long, the people who need to use the restroom now have to wait longer than necessary while also still having to make it to class on time. On top of this, hanging out in a bathroom for fun is gross.
Don’t use substances in the bathrooms. We have all experienced seeing people do this. This should be a given, but yet it still happens. Once again, a bathroom is not the place for this. It’s gross.
Don’t vandalize the bathrooms. Although some of the graffiti is positive, it is still disrespectful to the janitorial staff. This is extra work and time for them to scrub off of the stalls.
Many of these don’ts should go without saying. We all learned bathroom etiquette as children and, as high schoolers, should know better. There are plenty of things that we should be doing to keep our bathrooms nice.
DOs
Do flush the toilets after use. No one enjoys walking into a stall to see an unflushed toilet.
Do wash your hands. Germs spread like crazy. The recommended time to wash your hands is at least 20 seconds, which is not a ridiculous amount of time. Using soap and warm water ensures the spread of germs is more controlled throughout the building.
Do throw your trash away in the garbage cans. The trash bin is right by the door, throw your things away on the way out. Paper towels do not belong on the floor.
Principal Kory Kath says, “We want to keep bathrooms open and convenient and able to be used by all students. Students should respect that by not doing things that are not supposed to be done there.” We have nice new facilities and the students and staff have to keep them that way.
Following basic rules can ensure a safe and more comfortable environment for students using the bathroom. This is as easy as just having baseline respect for the people and locations around the school.
