Welcome to a school where we can get new tables for our entire cafeteria but can’t seem to get warm running water. This has been an issue for quite a while and many are finally getting fed up with it. There is, what we think is, mold growing by the blow dryers and one sink that kind of works in the science wing restrooms. There are no paper towels in the science bathrooms either, so the only options to dry hands are to use a shirt or pants or use the blow dryer and possibly get the black substance that lies beneath the dryer all over.
Ella Juergens, freshman, feels that these bathrooms are very unsanitary. She even said that for a science class, she swabbed the blow dryers and there was a massive amount of bacteria growing after a week. Coming from Vernon, it’s a rough transition since the middle school is significantly newer and nicer than the high school. She said, “I think that the Vernon bathrooms are a lot nicer compared to the high school because Vernon has working toilets, better sinks, nicer stalls, and more available blow dryers.” It’s difficult coming from a school that has basic necessities, like warm running water, to one that doesn’t have them. Juergens said that she thinks it would be a good idea to clean the bathrooms more often. This might help the massive amount of substance we think is mold under the blow dryers.
Kristin Duning, science teacher, also has noticed the bathrooms being unkempt. She said that she’s not sure what the black substance is, but if it is black mold, she said, “A variety of black molds do not present major health concerns. Some black molds cause slight respiratory issues and are an allergy irritant.” When she uses the restroom, she just walks back to her room with her hands wet to dry them with her own paper towels since she is unsure what this substance is.
When I am using these bathrooms, it’s irritating because first, everyone that’s trying to actually get rid of waste has to squeeze around the people that are vaping. Then, trying to find a stall that actually has a toilet can be challenging, and further, if it’s the science bathroom, it’s a long wait to wash hands since there’s only one working sink. There are many issues in this school that need to be addressed, but I feel this is one that should be at the top of the list. With the unsanitariness of the restrooms, they just need to be cleaned. Take some supplies and get the mold off of the walls and dryers. The sinks should probably be at the very top of this since it’s an OSHA violation to not have warm water for paid employees. “Why’s there so many absences?” and “Why is everyone always sick?” Well, by providing the basic needs to wash our hands, maybe those numbers would go down.
In conclusion, the bathrooms are disgusting, and it makes me and other students not want to go to the bathroom at all because it’s very gross. The school needs to make some improvements like maybe start with having what’s legally required for children in the bathrooms!
