On Tuesday, February 19, the administration decided to try closing the second and third story bathrooms during class time in an attempt to stem the reported vaping and vandalism that has been taking place there as of late. The initial plan was to continue the period-time bathroom closures until spring break, upon which the situation would be re-evaluated. The announcement of the decision, which came during the previous week, had many students upset.
“It’s illegal,” said Ashleigh Kazak (12). “For girls, at least, you have to have one toilet for every thirty people. In the cafeteria bathroom on the first floor, there are a few stalls that don’t lock, so no one uses them. Realistically, there’s only four usable stalls in there, and out of the other three stalls in the first floor bathroom, two of them always seem to be flooded. That leaves only five stalls that people are actually using.”
“I understand the reason for the action the administration is taking, but I don’t agree with it,” said Rochelle Leung (12). “It would make the open bathrooms really gross and disgusting because everyone would be using them.”
Later that day, the bathroom closures were revoked after a visit to the open bathrooms on the ground floor by Principal Jim Cartnal sparked concern.
“It was immediately evident that several door latches were broken, trash was overflowing, and, in one bathroom, two of the three toilets were leaking water, making the floor slippery,” he wrote in an email addressed to the student populace. “Moving forward, bathrooms will remain open across the day, as they have been before, and I ask that if you note misuse, you report it, either by alerting your teacher or coming to the office. You may also use the Spartan Tip Line.”
