For a school with over 2,000 students running around on a daily basis, our bathrooms have held up very well. No, really. They have.

I have seen some truly disgusting bathrooms. I know exactly what they look like, and the ones we have at RHS are luxurious by comparison. Realistically, we should all consider it a miracle none of the faucets are pouring rust and blood. Then again, that’s probably because most of them can’t pour much of anything nowadays. I can’t remember the last time I saw all three faucets in the 900s bathroom working simultaneously.

On the bright side, environmentalists should rejoice! I’m assuming the constant lack of paper towels after second period means RHS is moving toward more environmentally friendly bathrooms.

It’s just a shame the hand dryers can’t all be trusted to work reliably, either.

Maybe I’m just missing something? Fewer hand dryers probably makes sense when I think about it. I’m sure it’s a very deliberate ratio of one working hand dryer for every working soap dispenser. That way, not only is our school saving the environment, it’s also saving money.

And that? That’s only what I know about the girls’ bathrooms from my own shallow experience. I’m sure that, if I asked, I’d successfully find a ton of other little hidden peculiarities.
Of course, with the current renovations, the impaired state of our school’s bathrooms is an especially noticeable feature. The constant crowds of students clamoring to get to the bathroom in time to avoid a long line, only to have to wait in another line in order to use the single working soap dispenser and wash their hands has been magnified by the limited bathrooms available.

The renovations have also given students another unexpected bonus in the form of an excuse to skip class time. An average walk to the bathroom can take up quite a bit of time, if students drag their feet slowly enough. Having no choice but to walk to a bathroom located in a different section of the school is another sort of beast altogether.

Too many students that have had to relocate bathrooms, and the strain is becoming pretty clear for everyone. Let’s face it, the bathroom situation is barely working. Why is it that, for this school, “just barely” is considered good enough?