Within recent years at Roseville, many issues surrounding the school bathrooms have occurred, whether it’s from most of them being locked during the day, or from when vandalism was at an all time high. Beginning once again in the fall of this term, herds of people in both the girls and boys restrooms take up space within the restrooms for those who need to actually use the bathroom.
With new fads going around during school, vaping and smoking take a huge part within this problem. For those that need to use the bathroom within the six minute passing period as intended have now been pushed to wait in huge lines, causing many to even be late to their class.
Granted that it’s normal for there to be a line for the bathroom, specifically within the 500s bathroom and pool bathroom, many herd in to stand around and smoke. For only having six minutes to walk from one class to the bathroom and towards your next class, it’s impossible to even use the restrooms given situations today.
One effect from the bathrooms being crowded goes hand in hand with stricter rules. Within most classes, teachers are meant to keep their students within the classroom for the first 15 minutes of class. One class of mine that enforces this today is my DE English class. Many students that need to use the restroom during the intended passing period are forced to wait in lines that can cause many to be late.
Even those who choose to not go to the bathroom due to the long lines are forced to wait even longer within their own class. Given that not all teachers enforce this rule, for students it’s come down to either being late or waiting longer than needed.
On a bigger note, the effects of smoking within the bathrooms have seriously changed the way bathrooms are intended for. As pretty much the only space in school that students can get away with smoking, the bathrooms have become an area to stop and smoke rather than stop and use the restroom.
Personally, I’ve chosen to use the restroom only during class time since the bathrooms will be more open and available, yet at the same time this takes away class time meant for learning.
From personal experience, last year I had to wait in line for the restroom, yet was ultimately sent straight to class by a campus monitor. Since my math class at the time enforced keeping students in for a bit after the bell, I had to wait an extra 15 minutes just to go to the bathroom. Many avoid the bathrooms as a whole within school hours, rooting from the fact that the restrooms are crowded and full of smoke.
Even those that need to use the bigger stalls for disability and wheelchair accessibility are forced to wait due to a mass amount of students vaping together within one stall.
Given that bathrooms have been crowded for years at Roseville High, I feel the only way to change this problem is with the help of hall monitors, and enforcing stricter rules towards smoking and vaping during school.
