Public restrooms should accommodate going comfortably
As the semester comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on my college experience, both what I could put into it and what I want to get out of it.
If there is one thing that could be improved that would in turn improve my daily life on the whole, it is the experience of using on-campus public restrooms.
My entire life has been plagued by the horrors and smells of male bathrooms. I will air my grievances in hopes that CMU facilities and dude-peers will take note.
I would first like to praise Java City for using Pro-Link odor neutralizers and bedazzling the male bathroom with periwinkle and lagoon tiles. I never have more pleasant visits to bathrooms in Mount Pleasant. It’s like walking into a zesty orange-scented art gallery, and leaving rejuvenated by the experience. They always have soap and for use high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryers, too.
The Towers and Moore and Anspach halls could particularly take from Java City’s example. Though I can handle cement walls and eco-damning paper towel dispensers, their chambers reek. Though I love Java City’s “Zesty Orange,” I wouldn’t mind a “Sparkling Wind” or “Ocean Mist” scent in these cases.
Also, facilities management needs to check regularly to see if soap dispensers are empty. I do not think guys report it. It is gross enough seeing how many guys walk out without washing their hands anyway.
CMU facilities could also take example from Amsterdam’s airport. During a long layover, I reveled in AMS’s stalls’ seclusion and soundproof walls.
Here, I can hardly take care of my business in private. I much prefer stalls that block us from seeing each other going to the bathroom to makeshift dividers. Besides rectifying the stinking pandemics and soap droughts, CMU male bathrooms need a little more privacy built into them.
Men’s restroom problems extend beyond CMU’s responsibilities. Guys, wash your hands and please, wipe up the water you splash everywhere in the process.
We all play a part in providing each other positive bathroom experiences. I hope next semester will be bountifully filled with them.
