Ryley Arnold ‘20, Layout Director
We all have been there: you have to use the bathroom before your next class. As soon as the bell rings, you rush out the door and sprint to the bathroom. You jump into the stall and go to lock the door, but the lock is not there. You can’t close the door, so you try the one next to it. That lock is also missing. The only bathroom stall that locks is taken, so you wait. You wait until you hear the one-minute warning bell ring, and you realize that you are going to be late for class.
The bathrooms at South Lyon High School (SLHS) have been unfortunately forgotten. The faucets do not stay intact, the stall doors do not lock, and sometimes the bathrooms are even out of order completely. When asked about the bathrooms, senior Kaylie Stancato said, “When we change clothes for marching band, we have to hold the doors closed so no one sees us changing. It is stressful because we already are in a rush, and now we have to help people not be seen changing, which shouldn’t be happening.” The marching band cannot use the locker room bathrooms because it’s not considered a sport, so you can usually find the band quickly changing inside the commons bathroom, rushing to get into athletic-wear.
Why are the bathrooms so forgotten about? Why do we have to cover our noses everytime we pass the G-Wing hallway? Does the district know about the mistreated bathrooms? If the stalls are radiating a stench that makes our hair stand on end, what are we doing to fix it?
We want a renovation. We want stalls that you cannot see into. We want bathrooms we can actually use. No one should have to cover a gap with their jacket if they want to be comfortable. We want faucets that can actually be used and not just spin around. Using a public restroom is already uncomfortable as is, why should we add factors like gaps in the stalls?
If we want a change, we first though, need to respect our bathroom. Senior Adam Lund said, “It was normal to find a wad of toilet paper shoved in the urinal. One day there was a slice of pizza shoved in there, too.” Actions like this are disrespectful to the school, the staff, and other students. What one may think is funny, is really just making someone else’s day a little bit worse. Stop shoving whatever fits into the urinals, flush the toilets after using them, and do not leave a giant ball of toilet paper stuck to the mirror. If we want a bathroom where we can feel comfortable, we need to show the administration we deserve it.
Everyone needs the bathroom. Whether it’s to actually use the bathroom, fix your hair or outfit, make a Tik Tok, or to change into different clothes. No one should be able to see the person inside the stall. SLHS has unacceptable and uncomfortable bathrooms that need to be properly renovated so they actually work.
Photo by Ryley Arnold
Lyon Life 