There are 30 minutes left in your last period of the day and all you need to do is use the restroom. This seems like an easy task but it is Parkway South High there’s no such case. Your immediate thought is “do I use the bathroom that constantly has broken doors, one with a broken sink, the one with the shoes in the toilet, oh and let’s not forget the one with overflowing toilets.” 

Everyone at Parkway South High has his/her “favorite” bathroom, and a bathroom they avoid at all costs. Students are left to walk halfway across the school to use the bathroom because all the other ones in proximity are either out of order or have not been cleaned properly. We in the South and love our custodial staff but the bathrooms just aren’t up to par.

When I decided to tackle the tasks of rating a few of our school’s bathrooms and discussing the renovations for the upcoming summer I wanted to make sure I hit all my bases. My review will be based on my peers’ comments on the bathrooms and my experiences in the bathrooms (cleanliness, functionality, and any mishaps I’ve had in these bathrooms). 

The first of the bathrooms I will be addressing is the English wing bathrooms, near the business hallway. I think the English bathrooms tend to be the dirtiest out of all. All of last year in the women’s bathroom there was one sink broken and nothing seemed to happen to it the entire year. Now I’m not sure the reasoning behind this or why it took so long for it to get fixed but that just seems unacceptable. How can the students be expected to get quickly in and out of the bathroom during class or in between classes when half of the toilets don’t work and there’s only one sink working? Are students truly expected to use a stall that doesn’t even lock? 

When junior Adam Taylor was asked what his go-to bathroom, he said, “The English bathroom is my go-to; it is the cleanest and usually the most empty.”

Overall I would write the English bathrooms a Two out of Five Broken Sinks. These bathrooms truly just are not clean enough and not functional enough to be used on an everyday basis. My peers and I experience in this bathroom just goes to show that something definitely needs to be done in the English hallway.

Next moving on to the history hallway bathrooms. The history hallway bathroom is probably one of my favorites and most frequented. But the handicapped stall has a large hole near the lock that completely destroys all privacy. Students and been forced to jam paper towels in place of this hole so the door will close  and they can use the restroom in peace and privacy. Is it really that much to ask to use the bathroom without someone being able to watch it from the outside? Besides, this bathroom is one of the cleaner bathrooms and everything seems to work pretty well. 

Junior Jada Williams, when asked about her experience in the history bathroom said, “Many times it’s clean but it always has a huge line.” Then when asked about the handicapped stall she said, “Sometime last year I just noticed there was paper towel in it; I don’t get why they don’t just fix the door.”

Overall I would give history wing bathrooms a Four out of Five Paper Towel-Stuffed Locks. Overall this bathroom is very clean and functional. Neither I nor my peers have had any large complaints about this restroom other than the long lines it holds and one paper towel stuffed lock. 

Now moving on to reviewing the restrooms near the Commons closest to the bookstore; these bathrooms will be renovated this summer, along with the bathrooms near the math/gym hallways. Starting with the Commons bathrooms–they are already fairly clean, but also very outdated and cramped. They also do not contain any handicapped stalls. The functionality of the bathrooms are overall alright, but they are not well ventilated and are often very hot. I rarely use these bathrooms, they are more often frequented by guests. To address the gym/math hallway bathrooms they are always fairly empty and this is probably my favorite bathroom in the school, despite the fact it usually smells horrible. 

Overall I rate these bathrooms a 4 out of 5 Cramped Sweaty Stalls. They are fairly functional, despite the cramped area in the Commons restrooms. They are also fairly clean as they are cleaned more due to extended passing time between lunches. 

In conclusion, the bathrooms at Parkway South High are demanding attention. We have suffered in long lines and dirty stalls for far too long. Not only is it up to the school to make a change, but students also must work together to keep the bathrooms clean and avoid human error. These renovations are long-awaited and long deserved.