Have The Bathroom Regulations Got to an Extreme– or is There a Good Reason Behind it?
300 building Girls bathroom after the mirrors were removed
There are new adjustments to the bathroom policies and rules that confound many students.
There is now only one restroom for students to use. There are strict regulations on which you may use the bathroom: not allowing use 15 minutes after class starts. Most recently, the administration has removed the mirrors in all girls and boys bathrooms.
When questioned why mirrors were removed from the girls bathroom, Mr. Frias explained “By removing the ‘I want to look at my makeup, or see my hair’ we try to speed up the process of who’s going to the bathroom and why they’re in there”.
In recent interviews, girls have stated that using the mirrors is more than just an avoidance of going to class.
“I used them because it helped me feel confident going back into school because I would be able to see myself, fix my hair or any part of myself and be like ‘ok I’m ready to go’ and feel ready for the rest of the school day,” says senior Marie Hamilton. It helps to know that they are set for the rest of the day.
This fact isn’t completely ignored by Mr. Frias, as he communicates “I also believe we should help all parties, and we’re looking at aluminum or reflective type of mirrors so they can’t break and we’ll put them outside the restroom where people can look at themselves, because it is needed sometimes”.
Students will find ways to check their appearance, so many question if taking out the mirrors is the most effective way to speed up the process of using the restroom.
Marie Hamilton suggested “Every kid has a phone, so would you rather them have an excuse for being on their phone or have an advisor who sees them looking at the mirror too long and say ‘okay time to go back’? I think there’s other solutions than taking away a mirror.”
Using the restrooms also requires having a campus supervisor outside, only letting a certain number of students in. However, this was not enough and doesn’t meet all safety precautions. According to Mr. Frias, having the mirrors now leads to a much bigger issue: student safety.
The new look in the restrooms without mirrors– due to it being a safety issue from students doing inappropriate things against school policy– seems a bit exaggerated by some.The safety issues stem from doing inappropriate activity. Although not clear to what inappropriate activity some assume this has to do with smoking in the restroom.
One student pointed out, “If school rules are being broken in the bathroom, [those students] aren’t going to be looking in the mirror; they are going to be in the stall and it’s not a solution, but I think you can take more preventative measures rather than just taking out a mirror for everybody”.
Some students may say this is an excessive thing to do to the girls bathroom– but the boys restroom has never had mirrors. Senior Marcos Bastian said “Ever since my freshman year, we have not had mirrors”.
Mr. Frias has clarified that the boys haven’t had mirrors for fifteen years. He said “We removed that aspect of the bathroom. Now boys go in and come out”.
But it’s not as quick as it all may appear. “The line is long, before brunch and lunch everyone goes straight to the bathrooms, and they fill up the stalls immediately” says Marcos Bastian.
Students remain hopeful the mirrors will make a comeback soon, but according to Mr. Frias, this looks more of a long term decision.
However, many students are looking forward to the possible substitute of the mirrors.
Hannah Monet Medellin is a twelfth grade student at Golden Valley High School. She is active in her school by being a staff writer for the new Grizzly Gazette, and a peer counselor at the GROWL center. She began peer counseling in the eleventh grade and has worked her way to the honors peer counseling. Hannah is an avid reader and plant owner. For most of her life she found herself lost in the thoughts of others that shared it through ink on a paper. When she was fourteen she began to fall back into her love for plants and has plans to have her own greenhouse someday.
She has always had a love for reading and writing and can’t wait to participate in reading everyone's articles and sharing her own. Showing the creativity of others is her goal. If there is any short story, poems or art that wants to be submitted she’d love to share it in her articles!
Karen Jimenez is one of two managing editors for the Campus News Team. She is a senior at Golden Valley High School, and is dedicated to spreading positivity everyday.
Through her time in high school, she has developed a strong sense of devotion for writing. Overjoyed to be sharing the managing editor position with Marie Hamilton, she looks forward to unraveling more of her writing skills and work alongside the amazing Campus News Team.
In her free time she enjoys spending time with her sisters and is a volunteer at the children’s center at her church. To her, it is tremendously important that all students have their own voice and see themselves represented in the new online newspaper. She loves spontaneous hang outs with friends and stargazing at night.