STORY BY MARISSA DEPINO
Walking in, there is a strong stench of the unknown. There is mold creeping up on the siding of the mirror. In the sinks, there is grime covering the drain hole from who knows what. Leftover water droplets spray the counter and floor. Random items are found, scattered all over. Sometimes the faucets are left running, and other times the faucets are a puzzle between hot and cold water. Paper towels can be found spilling out of trashcans or lying helplessly on the ground. It’s a place that has been used and abused. It has been battered and beat.
Welcome to Drake University’s communal bathrooms.
The key word here is communal bathrooms. We are all sharing these bathrooms. They are not meant for one person on our floor. In fact, they are for everyone on the floor.
While we all constantly dream of having our own bathroom where we can sing in the shower to our heart’s desire and have privacy, we need to respect the fact that this is dorm life, and we can’t leave our toothpaste in the sink and our hair on the shower walls.
Our mothers aren’t here to clean up after us. Nor is it the job of facility workers. No, it is up to us to keep our bathrooms clean. Part of becoming an adult means we have to take responsibility for our own messes.
It is vital that we show respect for others on our floor by cleaning up after ourselves. Show respect by throwing out your paper towels after washing your hands. If the sink is still running, turn it off. If you’re doing your makeup and mascara splatters onto the mirror, wipe it off. This is common courtesy and is easy to do. By taking an extra twenty seconds to clean up, it will make the bathroom nicer and better for everyone.
This courtesy should be taken even further to the use of the bathroom. For instance, if there is a long line for showers, one should attempt to take a shorter shower so that others can take one too. One should flush the toilet because no one wants to or needs to be surprised. Plus, it is absolutely disgusting. We should all be making that extra effort to keep the bathroom clean. It is basic bathroom etiquette. If we each follow those rules, we will be able to make it through the communal bathroom experience.
