By Ellis Lee
Staff Writer
Students in Howard County public schools who have to use the bathroom in certain parts of the school are often disappointed to find the nearest bathroom locked. Many students have complained or expressed their frustration due to the constant hassle of having to walk so far just to handle their business. As a student at Hammond myself, I have experienced this frustration in most parts of the school. For example, in the school science hallway, it’s especially frustrating that the bathroom is locked, forcing students like me to walk all the way to the counselor’s office to use the restroom.
When students were asked about how this makes them feel, one student said, “They need to stop locking the bathroom, especially at the end of the day,” since he feels like most students actually have to use the bathroom, causing a major inconvenience. When asked the same question, the next student stated that this issue is valid because it is “well deserved”. Students were also asked about why they think this was implemented. Both students agreed that students were not doing what they were supposed to do while in the bathroom. However, even though this agreement was mutual, both students did feel that the policy was getting very excessive. With that opinión, they were also asked what could have been done instead to remove some of this hassle. They both suggested a security guard outside the bathroom to direct students in and out in a reasonable amount of time.
Although the opinion of students matters the most, teachers’ and administrators’ opinions about locking the bathrooms also matter. When an admin was asked about the policy, she stated that she does not enjoy locking the bathroom, but deems it necessary due to students acting up. Teachers were also asked about possible solutions and expressed that they would thrive if more administrators were hired in order to allow hall monitors, putting bathroom trips in orderly fashion. With this policy, it also creates a problem: students are getting in trouble for not returning to class quickly enough after having to walk so far around the school. This makes it highly unfair to the students, causing more complaints about bathrooms being locked. The administrators state that they want students to get back to class as quickly as possible and not have to walk around so far, but feel like these are the measures required. The interviews of both students and administrators show an agreement — that there is an issue with students’ behavior in the bathroom, but they are not able to come to an agreement on solutions.
Throughout the school building, you can find many students upset about this change, and teachers empathize with these students. However, until there are realistic solutions to prevent this policy from being put in place, it’s on the students to get their act together if they want to be able to utilize their nearest bathroom.
