By Vivian Ramirez
Not all restrooms are created equal.
Upkeep and cleanliness in restrooms should be equal, but it isn’t. The quality of East Los Angeles College’s restrooms vary dramatically. From the pristine white porcelain thrones that grace the halls of F7 to the retro 90s-era stalls that linger in older structures, specifically the bungalow restrooms near the C2 classrooms near the temporary library.
It seems that every time I walk into the already overcrowded women’s restroom, it is messy and neglected by the janitorial staff. Toilet seat covers are strewn over the floors in multiples of 10, toilet paper is sometimes scarce, one of the two soap dispensers is empty (the one that isn’t already broken) and the paper towel dispensers suffer from chronic mechanical problems.
It is just plain dirty. Personally, I wouldn’t even walk in there, except the C2 bungalows are located in a somewhat isolated area and the walk to the second closest restroom is not short.
This is especially bad for students who are in the middle of class and need to step out to use the restroom. Sure we can take an extra five to 10 minutes using the restroom next to the gym, or we can walk to the facilities near the AA bungalows passing the stadium lot, but that takes valuable class time away.
In those extra five to 10 minutes we could miss a key point in our class lecture. This simply isn’t fair. As a result, that particular bungalow restroom is always crowded.
The line of female students waiting to use it goes outside the door. In fact, the women’s restroom door is usually always open because we don’t even fit in there. By the time I get to the bungalow, there is already a crowd of students outside.
I have not been into the men’s restrooms, but I hear they are in similar poor condition. Students have the right to clean restrooms, even the old restrooms that are past their prime.
We deserve full and functioning soap dispensers because sanitation is important, especially since we come into contact with hundreds of other students daily. We deserve to have paper towels because no one wants to dry their hands on their jeans as they rush back to class.
Therefore, I urge the janitorial staff to make a bigger effort to keep those bungalow restrooms clean. Those restrooms receive a high volume of traffic and require a lot more upkeep than is currently provided.
Dirty restrooms are not only revolting and unsanitary but are simply unacceptable.