Each day, students spend roughly 8 hours on their high school campus. This equates to forty hours a week and roughly 1,440 hours a year.

It is nearly certain that each student will need to use the restrooms on campus at least once.

On the Channel Islands campus, there are approximately 2,500 students, which would assumably mean all campus restrooms would be open due to the large student body population. However, Channel Islands campus has one accessible female restroom and one accessible male restroom opened daily, excluding the locker room restrooms.

The deficiency regarding availability to use a restroom on campus creates a space for long lines, tardiness, and using the restroom during the class period. Not only does having only one restroom open cause inconvenience for students, but for teachers. Students leaving class to use the restroom disrupts the flow of the period and can cause many students to be focused on whether their fellow classmate has returned so that they can use the restroom.

Students find additional complications once they enter a campus restroom. The conditions of the restroom are generally unkempt. Excess water moistens the floors and as dirt from shoes fuse into a dirty water concoction the floor becomes a gray color. Inside the stalls, there is too often a lack of toilet paper and seat covers.

Janet Magaña, a junior, said, “Sometimes it can be a little disgusting. The floors are pretty dirty and sometimes we don’t have toilet paper and we don’t have soap sometimes.”

There are roughly six sinks within the restroom, but at least two of them do not work. In both male and female restrooms, there is one functioning soap dispenser, and sometimes it does not have soap in it. By product of these conditions, the question then arises, who is at fault for the state of the restrooms, and is any one group to take the blame?

In an attempt to understand the perspective of both parties involved, a survey was conducted in order to present Raiders with the opportunity to voice their perceptions of the issue. Raiders were asked the following question: Who do you believe is responsible for the conditions of the restroom?

For their first response, students were allowed the opportunity to choose between three choices: staff, janitorial/administrators, or both. The second questions presented to students, was how they believe the state of the restrooms can be improved.

Amongst the 47 students who participated, 13 believe the students are solely responsible, two claim it is the fault of the janitorial and administrators, and 32 believe it is the fault of both.

The results were shown to the CI principal Mr. Roger Adams. When shown the results, Mr. Adams opened up about harsh truth facing the restrooms.

“The drugs are a major issue. Vapes are an issue. Part of it is too many kids using drugs in the restrooms,” he said. “Then we close the restrooms to monitor them. Now there’s not enough restrooms.”

Mr. Adams explained that the restroom situation is not as simple as opening another restroom, or simply enforcing a campus supervisor to watch students as they enter and exit. Opening another restroom would mean losing staff that could be watching the quad area.

Mr. Adams said he was not aware of the extent of the restroom conditions prior to informing him. Like many students, the Channel Islands principal is unsure why the floors are so dirty.

Students commented that carpets should be implemented for Raiders to wipe their feet, but that can pose an issue regarding simply being stuck with wet carpets which can grow mold.

The solution to the wet, dirty floors? Well, maybe it lies in the origin of the problem, but that appears to not be as apparent as it can become in the future.

Another complaint students vocalized, was not enough soap dispensers, paper towels, or toilet paper, but students will be glad to hear this is an issue that has a simple solution: tell an administrator, campus supervisor, or custodian!

The school has the supply of toiletries available, but no one refills them if they are not informed that there are not any left in the stalls.

Mr Adams stated, “Students and staff can do better to communicate together better so the restrooms stay cleaner.”

On campus, Mr. Adams is working to hire more staff to work to clean the restrooms. Right now, maintenance staff are attempting to not only do their own custodial duties, but cleaning the restrooms too. The Channel Islands campus is currently understaffed, and administrators are working to hire more specially for the restroom.

In the meantime, students can work to better communicate with the staff regarding the cleanliness of the restroom. Resist the urge to tag, use the stales to use a vape pen, or leave trash around.