When a high school girl at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) has to make a quick rush to the bathroom between classes, she approaches the first open stall, but the initial reaction is usually one of a high-pitched “Ew!”

Many cannot stand the strict eating rules in the hallway or the trail of ants radiating from the stall in the girls’ bathroom, but it seems the ant infestation problem at DPMHS is not really anybody’s fault. 

Yes, there was a jug of iced tea that was sitting in room 14 with open sugar packets surrounding it for about a week, but truth be told- the school of approximately 330 students only has one custodian. That one custodian is Plant Manager Stevie Hearne, who actually works at four other facilities, including Independence High School right next door and Local District One. 

While many are quick to call the verdict on Hearne’s hallway rules irrational, let’s face it- the only way he can save time is by getting the students to help out and save their trash. 

This includes, and ladies I’m talking to you, keeping the bathrooms less unsightly. We want more bathrooms to be opened and this year. Principal Janet Kiddoo says she goes around every morning to open them all. Nonetheless, some of us still find them closed. Campus Security Guard Mitch Cannon insists that the school’s being short-staffed on custodians has a lot to do with it. 

“As hard as it is, I want them open for students because the bathrooms are very small,” Kiddoo said. 

A good point made- each bathroom only consists of two stalls and long lines. In addition to this, we know that many of us use the bathrooms for homework and gossip, as well. 

But, these issues don’t only lie with the girls’ bathrooms. Last year, the boys experienced run-ins with their restroom availability too, when they faced problems with tagging. 

According to Hearne, boys’ bathrooms would constantly be closed in order to monitor them because of lack of supervision. Any boys who urgently needed to use those bathrooms would have to approach the main office for a sign up and a key. 

But, let’s be realistic, right? Nobody wants to be supervised in the old little girls’ or little boys’ room. 

So, my request is this: If you see your favorite potty is locked, let somebody know. But, until then, keep it sanitary. Tagging and restricted bathroom issues have gone down this year so let’s continue to keep it that way. It seems with the way educational budget cuts are going, more custodians may be out of reach for a while, but if we clean up after ourselves- ladies that means you too!- then maybe that restroom traffic rush will minimalize.