The Benilde-St. Margaret’s boys’ theater bathroom has been locked on and off for the past three years. Along with the deterioration of the commons bathroom, male students are in an unfair position.

The boys’ theater bathroom has been locked because of a decision made by the administration, leaving the student body lacking a crucial restroom. “[We locked it] because of vandalism. And a lot of students were leaving like food and it was just a mess in there,” Assistant Principal Matt Weingartz said.

The commons bathroom has been in shambles for a long time. All but one of the bathroom stalls don’t lock, half of the urinals were out of commission last year, and the bathroom kept flooding last year as well. “Only half of the urinals worked last year and it’s borderline scary using the bathroom stalls because none of the locks. I just think it’s a little unfair because the girls have three nice clean bathrooms. Well the boys got two, one of them is a mess,” Junior Davis Punchocar said.

The commons bathroom is in such a poor state because almost the whole school just goes to that one bathroom, largely due to its central location. If the theater bathroom was open, it would decrease student foot traffic in the commons bathroom. “I usually go to the commons bathroom since it is the closest bathroom to me. Even if I’m in the freshman hallway or the basement I will still go to this bathroom because it is the closest,” Jack Foley said.

There is only one boys’ bathroom in the school that is nice and clean: the Haben bathroom. “The Haben bathroom is the nicest bathroom in the school. The theater bathroom is best but since it’s locked the Haban bathroom is the best,” Junior Will Bransford said.

In conclusion, if the boys’ theater bathroom was opened the male occupants of the school would have another good bathroom to use. This would lead to less time walking in the hallways to get to a bathroom and more time learning in the classroom.