In previous years when you asked your teacher to go to the bathroom, they gave you a piece of scrap paper they found on their desk or even just let you walk out in hopes you would come back before class ended. This year, things are different. With the school year underway, administration is cracking down and students are still learning to not only navigate their new classes but also the significant changes to the bathroom policy.
The administration has introduced “SmartPass” which is an app that allows staff and students to make digital passes that sets a timer depending on their destination. Along with a timer, it allows staff to keep track of who is out and where they should be headed.
UACHS has always had issues with students spending too much time in the bathroom. Instead of quickly using it for its purpose, students were engaging in activities that broke the students code of conduct.
Since the installment of digital passes, bathrooms seem to be quieter and less crowded compared to previous years. In addition to this new policy, bathrooms are now closed in between periods, for the first five minutes of class, and for the last five minutes of class.
The new bathroom policies have sparked mixed feelings among students and staff. Many students have expressed frustration over the new rules, causing them to feel unsettled.
UACHS junior, Savannah Diaz, expresses her dislike towards the change.
“There’s no point in changing the bathroom schedules, it’s not going to fix anything anyway,” said Diaz. “All it’s doing is just making it harder for people to use the bathroom.”
While it’s obvious that some students are opposed to the new bathroom passes, staff feel differently. Some staff members say that these rules will help keep a safer and more focused environment for school.
John Gurbisz, the senior English teacher here at UACHS, likes the new rules concerning the bathrooms.
“To me the positives of this do outweigh the negatives quite frankly,” said Gurbisz. “I like that you can see when other kids are out, I can see if that person has gone to the bathroom four times today already and that they are simply using the bathroom as an unofficial break.”
As UACHS adapts to these new bathroom policies, the divide between student and staff opinions highlights what the bathrooms are being used for.
With bathroom hangouts officially being over, students will need to navigate this new reality and find alternative spaces to connect and unwind.
