Privacy International states that privacy “gives us the freedom of autonomy, and to live in dignity,” a principle of human decency unfamiliar to the students at BRHS every day. Using the restroom is a time of vulnerability for people. It is hard to be vulnerable when someone stares at you through a large gap in the stall. This is the problem with BRHS restrooms. The gaps in our stalls are obscenely large, hindering our right to privacy and exposing us in a vulnerable situation. People have a right to privacy. BRHS students have a right to feel safe wherever they are in this building. This is why I am advocating for smaller gaps in our bathroom stalls.

The Bladder and Bowel Community, an organization of urologists spreading information regarding bladder and bowel functions, states that the average human uses the restroom 6 times in 24 hours. 7 hours of that period is spent at school. This means that students will use the restroom roughly twice during the school day. At least twice a day, students are in a vulnerable situation. At least twice a day, student’s privacy is compromised. At least twice a day, we fail to offer basic human decency to the students of BRHS. I am not the only one who recognizes this issue.

 Through a survey shared with the student body of BRHS, I found that, out of 33 responses, 60.6 percent of students feel there is inadequate privacy in our bathrooms, and 81.8 percent believe the gaps to be too wide. 80 percent of students recognize this issue and want change. One student remarked, “...you may as well not have doors at all with how open they are.” Students should feel safe and comfortable using the restroom, not fighting to retain their dignity.

With gaps so large, it is almost unavoidable that people will look into the stalls. Do the gaps make it okay to look at someone while they are using the restroom? No. But do they make it easier? Yes. In the previous survey, students were asked if they were afraid of being watched while using the restroom: 60.6 percent said yes. And their fears are not without substance. One student offered their experience, stating that “there have been times [I’ve] been in the bath[room] and people will look in while [I’m] using the bathroom…” Giving the students smaller gaps in the bathroom stalls will not only provide students with the privacy they need and rightfully deserve but will also serve as a reminder that you should not hinder the privacy of your peers.

Why are these stalls necessary? They are not the only available design. European stalls have a different design, featuring minuscule gaps as well as floor to ceiling doors. I understand concerns with floor to ceiling doors concerning the possibilities of a fire or a missing student, but small gaps are attainable and preferred when concerning privacy. 

Privacy is a human right, but that right should not be abused by engaging in illicit activities. Being in the bathroom offers seclusion. Some students choose to occupy this time by vaping or by participating in other inappropriate activities. I understand the fears some faculty may harbor concerning what activities students engage in behind closed doors. But there are other avenues to explore when concerning bathroom safety. According to United Educators, vape and occupancy sensors allow faculty to monitor students without hindering their privacy. Still, this fear should not take away the humanistic right to privacy, nor should it discourage our administration from offering students what they want and deserve. 

Every problem has a solution. And there is a straightforward solution for this issue: continuous brackets. Continuous brackets can be installed in the gaps. Each of these dividers costs around $70 and is customizable. I understand community concern regarding the continuously growing costs this school poses. However, this issue takes away a basic human right. Privacy is human decency. Human decency should not be sacrificed to save a few hundred dollars. One student asserted they “don't use the bathrooms at school at all for a reason.” Why are we compromising our students' privacy, safety, and comfort? Change needs to happen.

 The Seahawk Nation needs to protect its students. 93.9 percent of those who responded to my survey would feel safer and more comfortable with smaller gaps. The students of BRHS have spoken. Hear our cries for our basic human rights. BRHS students deserve to feel safe in school. Change is possible, and it is up to us to make it happen.