They say all good things must come to an end.
I can speak to the truth of that statement, whether it is in reference to the end of a particularly lovely day, the end of Thanksgiving break or most definitely the end of a series of bathroom reviews. For four editions, I have trekked tirelessly across this campus to deliver all readers of The Reflector an honest, all-encompassing review. (That is, of course, unless you tend to use men’s restrooms. For that I cannot be of any help.)
What have I learned over my time? Well, mainly that Marketplace at Perry is a building solely meant for eating, and its bathrooms should be avoided at all costs. Also, that you cannot always judge a book by its cover. Some of the prettiest buildings had the dirtiest bathrooms and vice versa. There are life lessons hiding in the most mundane of activities.
Hilbun Hall (first floor), 3/10
    • Smelly
    • Dirty
    • Hangout spot
When I entered the women’s bathroom on the first floor of Hilbun Hall, I was greeted by an overwhelming odor. Then, as my eyes adjusted, I saw a bathroom with potential. However, I am worried I missed the memo. It is sad, really, that this bathroom should be so dirty since it has so many nice features. It has windows that let in a decent amount of natural light, which improves the entire atmosphere. As for its other qualities, the bathrooms were well-stocked with supplies, and the stalls locked beautifully.
Post Office, 9.5/10
    • Clean
    • Relatively unused
    • Well lit
This bathroom exceeded my wildest expectations. This was probably the cleanest bathroom I have used on campus. I have also never run into any other human being in this bathroom. The only reason the post office’s bathrooms are not getting a perfect score is due to their location. Sadly, the post office is not in a central enough location to allow for more use.
Rula Complex, 9.5/10
    • Clean
    • Stall doors need work
    • Amazing
Ladies and gentlemen, the bathrooms conveniently located in the center of the Rula Complex have almost everything a person could ever need. Firstly, the only reason I entered Rula was to check out a tip I had received from a fellow Reflector writer for an excellent bathroom. It exceeded expectations, to be sure. While this is strictly a bathroom review, I would be remiss not to mention the quality of building that these lavatories reside in. I strongly considered changing my major to civil engineering (a career choice my grandmother would have applauded) just to have as many classes as possible in Rula. So, obviously, these bathrooms receive an excellent score. They were most likely the cleanest bathrooms I have seen so far. The only deduction for these bathrooms came from an inch-wide gap in the stall door. Seriously, how hard is it to make a door that shuts correctly?
Montgomery Hall (ground floor), 6/10
    • Very secluded
    • Short ceilings
    • Dim
Located behind the offices of the Disability Resource Center, these bathrooms are the textbook definition of secluded. They offer utmost privacy to all users and have only two stalls. The downsides to using this bathroom are, yet again, dim lighting and a tile floor that has seen better days. The bathroom was very clean.
Bathroom Trailer in the Junction, 7.5/10
    • Not a Porta-Potty
    • Clean at the beginning. I can’t blame anyone for the end of the day.
    • Doors are hard to lock
Firstly, I am a bit more lenient on game day bathrooms, mainly because I am firmly aware that there are plenty of Porta-Potties that I could be using instead. This trailer is decidedly not a Porta-Potty, despite being a portable potty. Anyway, back to the review. This trailer is clean at the beginning of the day, and to be honest, the latest I have been in one was around 2 p.m. on a 3 p.m. game day. It was not trashed; however, I will say it is easier for a small room to get dirty. That is all about cleanliness that I will say. The doors should be getting great reviews, seeing as they are full doors that close with no gaps. They are not really stalls, more like small rooms. However, I have had the misfortune of being in two of these stalls that would not stay shut. I am not sure if it was user error, but I do not think so. I was able to shut and lock other doors. Oh well, who knows? There was a line for these bathrooms; however, I think that was probably because people will go anywhere other than a Porta-Potty.
I have had the time of my life writing these reviews. Writing that last sentence made me think I should probably get out of the house more. While this series may be at an end, I will personally continue the quest for a greater bathroom experience via the notes app. Here’s to more pleasant bathroom encounters for all.