As a freshman, every experience on campus is foreign and exciting. This is not just limited to new classes and dorm living.
In August, I entered a particularly nasty bathroom in Allen Hall and started a note on my phone entitled “MSU Bathroom Review.” Every bathroom I have encountered since that day is rated out of 10 and given a short review based on several qualities, including cleanliness, location and level of seclusion. My rating system has worked well so far; however, it does, obviously, exclude all-men’s restrooms. I am dedicated to reviewing as many bathrooms as possible, but, respectfully, I do not think rating men’s bathrooms would be conducive to a positive college experience for me.
Dorman Hall
6.5/10
– Always relatively clean
– Large mirrors
– No gap in stall
Overall, these bathrooms are just a little above average. Dorman Hall itself is extremely run down, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the bathrooms are in good shape. There is a separate room when you first enter the bathroom, which houses a large countertop and an equally large mirror. This counts as a pro, but I could not give you one good reason why it is necessarily needed. 
Old Main Academic Center
8/10
– Good design
– Lots of stalls
– No gap in stall
– Generally lacking in cleanliness
Old Main Academic Center has some great bathrooms. I would even say they have the potential to be amazing, but the one thing holding them back is the cleanliness. I have never seen these bathrooms completely disgusting, but there are typically a few unflushed toilets and an overflowing trash can. That is, legitimately, the only bad thing about these bathrooms. I am sure it can be blamed on the sheer volume of students that come through the building. Also, I cannot sing the praises of the doors enough. They are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, have excellent locks and do not have a gap in sight. 10 out of 10 on doors. I wish all stalls had this design.
Marketplace at Perry (North end)
2/10
– No stalls (bathroom is one at a time)
– Water is everywhere
– Nasty
First off, this is by no means a reflection on Perry as a cafeteria. Anyone who reads The Reflector knows that I am a ride or die fan of Perry. But the bathrooms, oh God. The only positive for this bathroom is that it is a single person bathroom, so you are alone. But everything else is bad. It has water leaking all over the floor, and overall, it is just extremely gross in there. It makes me want to hold the urge to use the bathroom for years on end.
Marketplace at Perry (South end)
1/10
– Dark
– Not clean
– Understocked
This bathroom was even more disappointing than the previous Perry bathroom.  It does not have the advantage of single stall bathrooms. It also had only one roll of toilet paper for three stalls. Maybe a quick game of Rock, Paper, Scissors is played between those waiting for a stall. Is this some kind of sick social experiment?
Allen Hall (Front Lobby)
4/10
– Dark 
– Loud 
– Short ceilings (pro or con depending on personal preference)
This bathroom is like a cave honestly. The ceilings are extremely short, and you can constantly hear the sounds of what is either an air conditioner or a water heater above your head as you do your business. There is an antechamber in this bathroom similar to Dorman. Overall, this is not a very clean bathroom.
Allen Hall (6th floor)
6.75/10
– Hidden gem
– Well decorated
– Out of the way
If someone would have asked me last week about Allen Hall’s bathrooms, I would have recommended dehydration just for the sole purpose of never using a bathroom in that building. However, I was recently recommended by both current students and my father (MSU class of 1998) to try out the bathrooms on the top floor of Allen. These bathrooms are quite the hidden gem. They were very clean, and aside from slightly dated design choices, overall very nice bathrooms. I loved the addition of a fake potted plant. It really added to the ambience of this bathroom.
More next week.