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The Repercussions of Restroom Rules
The Repercussions of Restroom Rules
By: Caitlin McGuire
There are a few new bathroom policies put into effect for the 2022-2023 Christiansburg High School academic year. Because of these rules, students aren’t allowed to use the bathroom within the first ten and last ten minutes of class, the exception being Blue Demon Time. During BDT it’s the first five and last five minutes. In most classes, students are only allowed to go out one at a time. These new rules have both negatively and positively impacted our students and staff in many different ways.
E-hallpass is a system specifically used by Montgomery County schools to keep track of which students are using the bathroom and what bathroom they went to. The student simply chooses where he or she is departing from and then where his or her destination will be. When a teacher is checking E-hallpass in the hallway, they might see students going to a different bathroom than they should be in; A student going to the wrong bathroom is not a problem with the system sometimes the bathroom they should be in is overpopulated and they don’t want to be late going back to class. Sometimes students are not able to take the time they need to use the restroom, because of the new policy rules.
Mr. Millner, an educator at Christiansburg High School has worked here for 11 years. Although he does see positive results from these policies, he also noticed a few negative consequences. “The only con to these bathroom policies that I see is if you were to have a medical problem, for instance appendicitis, then it would be difficult for you.” Mr. Millner sees that people who have medical issues and problems concerning their health could have a hard time abiding by these rules because they may need to use the bathroom at any given time including the beginning or ending of class when students are not allowed to leave. However, CHS does provide a program in which a student can obtain a 504 which would give them special permission to utilize the restroom when necessary.
Another person who has a strong stance on these new policies is senior Hunter Ojeda. When interviewed, he expresses his distress about how these new policies will allow students to have less time to go to the bathroom and adds he has waited countless times to use the restroom. “There’s no time to use the bathroom in between classes because of how
crowded it is and some bathrooms are just locked. Then you just have to go to class so you won’t be late but then you have to wait 10 minutes.” Once the ten minutes are up, there is often a line then, resulting in having to wait again and miss out on class time.
So, one suggestion for improving the new policies, is to allow specific students to go based on grades and past behavior. This would not apply to people who have a history of vaping and wasting many minutes in the bathroom or students who are failing a class. When a student is caught in the bathroom doing these behaviors, it will go into the system. Teachers can decide what students can go or not just by looking at how many times students have been marked as being in the restroom wasting minutes or doing things they’re not supposed to. These past infringmements would have to be documented, and of course, there’s always exceptions to the rules.
These new bathroom policies at Christiansburg High School have some positive aspects but the negative outcomes shouldn’t be overlooked. There are enough negative aspects that require the rules to be changed. CHS should take away the first and last ten minute rule, be less strict with E-hallpass, and be more understanding of bathroom breaks. Bathroom breaks are a right, not a privilege.
Photo By: Demon's Voice Staff
The Orange Zone is located in the vocational wing of CHS.
The Benefits of Bathroom Policies
The Benefits of Bathroom Policies
By: Bridget Miller
Christiansburg High School has always had bathroom policies to monitor students during bathroom breaks, but in the past few years these rules have changed, and become stricter. While some administrators and students oppose it, others are in support of the benefits it reaps. It’s important to understand the reasons we have these rules, and the opinions of teachers and students. Bathroom rules at CHS include assigned bathrooms for each area of the school, organized by color, the use of E-Hallpass, and the rule that students may not go to the bathroom during the first and last ten minutes of class, known as the “first ten, last ten” rule. These rules have proven helpful in encouraging students to be in class, and maximizing instructional time.
Throughout the school, there are seven bathroom zones, two bathrooms at each zone. These are titled as different colors. Based on where your classes are, you’ll go to the designated bathrooms. This is to ensure that students go to the furthest bathroom from their class to waste time, or skip class. This also ensures that if an emergency were to occur, administration would know where a student was during their bathroom break. The zone system has been utilized at CHS for several years, and has been upheld through multiple principals. This demonstrates how well the system works.
E-Hallpass is an online system to monitor students' breaks by timing them, and displaying where they’re going. Administration can oversee this website, and it allows them to ensure that students are truthful about where they’re going and what they’re doing. CHS started using E-Hallpass right before everyone was sent home due to the pandemic, and have continued using it since students and faculty returned to school. Mrs. Light, the school librarian, was asked if E-Hallpass has made bathroom breaks easier for her, and she responded by saying, “If students and teachers use it the way they’re supposed to, I think so.” Mr. Guynn added “It allows an opportunity to hold data each day if we need to specifically monitor students or bathrooms.” E-Hallpass can avoid confusion about who is in the bathroom, and where everyone is. Rather than teachers having to remember all of the information, there is a database to hold it.
The “first ten, last ten” rule, ensures that class may start when the tardy bell rings, and that there is as much instructional time as possible. The justification for this rule is that students have time to use the bathroom during the five minutes in between classes. After having that opportunity, students should not have to go right after the bell rings. When asked if she thinks this policy is beneficial, Mrs. Light said, “Yes, because we're to be instructed to start class when the bell rings, and complete our expectations for the day. That way we also know who’s hanging out in the hallway. Then, we have the last ten minutes too, so people don’t go and wander the hallways.” This means that staff can easily identify who is late to class, because they don’t have to check if people are going to the bathroom or not.
The school bathrooms, and the rules around them, have been a controversial topic for most people at CHS, including faculty and students. While some people see these policies as overbearing, it is important to keep in mind how important they are to ensuring success in school. Rules may not be fun for anyone, but they are important and helpful to all people here at CHS. The use of zoned bathrooms, E-Hallpass, and the “first ten, last ten” rule has worked at CHS for many years, and should continue to be used.
Photo By: Demon's Voice Staff
A student using E-hallpass.
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