Administration should be sensitive to females hygiene needs in bathrooms
January 28, 2016
Dear Editor,
As a female at Stroudsburg High there is one issue I constantly hear complaints about: garbages in the bathrooms! Since we can all be mature about the subject, periods are a natural occurance that every woman has to go through in her life. Although it’s nothing to be ashamed of, walking from the stall to the one, single, lonely garbage can at the front of the bathroom with a wad of toilet paper that makes everyone suspicious isn’t always my favorite way of letting everyone know it’s my time of the month. Having a small garbage can in every stall would be ideal for every girl, leaving us hassle free, less embarrassed, and feeling cleaner without a used feminine product in our hands. The single garbage can that is in each bathroom gets filled up by the end of 6th period, especially in more frequented bathrooms, like the one by the cafeteria.
There are multiple solutions to this problem, not limited to a garbage in every stall, but even sharing one garbage per two stalls, keeping the garbage in the middle of the two. Another solution could be the little metal/plastic boxes that are connected to the wall, for example the ones that are in each stall in the bathroom by the cafeteria. However, in the ones by the cafeteria there are never the paper bags that should be keeping the boxes sanitary and not forcing the janitors to reach into the bins to grab whatever used product was put in there.
In order to keep the female students at Stroudsburg High stress and embarrassment free, putting a garbage can in every stall would be extremely appreciated. Any compromise to the more-than-one-garbage-can-per-
Lena Morella
Junior
Lani Vargas • Apr 13, 2016 at 11:13 AM
As a female when it comes to to “that time of month” most of us are already going through a lot. The last thing we need to worry about is being made uncomfortable due to lack of garbages in the girls bathroom. As Lena said, “There are multiple solutions to this problem, not limited to a garbage in every stall, but even sharing one garbage per two stalls, keeping the garbage in the middle of the two”. So this problem could easily be fixed by simply adding more trash cans or bins in each stall to increase cleanliness and make girls feel more comfortable using the school’s bathroom, when they are on their cycles.
Gabrielle Weirich • Apr 13, 2016 at 11:04 AM
Most girls bathrooms at Stroudsburg High School have only one trash can. Although it’s nothing to be ashamed of, leaving the stall with a feminine product to throw it in the garbage can be quite embarrassing. Having a place to dispose of feminine products in each stall in the bathrooms would be ideal for every girl. The letter says “In order to keep the female students at Stroudsburg High School stress and embarrassment free, putting a garbage can in every stall would be extremely appreciated.” I completely agree with this statement. Providing female students with the proper place to dispose of feminine products would create a more comfortable environment that all girls would be quite grateful for.
Kathryn Kmetz • Apr 13, 2016 at 10:28 AM
I strongly agree with Lena Morella’s Letter to the Editor, “Administration should be sensitive to females hygiene needs in bathrooms”. I believe that something has to be done about feminine hygiene in the bathrooms because having inappropriate, or lack thereof, receptacles for feminine products is unsanitary and unacceptable. In the Letter, Morella states that there are many bathrooms throughout the school that have only “…one, single, lonely garbage can…” in which females can dispose of products. Also, she explains that this solitary garbage bin frequently fills up before the end of 6th period. Not only does this predicament create an awkward situation for all involved- it is also unsanitary. Morella gives clear solutions including the school providing individual mini trash cans for each stall and placing bags in each stall that does happen to obtain an attached metal or plastic trash container; this would eliminate all embarrassment and sanitary issues. In conclusion, Lena Morella’s Letter to the Editor clearly states a logical problem concerning female hygienics as well as provides multiple feasible solutions. Females need to have proper trash receptacles to place feminine products in order to insure privacy and sanitation.
Jessica Jones • Apr 13, 2016 at 10:20 AM
As self-conscious teenage girls, many of us are embarrassed when it comes to being “that time of month”. When the not so discreet wrapping of Femina hygiene products make it obvious to others in the bathroom that you’re going through your cylce, the last thing you want to do is have to walk out of the stall all the way to a tiny trash can across the bathroom. As Lena pointed out, these trash cans get full rather fast; there is often only one even in the busiest of bathrooms. This leaves a very gross and unsanitary situation for the janitors to clean up. In order to keep many of our female students stress free it has been suggested to put more garbage cans in the ladies bathrooms. There have been times when we go into bathrooms and there’s not even one. Imagine how awkward it is to not only have to walk put of the stall with a used feminine hygiene product, but then realize that there is no trash can, or 3 other girls are washing their hands and glaring at you. The school should be more aware of this issue and accommodate accordingly because it happens to all of us.
Sara Rose Hernandez • Feb 5, 2016 at 9:16 AM
I’m glad someone finally spoke up about this – I agree.