When you think about high school hangouts, you more than likely think of places like the cafe, the hallway, and maybe even the gym. Not at North Harford. Our students like the bathroom.

     Actually, they like it so much that upwards of 30 or 40 of them go into one at any given time. And when they’re there, they are not using the bathroom. Nope.  Not. at. all.They are abusing it.

     The destruction of property is an immature act. High school is filled with people who are old enough to understand and have the common sense that destroying property that is not yours is disrespectful. So why is it happening in the school bathrooms? 

     Bathrooms are used just to go to the bathroom, nothing else. They are not used to be destroyed. Not only is it disrespectful to the school, but it is also disrespectful to the people who have to come in and fix it multiple times.          

     If you are doing this to the bathrooms, you are not only stealing whatever it is that you are destroying, but you are stealing the right to trust students from the teachers. You are stealing the right from our school to put this money towards better things, and you are stealing students’ peace when they are simply just trying to use the bathroom.

     Principal Mr. Brian Pawlicki states, “since the beginning of our school year, we have had broken stall doors, broken pipes, broken faucets, graffiti all over, things flushed down the toilet like cans and cups that back the toilet up and need to be cleaned out with machinery.” 

     Come on now. We are better than that. If you are destroying this stuff, you are also destroying the trust between students. The school is relying on students to tell someone if they see something happening in the bathrooms, and what student wants to be a snitch? 

     Pawlicki says, “We have counted on other students to report it to us and that has happened, so students report it to us when they see other students vandalizing, and obviously you can’t put cameras in the bathroom and no one wants to be watched while in the bathroom.”

     He continues, “so teachers  that are checking in now and then, listening to what’s going on, I mean you’re going to hear if someone is trying to break a pipe or slam the door, so they will report it to an administrator and we will check it out the best we can.”

     He states that having a teacher sit outside the bathroom has helped considerably. So, if that’s what it takes for students to stop destroying property, then so be it; we will have to be babysat at the ages 14-18 while going to use a restroom. 

     There is no excuse as to why this is happening. Please students, act your age and gain at least the tiniest bit of respect for our school and stop destroying things that aren’t yours to destroy or ruin.