By Luke Gair
Executive Staff
Offering 19 residence halls and more than 20 University-owned buildings, Sewanee holds a strong sense of heterogeneity regarding the variety of bathrooms on campus. With some edifices dating back nearly a century, it seems plausible some buildings would hold a higher standard than others. When one is out and about on campus, the question always hangs heavy: where is the best spot on campus to use the restroom?
After its renovation in 2005, Gailor Hall became an academic building for the departments of English, modern languages, and classics. With carpeted flooring, luxurious wooden banisters, and cozy study spaces, the building measures out to be an equitable balance.
Sarah Covington (C’20) finds the building itself to be habitable and a great place to have class but believes the scent of the women’s bathroom in the basement is slightly unsettling, going on to say, “the drain in the floor makes weird noises.”
Covington moved on to her preeminent choice of bathrooms, deciding the restroom on the first floor of the Jessie Ball duPont library was supreme. A bathroom’s quality is constituted by both location and characteristics, and she believes “the view from the window is always very pretty.” On top of the 784,000 print volumes, duPont manages to house one of the prime bathrooms on campus.
According to Marjan Ata (C’21), a favored bathroom experience is constituted by the neighboring attributes, meaning where the restroom is in relation to the constant traffic of students throughout the day as well as her classes.
“I would have to say Walsh-Ellett Hall is my favorite bathroom on campus. I know that sounds weird, but I’m usually there and it is the most convenient for me,” she says.
It’s clear that a quality bathroom is not only dictated by the room itself but by its characteristics. After being submerged in the fast-paced environment of a typical school day, Ata always enjoys having a moment of solitude in her daily endeavors.
“Walsh-Ellett is really quiet, and not many people use the bathrooms in that building, so they’re usually decent,” she adds. Ata’s beliefs are a resounding message that imply the importance of a bathroom’s quality, the necessity for it to contrive a positive experience.