In the past few years at Bellefonte Area High School (BAHS), students have not been respecting the bathroom rules. This includes lots of vandalism, and not going to the bathroom that is closest to their class. As a solution to this issue, the Dean of Students, Mr. Andy Caruso, brought back an old rule that was at the high school before Covid: color coded bathroom passes. 

Essentially, each classroom has an assigned bathroom that is the closest to them. For example, science teacher Mrs. Arimani Davy is assigned the yellow bathroom which is only about a one minute walk from her room. If students get caught going to the wrong bathroom, there will be consequences. One of the bigger consequences is getting written up.

In a recent interview with Mr. Caruso, he explained what he was trying to achieve with this policy.

“Just to have students use the bathroom that is closest to them, to not meet up and to not waste time,” he said. “I don’t think it’s that much of a problem as of right now, I do know that it has helped out at lunch a bunch.” 

Mr. Caruso knows students tend to find ways around rules set in place, but he is hopeful this rule will help slow down the amount of vandalism at school.

“The only con I see is just enforcing it, because not everyone is at the maturity level, not walking around and not wasting time in class. I don’t want to shove this rule into the ground,” Mr. Caruso said.

Not only students are affected by this, but also teachers. Mrs. Davy is one of them. 

“I like the new bathroom policy because the kids are going to the right bathrooms and it helps keep track of the kids.It has affected my class by gaining more students overall in my class. I say that because students in my class come back from the bathroom faster overall than the past few years,” Mrs. Davy said.

She has a positive attitude towards this new change. 

“I do think it is working because my students have been coming back faster and I don’t see students roaming the halls as I did these past few years here at BAHS,” she said.

While the teachers seem to enjoy this new enforcement, the students have a different outlook on this whole situation. Senior Robby Slagan is one of the many students who don’t like the new enforcement.

 “I hate it with a passion because I hate being told where I can and can not go to the bathroom. I mean if I have to go, I have to go and sometimes the bathroom that is assigned is not the closest,” Robby said.

Along with Robby Slagan, freshman Cane Capparelle shared his thoughts on the new policy. 

“The bathroom passes are annoying because as a freshman, I don’t know where all the bathrooms are. And when my one class is assigned a bathroom and I don’t know where it is, that makes it difficult,” Cane said. 

Though both students have different outlooks on the bathroom policy, it has a purpose and so far is working to benefit the school.