There are doors on bathrooms, bedrooms, classrooms, houses, etc. All doors are placed for one reason – privacy. 

      When you walk past any open door your first instinct is to look inside the room. As Warsaw students and staff walk past the women’s bathroom we can see girls adjusting their pants, bras, etc. Adult men, and male students have the opportunity to peep in. We are also able to have adult women and young girls able to see the first urinal of the men’s room. 

   Most people enjoy their privacy, especially in a place as personal as a bathroom, but at WHS, that privacy is not as valued as students may like. High school administration had taken down the women’s bathroom door in the early year of 2019. The men’s bathroom door was not installed after the bathrooms were remodeled in 2015. 

   Although you may not be able to really see inside the actual restroom stalls in the girls and boys bathrooms, I have to say myself it is a very awkward situation when you’re trying to prepare yourself, doing what girls do, while getting stared at by the many people in the halls, students and staff. It would be much different if our bathrooms had a “hall,” or wall, so people couldn’t peep inside. 

   Assistant principal Cody Wright said the doors were removed to prevent skipping classes.  “Taking the doors away makes it to where students don’t wanna just hang out and skip class,” said Wright.

   Some students think there were other reasons doors were removed. “Vaping was a huge reason as to why they decided to remove the doors, but we have vape detectors installed so I don’t see why our doors are still removed,” senior Emma Johnson said. 

   Student vaping had been, and still somewhat is, a big issue. Removing the doors clearly never resolved this problem, so even after invading the privacy of the students hasn’t worked, why not have the doors back? 

   Students skipping class won’t be prevented by the absence of a door in the bathroom. If that were truly the case students wouldn’t still be getting sent to ISS for skipping. There are also multiple different places for students to skip classes. We can’t remove all of the doors to prevent it. Students can skip class just by going to other classrooms as long as they tell that teacher they have no work. 

   Students don’t use the bathrooms just to use the bathroom, it’s a private place you can call someone during an emergency, cry, or even just take a short mental break for yourself. School is one of the most overwhelming, challenging places for a student, sometimes they just need a break. There’s no reason for the entire school to have to hear a private breakdown of a student simply because they’re having a hard day. 

   Kids will always find a way to get what they want, taking down the doors is not, and will not make a difference. Students already have so many struggles of coming to school, we should not be taking away their right to privacy as well.