Scene:
You’re sweating profusely as you make your way back to your residence hall after a long, exhausting yet rewarding jog to the Nittany lion at Old Main. A feeling of proudness takes over you, as you feel the beads of sweat permeate your back, face, and hands. All you are looking forward to is taking that refreshing hot shower. As you gather your toiletries and enter your compact dorm shower, you immediately notice you’ve forgotten your flip flops. Since your feet have already hit the grainy concrete shower floor, you simply figure it’s no big deal, right? Wrong. Sometimes it can be easy to forget how many other students are sharing that very shower stall. According to Penn State’s Residence Life Website, approximately 5 showers and toilet stalls are shared with 40-44 students per floor. These numbers should paint a picture of how it easy it is for harmful bacteria to spread from the shower floor to your feet, the moment you decided to continue your shower without flip flops. Even the beads of sweat that touched the railings of the staircase as you hiked up the stairs to get to your room, contain various bacteria and germs from your skin.
Interview/Quotes:
Name: Brooke Durham
Age: 18
Year: Freshman
Major: International Studies/History
Q: How often do you come across or notice staff cleaning the bathroom on your floor?
A: “Usually once a day I see a woman cleaning the bathrooms, except on weekends.”
Q: Have you ever seen unusual things or items in the bathrooms or shower stalls? If so, what are some of these things?
A: “I come across underwear, Band-Aids…and a lot of hair on the shower floor. It’s hard because people try to ‘personalize’ their shower experience forgetting about the other dozens of kids.”
Q: What types of things, such as fungus, infections, or substances, do you think linger in dorm bathrooms?
A: “I’ve heard of Athletes Foot fungus being pretty common in the showers, and Ive also heard a story about the ‘Gorilla Man’ who travels to girls’ bathroom showers and masturbates in them. It’s really gross.”
Facts:
1. According to CBS News, cited by Bridget Widdowson of the The Penn an online magazine, “Foot infections like athlete's foot and toenail fungus spread from person to person when people are sharing close living quarters.”
2. According to an article on helium.com submitted by Elle P. C. Smith, “Throughout the nation this year, especially in the Northeast, college campuses has seen a rise in staph infections. Staph infections are caused by bacteria that can be spread through skin contact. A good way to spread this infection is using public showers without foot protection for your sores or infected skin.”
3. The same source stated, “Another great way to prevent infections is by investing in shower shoes. A simple $1 pair of flip flops can save you a trip to the doctor's office.”
4. “If you have a floor shower versus in room bathrooms, the trip down the hall with your shampoo, conditioner, soap, wash cloth and towel can be an annoyance.”
Further Research:
I would like to get further research on how sanitary the bathrooms are by interviewing the housing staff and getting their take on it. I would like to know their procedures as well as find out more about the unfortunate cleaning situations they have come across during their time here at Penn State. Also, I would like to interview a student at another large university, and ask the same questions I asked my first interviewer to see if the answers are similar or different. This will help me better form my solution at the end of my investigation.
You’re sweating profusely as you make your way back to your residence hall after a long, exhausting yet rewarding jog to the Nittany lion at Old Main. A feeling of proudness takes over you, as you feel the beads of sweat permeate your back, face, and hands. All you are looking forward to is taking that refreshing hot shower. As you gather your toiletries and enter your compact dorm shower, you immediately notice you’ve forgotten your flip flops. Since your feet have already hit the grainy concrete shower floor, you simply figure it’s no big deal, right? Wrong. Sometimes it can be easy to forget how many other students are sharing that very shower stall. According to Penn State’s Residence Life Website, approximately 5 showers and toilet stalls are shared with 40-44 students per floor. These numbers should paint a picture of how it easy it is for harmful bacteria to spread from the shower floor to your feet, the moment you decided to continue your shower without flip flops. Even the beads of sweat that touched the railings of the staircase as you hiked up the stairs to get to your room, contain various bacteria and germs from your skin.
Interview/Quotes:
Name: Brooke Durham
Age: 18
Year: Freshman
Major: International Studies/History
Q: How often do you come across or notice staff cleaning the bathroom on your floor?
A: “Usually once a day I see a woman cleaning the bathrooms, except on weekends.”
Q: Have you ever seen unusual things or items in the bathrooms or shower stalls? If so, what are some of these things?
A: “I come across underwear, Band-Aids…and a lot of hair on the shower floor. It’s hard because people try to ‘personalize’ their shower experience forgetting about the other dozens of kids.”
Q: What types of things, such as fungus, infections, or substances, do you think linger in dorm bathrooms?
A: “I’ve heard of Athletes Foot fungus being pretty common in the showers, and Ive also heard a story about the ‘Gorilla Man’ who travels to girls’ bathroom showers and masturbates in them. It’s really gross.”
Facts:
1. According to CBS News, cited by Bridget Widdowson of the The Penn an online magazine, “Foot infections like athlete's foot and toenail fungus spread from person to person when people are sharing close living quarters.”
2. According to an article on helium.com submitted by Elle P. C. Smith, “Throughout the nation this year, especially in the Northeast, college campuses has seen a rise in staph infections. Staph infections are caused by bacteria that can be spread through skin contact. A good way to spread this infection is using public showers without foot protection for your sores or infected skin.”
3. The same source stated, “Another great way to prevent infections is by investing in shower shoes. A simple $1 pair of flip flops can save you a trip to the doctor's office.”
4. “If you have a floor shower versus in room bathrooms, the trip down the hall with your shampoo, conditioner, soap, wash cloth and towel can be an annoyance.”
Further Research:
I would like to get further research on how sanitary the bathrooms are by interviewing the housing staff and getting their take on it. I would like to know their procedures as well as find out more about the unfortunate cleaning situations they have come across during their time here at Penn State. Also, I would like to interview a student at another large university, and ask the same questions I asked my first interviewer to see if the answers are similar or different. This will help me better form my solution at the end of my investigation.
No comments:
Post a Comment