Inspired by bathroom graffiti
Sometimes you find inspiration in the most unusual of places. One of those places is a public restroom. Often in public restrooms you will find some nasty, profane comments on the walls of your stall, but the ones in Arts & Sciences are special. While they do contain a few unsavory comments, usually directed toward a fraternity or sorority, there are quite a few metaphysical statements and dialogue. Of course I am only referring to the men’s restrooms since I don’t have access to the women’s restrooms, which I assume are glorious sanctuaries complete with couches and other lounging equipment, all of which men can never be trusted with.
I guess it’s because we are in an academic setting that sets our bathroom vandalism apart from the kind in roadside gas stations. I have never seen the question “Why am I here?” posed in a Shell gas station. Normally the stall is littered with sexual and racist phrases. However, in the second floor Arts & Sciences men’s bathroom that very question is posed. There are a few responses, one relating to the obvious, “to use the bathroom,” and another stating “to make yourself happy.”
There is also a great poem, or at least there was, in the third floor Arts and Sciences men’s bathroom. Its aim was to stir the soul of a wayward college student, and it did just that quite well. There are several responses saying that this poem really uplifted them, or even saved their life.
I don’t mean to make the custodial staff aware of such vandalism, but I think these dialogues are something that should applauded. Even our bathrooms where we do our business are canvases for intelligent thought. However, this should not be surprising. While I think we are all capable of this type of existential thinking, often it is left for those who have the time for it. And because it is very difficult to do anything except think while on the toilet, it is no wonder that such philosophical thought graces our stalls.
So I propose for SGA to introduce white boards and dry-erase markers on the stalls of the university bathrooms. I think that because not everyone has a sharp object with them when they use the restroom, many good thoughts never get etched into the stall wall. White boards would alleviate this problem. Sure, there will be some abuses, but if any overtly negative comments are made, those with good intentions will be able to easily erase them. The comments would be completely anonymous and users could treat the board almost as a collective thought bubble for them to draw inspiration. After all, it was the second floor Arts & Sciences bathroom that gave me the inspiration for this column.
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