FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO POTTY

With the start of the 2019-20 school year, Suncoast has been subject to a lot of changes. For instance, the locked restrooms have been an adjustment for the students.

In the past, restrooms remained unlocked throughout the entirety of the day. This allowed students to use the restroom closest to their classroom, lessening the amount of time they needed to be out of class. 

Senior Marlee Marquez said, “I liked having the ability to go where I want because then I wouldn’t have to walk so far to go to the restroom. I don’t like missing class, especially an important class like history.” 

After lunch, many of the restrooms are locked, so students are forced to use the middle restrooms in the hallway. This is of an inconvenience for the students who have classes that are at the end of the halls.

The new assistant principal Attallah McLawrence said that it is all about “safety, we need to make sure we have a way to maintain a safe environment.”

The safety of the students has been made a number one priority in recent years due to the increase in school shootings, but the locked restrooms are not always locked. The restrooms are supposed to be locked in time for the last period, but there are times when this is not the case. Sophomore, Guilianna Johnston said, “Sometimes, when I go to the restroom I forget that they are supposed to lock the restrooms but then realize that there are times when they don’t.”

If the main reason why the restrooms are locked is for safety, then the restrooms need to be locked everyday. The concern for safety has been put first, but it is hard to have a safe environment with inconsistent access to some of the restrooms.

The need for safer schools is very high, but locking the restrooms sometimes may not be the best way to achieve this.