NSA Bathrooms- an Interview with Dr. Thomas

At the beginning of the year, NSA Backstage staff interviewed Principal Thomas with the student body's most pressing questions regarding our bathrooms. Below is an edited transcript of our questions and answers, updated with the most recent correspondence with Dr. Thomas. Please comment below with follow up questions and we will investigate!

Question 1

Q. What are options for feminine products in student bathrooms?

A. Signs are being posted in all women's restrooms alerting students that free products are available outside the nurse's clinic. We opted against leaving supplies in the bathrooms because numerous other schools have reported experience with abuse and waste. Awareness that free products are available seems a reasonable solution.

Question 2

Q. Can we get mirrors in the uptown bathroom? Is there a reason we don't have them available?

A. The mirrors have officially been ordered as of February 2nd! We expect to have them installed soon.

Question 3

Q. Can we do a student mural project to brighten the bathrooms and discourage graffiti?

A. I support this idea, but it will take serious planning and execution. I believe this is something we can tackle next year.

Question 4

Q. Our bathrooms are gross. What is the cleaning process, and how can we improve it?

A.  Bathrooms are tough because they are old, and they look and smell old. A bucket of bleach and a scrub brush wouldn't make them any less old. Currently, the janitors' regular schedule is to clean, mop and sweep the bathrooms. Everything is cleaned daily.

We have asked MNPS about replacing tile, but that's a major project- especially when a new NSA campus is fingers crossed thought to be mere years away. In the meantime, students are encouraged to share anything they experience that is particularly unhygienic.

And back to question #3 - devoting time/energy to repainting them (all the same color and/or student murals) is an option we have to making them more pleasant. I certainly want to dabble in some kind of bathroom paint improvement in the future of this building.

The NSA Backstage staff thanks Dr. Thomas for his time regarding these issues!