By: Abbey Raynes
As another academic year at Western begins, there is always looming anxiety around school. While the student body splinters itself by age, class and major, we inevitably divide ourselves and become immersed in our own lives. Once the year settles down, whether that be educational distress or where the best restroom is on campus, everyone’s got shit on their mind.
While it may seem ludicrous, finding the right bathroom is essential to feeling comfortable because it could be your only downtime and privacy in between classes. Whilst battling the existential crisis of school and student life, it would be a shame if you were battling the toilet as well.
In my two years at Western this far, I have seen and used a plethora of restrooms that have been surprisingly adequate and need more recognition. As I venture out into my third year of university, there are still many bathrooms I have not used but it’s just a matter of discovering the right one.
While many folks are still anxious about using restrooms in public, everyone should still feel welcome. Especially for those who are transgender, gender non-conforming and/or have disabilities, it can be hard finding the right bathroom that’s suitable for them.
With the help of WWU maps, I have compiled a list for folks who might feel more solace utilizing some of the disability accessible or gender neutral restrooms on campus.
Starting off at south campus, Academic West offers a hidden gender neutral bathroom on the fourth floor. AW 411 provides a single use room and is perfect for those who want some privacy. Right next to the vending machine and behind the elevator, you can grab a quick snack/drink and do your business in the comfort of your own solitude.
Going further up south campus, the environmental studies building shares the same amenities as the gender neutral restroom in Academic West. By walking through the main entrance in the building and all the way to the back of the first floor, you will be met with another single-use gender neutral bathroom.
Even though it’s not as hidden as the restroom in Academic West, there are many amenities such as a baby changing station, free pads and tampons. With its utilitarian components and orange backsplash, the bathroom has developed a character unlike any other.
Moving up to the middle of campus, the options become even more vast. However, because there is a wide variety, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly where the quality bathrooms are, especially those that are accessible.
WWU Instructor and disability advocate, Daman Wandke, said that his favorite bathroom on campus is in Miller Hall, right next to the class he teaches in.
“When I got to campus, there was no bathroom when I started as a student with an automatic door,” Wandke said. “Now we have one making it accessible to most people.”
Out of the few bathrooms on campus, the second floor of Miller Hall contains a men’s restroom that has an automatic door, which can be useful to those who have disabilities. Not only does it have that, there are two stalls, one big and one small, to adapt to those who need more space.
In addition to those accommodations, there are also beautiful windows with natural lighting that emits a peaceful aura. The well roundedness of the Miller Hall bathroom makes it very accessible and appreciable to people who have a harder time finding ones that suit their needs.
Moving up to north campus, up on the seventh floor of the Viking Union, a corridor of four bathrooms lay down a hallway back to back. Each of them are single use and are all gender neutral, where people can do their business in a secluded area with relative quietness.
Out of the four restrooms that are in the hallway, one is also an accessible bathroom that shares the exact same appliances but has an automatic door and a foot wash/bench to sit on. With its hotel-like energy, all four of these big spaces are perfect for those who get anxious because they offer a sense of privacy.
Kylee Mullins, a gender non-conforming person, said they use gender neutral bathrooms on campus because they feel more comfortable, as someone who is femme presenting.
“On days where I am feeling more androgynous, using the women’s restrooms feels out of place and I have less anxiety while seeking out a gender neutral restroom,” Mullins said.
Mullins also said that their favorite bathroom on campus is in Alma Clark Glass Hall because they have shower access and may be a good option for those who do not identify with the sex assigned to them at birth.
Only venturing into a few restrooms throughout campus, the multitude of bathrooms are still endless. With this cultivated list, hopefully folks who range on the gender spectrum that seek gender neutral restrooms and/or folks who need disability accessible bathrooms, can find the right one to call home.
[Bathroom room numbers used in this article: Academic West 411, Environmental Studies 120, Miller Hall 238, Viking Union 714-717]
Photo Credits: Abbey Raynes // Wavelength