Anonymous asked: What are some of the best bathrooms on campus to use?
You will find the best bathrooms on campus at the following locations, listed in order of preference:
– Healey Library, 11th floor
– Campus Center, 2nd and 3rd floor bathrooms behind the administrative offices, facing the JFK Library
– Quinn Administration Building, 2nd floor bathrooms (outside University Health Services)
The bathrooms listed above meet my SCALP-M qualifications for high-quality bathroom experiences (rating system based on size, cleanliness, accessibility, lighting, privacy, and other miscellaneous qualities). Now, let’s have a look into how those bathrooms earned the Ms. Media stamp of approval, shall we?
Healey Library, 11th floor
Size: Above average, with two standard stalls and one wheelchair-accessible stall. There is a decent amount of space between the stalls and the two sinks.
Cleanliness: Excellent — the most spotless of all my experiences with bathrooms at UMass Boston, largely thanks to how infrequently people use these bathrooms.
Accessibility: Poor. To get to this floor, you must either take the stairs (seven flights from the 2nd floor) or wait for the elevators nearest the library entrance. This might deter you from venturing up there, but it might also deter others from reaping the benefits of making the journey to the bathrooms that have achieved Ms. Media’s titled of “Best Bathrooms on Campus” (apart from Chancellor Motley’s, probably).
Lighting: Excellent. Consistently brightly lit.
Privacy: Excellent. I suspect few people know about these bathrooms. Save one instance, I have been completely alone every time I used these facilities. I may have even used both Ladies’ and Mens’ bathrooms just because I could.
Miscellaneous: As far as I know, these are the only bathrooms on campus with hand dryers instead of paper towel dispensers. (UPDATE: Ms. Media was wrong. A kind reader has pointed out that the Wheatley handicap-accessible bathrooms have dryers.) In theory, these bathrooms are wheelchair accessible in that they offer a wheelchair-accessible stall and feature door that open at the push of a button. But I have to take into account that someone in a wheelchair will have to journey all the way up to use the facilities.
Campus Center, 2nd and 3rd floor bathrooms behind the office suites, facing the JFK Library
Size: These are solo or single-person-use bathrooms.
Cleanliness: These can smell a little funky, but that’s what bathrooms do. They’re rarely visibly dirty.
Accessibility: These bathrooms are wide enough for wheelchair users and do not require a long elevator ride.
Lighting: Excellent.
Privacy: Only one person can use them at a time, so your privacy is guaranteed!
Miscellaneous: There can sometimes be a line for these bathrooms.
They are also excellent for those with disabilities and for transgendered or non-gender-conforming individuals who are worried about the reactions they may get walking into rooms marked “Women” or “Men.”
Quinn Administration Building, 2nd floor bathrooms (outside University Health Services)
Size: A teeny bit cramped. It’s like whoever built Quinn tried to squeeze in an extra stall by making them all just a little smaller, and by making the area outside the stalls a little smaller as well. The effect is not terribly noticeable for most people, but could be a problem for some.
Cleanliness: These bathrooms are easy to keep clean because nobody ever uses them. The Quinn Building houses the administrators and staff of the university, who do not work in the same cramped quarters as UMass Boston’s teachers or students. There’s just not enough population density to get them dirty.
Accessibility: There is a wheelchair-accessible stall in the back of this bathroom, but because the rooms in which the stalls are located are small, wider chairs might be hard to maneuver in here.
Lighting: Excellent.
Privacy: You’re more likely to be alone in there because so few people use these bathrooms.
Miscellaneous: There still aren’t many stalls, but that’s not an issue because there are so few people.
The floor plan is also a little weird, so the sinks aren’t right next to the doors, which can be confusing for newcomers.