It can be pretty difficult to decide where to tinkle at RH King Academy. A lot of times I’m torn between going to the nearest washroom—unfortunately filled with a massive audience—or trekking up to the furthest one in a dire situation. The five girls’ washrooms, although similar in appearance, offer completely different experiences. While no washroom at King is fit for royalty, there are definitely some that are better than others.
C floor
This girls’ washroom is undoubtedly the quietest, least chaotic one in the entire building. It’s a personal favourite for that reason. One of the stalls is closed off but that hardly takes away from how great this washroom is (compared to the other ones). Most of the time it’s empty, resulting in a peaceful washroom experience. The floor, sink, stalls and soap dispensers are (mostly) clean as well.
Why do students exclusively hang out in the B floor washroom when this one exists? I’m not complaining though. This washroom should be left for those that want to use it for its intended purpose.
C and a half
You’ll first notice that there are two doors, meaning there are also two door knobs that must be touched. Don’t worry though, the treacherous journey is worth it. Aesthetically, it’s the best girls’ washroom. The windows let in a lot of light and the whole place is pretty spacious. It’s definitely the best washroom to take mirror photos in! As for the stalls, don’t look too closely at all the toilet paper rolls. While none are missing, not all of them are completely white.
A floor
Being right next to the cafeteria during lunch, it’s no surprise that this washroom can get pretty crowded at times. For those who aren’t the biggest fans of hearing chatter as they try to use the toilet, it may not be the best choice.
Nevertheless, there are some things that set the A floor washroom apart from other girls’ washrooms at King: three whole mirrors (and that’s three more mirrors than how many are usually in the boys’ washrooms). “The [boys’ washroom] on B and a half has a small one but it’s blocked by the sink and it’s grimey from probably decades of use,” shares Maroof Sulaiman. “That’s the only one.” He was shocked to find out that the girls’ washrooms even had mirrors.
Take advantage of the three mirrors down on A floor. It’s definitely the best place to get ready to look your best. The blow dryer doesn’t work though, so remember to bring some paper towels with you.
B and a half
While the rest of this list seems to suggest that the more popular a washroom is, the worse it is, the B and a half washroom is a definite outlier. If Bloody Mary was going to appear in a washroom, it’d be this one. Seriously, how could you rationally explain the weird red splatters all over the wall? Even the one working blow dryer sounds scary when you’re in there alone. Maybe I’d be okay with students hanging around in there, they’d keep me company (and maybe save me if a ghost appears).
Nonetheless, there are still some redeeming qualities about the B and a half washroom. The door is usually propped open, preventing you from touching stinky door knobs and providing you with an easy escape.
B floor
Having to use the washroom around a bunch of people that have normalized misusing it is incredibly uncomfortable. “Let us use the washroom the way that God intended,” pleads Maheen Chowdhury.
No matter what time of day you go to the B floor washroom, from 8:50 AM to 3:15 PM it’s packed. “People skipping class to vape is so stupid. At least go somewhere nicer if you’re going to skip,” continues Chowdhury, a grade 12 student who has had to deal with crowded, strawberry-scented washrooms for four years straight. “Sure, a little vape helps take the horrid poop smell away sometimes but honestly it’s so stuffy that it just makes everything worse.”
The B floor washroom is always in rough shape. It makes sense, being the most utilized girls’ washroom; it’s always filled to the brim with students. I guess you can’t expect everyone to know how to flush a toilet and not throw things on the floor.
The fact that the best washroom on this—albeit subjective—list has a stall that’s closed off says a lot about the washrooms at King. Expect more student opinions on this topic in the very near future.
