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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
CAMPUS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2003
Campus restrooms rated golden plungers awarded
By Marissa Stephenson & Kelly David Gibbens mstephenson@kansan.com Jayplay staff writer and special to the Kansan
Editor's note: These are the second annual Golden Plunger awards in Jayplay. Restrooms that garnered the most Golden Plungers were the dirtiest with bad lighting and a poor stock of supplies. Stephenson rated the women's restrooms. Gibbens rated the men's. Congratulations to this year's winners.
The Kansas Union, fourth floor lobby Men's restroom
Golden Plungers: 3
A trail of muddy footprints led into the surprisingly untidy Union bathroom. Toilet paper littered the floor along with abandoned reading material. The trash cans were overflowing, and one of the sinks appeared to have leftover noodles in it. On the bright side, literally, there was plenty of lighting. All of the door hinges were in working order.
Final Word: Not too shabby,but room for improvement.
Women's Restroom
Golden Plungers: 1
The most impressive aspect of this bathroom was the impeccable shine of the mir-
Courtney Kuhlen/Kansan
Toilet paper litters the floor and clogs the toilet of the women's bathroom on the fourth floor of Wescoe Hall. The bathroom received five Golden Plungers in the annual Golden Plunger awards.
rorrs. There was not one blotch, splotch or smear. The soap and paper towels were well stocked, and an essential extra toilet paper roll was included in each stall. As a bonus, there was a small metal counter top beside the full-length mirror — a perfect short-term resting place for your items. With very little dirt or trash on the floors, this frequently used lavatory impressed.
Final Word: Great place for your next stop.
Fraser Hall, first floor Men's Restroom Golden Plungers: 2
Despite popular opinion and green walls, this restroom wasn't that bad. It had the common problems, the floors were a bit wet from sink over-flow, powdered soap had made its way to the tile and there was a bit of trash about. The TP and paper towels, however, were well stocked. And save for the stalls, the lighting was soft with a comforting yellow warmth.
Final Word: A work in progress
Women's Restroom Golden Plungers: 4
The dingy beige walls depressed and the bland yellow lighting disheartened, in this, the dowdy spinster of KU bathrooms. Besides the overall drab feeling, muddy toilet paper littered the floor, and grime covered the sinks and fixtures. The mirrors were smudged, and small piles of powdered soap had accumulated under the dispensers. The classic '70s style sofa might have made up for the lackluster atmosphere if it wasn't positioned to face the two stalls. Kate Maher, Oskaloosa sophomore, concurred.
"This is definitely not the best bathroom on campus," Maher said.
Final Word: Neither clean, nor cheerful.
Golden Plungers: 5
Wescoe Hall,fourth floor Men's Restroom
Imagine the scummiest restroom you've ever been in. Now go to Wescoe Hall's fourth floor men's bathroom and prepare to be shocked. Welcome to the land where cleanliness is scarce and aim is out of style. Besides the usual problems of trash, water run-off from the sinks and leaky soap dispensers, each stall offered up its own special surprise. The coat rack was the only silver lining to this dank dungeon of defecation.
Can Nelson/Kansan
Final Word: For emergencies only!
Newspapers clutter the floors in the men's bathroom on the fourth floor of Wescoe Hall. The bathroom received five Golden Plungers in the annual Golden Plunger awards.
Golden Plungers: 5
A small puddle of toilet water with bobbing wads of paper towels greeted bathroom-goers at Wescoe. This bathroom couldn't even be praised for utility. Despite the long row of stalls, each one produced the all-to-common "open and shut" effect of repulsion. The couch and chair aren't bad, if you don't mind sharing with a mop and spare roll of paper towels. First time visitor Ashley Avila, Topeka freshman, wasn't impressed.
Women's Restroom
"Yeah, this really needs some assistance. It's pretty dirty in here," Avila said.
Final Word: Avoid this one if you can.
Budig Hall, front bathrooms Men's Restroom
"It's one of the nicer ones, but it has the same smell, you know?" Knudsen said.
Indeed it did, but it also had an overall healthy hue.
Golden Plungers: 2
I was impressed with the modern design and snazzy overall quality of this particular restroom. However, there was a bit of cluttering trash, and the floors had a tinge of dirt. Breaking men's restroom etiquette, I asked Justin Knudsen, Minneapolis, Minn., freshman, for his impression of the bathroom.
Final Word: A bit cleaner, and it could be the best on campus.
Women's Restroom Golden Plungers: 2
This one appeared clean and classy with the flair of hunter green and white tiles and spacious entryway, ready for the inevitable Budig bathroom lines. The mirror was spotless, the sinks shiny - though there were dust piles of powdered soap on the floor — and the light was bright. Not only were there fully loaded paper towel and toilet paper dispensers, each stall
kansan.com
For more Golden Plunger awards go to www.kansan.com
seemed safe to enter. A bit of dirt and trash on the floor, but otherwise I thought there was a youthful glow to this gem of a restroom
Final Word: A roomy facility with dependability
Summerfield Hall, second floor Men's Restroom
This restroom's boy-blue walls took me back to my grade school years. Along with the normal problems, this particular stop had a few extra disappointments. Jason Froelich, Newton senior, noted one.
Golden Plungers: 4
"It looks pretty nasty in here, and really they need to get rid of this powdered soap," Froelich said.
Flushes seemed to be few and far between at this locale with the added hindrance of an out-of-order urinal. The lighting was decent, and the fixtures and sinks were in fair condition, but the overall cleanliness was definitely lacking.
Final Word: A restroom fixer-upper
Women's Restroom Golden Plungers:3
This lavatory gets props for the snazzy, artsy tile on the entryway wall. Though it was a nice touch, the chipping green floor looked as if it needed a bit more of the attention.
The sinks and mirrors seemed to have a healthy gleam and the newly painted blue stalls were pleasing. While the lighting was fair in the main entryway, there was no lighting above the stalls, creating a dark toilet abyss.
Final Word: Not terrible, just bring a flashlight
- Edited by Andrew Ward