BU’s best, worst places to take care of business

By Mallory Harris | Opinion Editor, George Smith | LTVN Managing Editor, Nate Smith | LTVN Executive Producer

In those 15 minutes between classes, there’s a lot to get done. Between foot traffic, stair-climbing and getting settled into a desk, the last thing anyone wants to deal with is a dark and musty bathroom. Here are the definitive best and worst of campus bathrooms.

Men’s Top Three

1. Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation — Have you ever wanted to use a bathroom at an Apple Store? Look no further than Baylor’s newest building, with bathrooms fit for a king. They’re very spacious, with suitable amounts of privacy when it comes to the urinal setup. Issues with cleanliness are few and far between. This is exactly what every public bathroom should strive to be.
2. Baylor Sciences Building — The commode is very similar to that of Foster, with slightly less privacy in the urinal setup. The floors and toilets are usually nearly clean enough to eat off of, but Foster gets the slight edge since it’s newer. Make no mistake, though. Baylor’s crown jewel has bathrooms where lights shine bright like a diamond.
3. Cashion Academic Center- These bathrooms, particularly the upper levels, are rarely used. This makes for a private and clean experience. The restrooms aren’t particularly new, but not too old. Urinal and stall situation is average, but the privacy and cleanliness factor brings Cashion to the top of the list.

Men’s Bottom Three

1. Morrison Hall — I have one question: Why is this bathroom so dark? The lack of light makes the room feel like the Chamber of Secrets. One would think that the building that houses the Honors Program would have top-tier bathrooms, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. Don’t make eye contact in this bathroom because the urinals are, quite literally, a part of the walls, extending from about waist high down to the floor and offering no privacy. As you can imagine, the setup leads to some cleanliness issues that can be a little gnarly at times, but at least the toilets function.
2. Carroll Science Hall – This is a beautiful building, and it definitely has its charm. However, this bathroom is the opposite of charming. It is essentially a closet that someone decided to put a couple of toilets in over 40 years ago. It is a relatively clean bathroom, which is a plus. However, the lack of attention that the appliances have been given is just too much to overcome.
3. Castellaw Communications Center – Student media has to use these bathrooms far too often, and we have a bone to pick with it. Particularly the men’s room on the second floor. It looks like the only renovation that has been made to this was when they put a urinal directly next to one of the sinks. The stalls are also small and have broken locks. It also appears that one of the toilets is slanted. While these restrooms are almost always clean, we aren’t rooting for the home team in this situation

Women’s Top Three

1. Sid Richardson Building — Now this may be a surprise, but once again the multitude of stalls, space to set down bags and decent cleanliness shows a side of bathrooms that not many think to include. While at times water and biohazardous material can cause a mess, the wide space and doors on each side of the room allow for plenty of space for people to come and go as needed.
2. Moody Memorial Library – The Moody bathrooms are like a brand new Toyota Camry. It isn’t an attention grabber, but it gets you exactly where you want to go, and always leaves you satisfied. Good amount of stalls, space to set items down, good amount of mirror space, although the lack of height on the main floor bathrooms almost kicks it all to the curb. There’s also minimal lighting which one could argue fits with the library scene, but in the end makes you feel like you might be walking into a cave.
3. Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation – It’s no surprise that the new business building doesn’t come with superior bathrooms. With multiple bathrooms on each level to the many stalls inside and overall clean and fancy atmosphere, it’s clearly one of the best on campus. Not only is the privacy an added feature but also the shape of the seat makes for a relaxing and enjoyable experience. If you’re looking to get a boost of serotonin the next time you take the throne, this is definitely the place to go.

Women’s Bottom Three

1. Bill Daniel Student Center – Now, while the SUB remains clean in most cases, the availability of only two stalls on the courtyard level makes waiting seem like an eternity. Simply adding one or two more stalls could really improve the experience within the building, especially since so many students come in and out.
2. Draper Academic Building — While it’s already in a confusing layout in connection with Old Main and Burleson Hall, the bathroom situation doesn’t make me eager to enter here. It might be the age of the building and the lack of basic updates but the bathrooms here just make me feel like it’s better to go somewhere else. Maybe we can revisit this bathroom once it’s brought through the 20th century and into the 21st.
3. Morrison Hall – Where to start? The lack of lighting, the limited space within stalls, the evident presence of dirt there’s just so much to deal with here that it is in desperate need of renovation. On the base level of being a bathroom, Morrison almost passes, it’s just too gross and requires too much tiptoeing to feel comfortable. Make sure you have your flashlight ready to go before you do business here.