Lincoln freshman Sasha Harriman expected gross bathrooms. She didn’t expect to find used tampons scattered on the floor, pads stuck to the walls and the soap dispenser in the toilet.

“The bathrooms have been repulsive for years, due to the shortage of staff,” said school custodian Carl Miller. Overflowing sinks, long lines, broken stalls and clogged toilets are just a few of the problems with the bathrooms.

“They are always warmer inside, and dark. The stall doors open inward leaving no room for your backpack and making it hard to get out,” freshman Melanie Hudson said.

The boys bathrooms are equally unappealing.

“The stalls are really dirty, covered in writing, and don’t have a proper lock, so there’s really no privacy,” complained Malcolm Cole. “The only good thing I like, are the pedals used to flush the toilets.”

The bathrooms are often a popular target for vandalism and graffiti. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, a single incident of vandalism costs on average $3,370.

Grotesque art, foul language, inappropriate statements and secret love letters litter the bathroom walls in any easy to reach spots.

“I think the vandalism contributes to the perception that the school is old and not well cared for,” Hudson stated. Harriman concludes that the bathrooms aren’t that desirable and are somewhat typical.  

“Yeah, the bathrooms are just really gross and dirty, but what would you expect? Teenagers have been using them for years.”