By Ashley Perretta and Liam Morgenstern
My obsession with the Poucher Hall bathrooms began during the fall 2020 semester. It provided a convenient place to stop for a quick break, a “bathroom break.” The Poucher Hall bathrooms turned into a sanctuary for me, a safe place. Whether it be after a club meeting or a late night of homework I could always find comfort in Poucher’s 3rd floor men’s bathroom. This facility comes equipped with a urinal, a stall, and a handicap stall, the holy trinity.
Out of my year and a half of using this facility I have personally encountered less than ten people. It is by far one of the quietest restrooms I have used on campus. However, the door placement could be better, whenever you walk out of the room you tend to draw the attention from students in room 306 and it can make for some awkward eye contact.
Based on the colors the designers chose for the restrooms you can tell they have a SUNY degree in design. Typically I love a beige and blue palette but they really did not do a good job picking the correct shades. Fortunately, the personal connection and memories I share with this bathroom allow me to overlook these flaws and happily use it on a day to day basis.
The third floor women’s bathroom follows suit of the careless design and decor of the men’s bathroom. Structured with three stalls, and a decent sized window, the women’s restroom allows for a luminous and airy safe haven. Unlike the men’s however, the women’s room is hectic and chaotic, filled with students and professors at all times of the day. Arguably, it is the busiest bathroom in Poucher Hall. Despite its high usage, the bathroom is always surprisingly clean. A concerning feature of the bathrooms are the signs above the toilets advising patrons what to do in the event that the toilet does not flush properly. Although I have never had a problem with this, it worries me that something may go wrong.
I never cared to try out the men’s bathrooms on the other floors because I held the third floor so close to my heart and did not want to be let down. Unfortunately, I was right for that. The remaining bathrooms in Poucher Hall are at most mediocre. The layout is awkward, they have no windows, and most importantly they reside in a high traffic area. This makes for an overall undesirable experience. More opportunity for awkward exchanges, seeing your professors and lingering smells.
The women’s rooms on the first and second floors, like the men’s, are dark, discomforting, and prone to flush splashback. There is nothing particularly special about these rooms, other than the extreme amount of privacy they offer. Contrary to the men’s, these bathrooms are extremely low trafficked, probably due to their unpleasant aesthetic. This allows for patrons to have privacy while utilizing the facilities.
If you are ever walking into MCC and find yourself needing a quick bathroom break I would recommend taking a quick detour to Poucher Hall’s 3rd floor bathrooms. Despite their gender popularity differences, you will have a modest and comforting experience in these facilities.
Abigail Connolly | The Oswegonian
