At the end of last school year, restrooms across campus were in shambles. Profane and racist graffiti was scribbled onto stalls; toilet paper was stuck to ceilings, blanketed the floor, and clogged sinks; soap dispensers had been ripped from the walls; and feminine hygiene products were plastered to mirrors. 

And that wasn’t even the worst of the destruction.

A restroom was shut down after a ceramics project was shoved down a toilet, resulting in extensive plumbing repairs and many hours of clean-up by BOHS’s custodial and maintenance teams.

Our student body should have recognized then the problems that vandalism causes beyond the immediate damage. 

Due to this pervasive destruction, restrooms were often off limits to students, inconveniencing our student body and creating more work for our already overworked custodians.

The carnage was in stark contrast to what we encountered on the first day of school this year: bathrooms pristine from deep cleanings over the summer, with stocked pad and soap dispensers and full rolls of toilet paper. 

Yet, just a week into the school year, the restrooms are already being desecrated by students. Gum is stuck to surfaces, obscene messages are scrawled on stall doors, and once again, soap dispensers are missing from the walls.

The vandalism must stop.

The immaturity must stop. 

The destruction is selfish, costly, and creates inconveniences, not only for students, but for our custodial staff as well.

The damage places an unfair burden on the ten campus custodians responsible for cleaning BOHS’s five acre campus. Having to remove whole rolls of toilet paper from clogged toilets, sandblasting graffiti off of bathroom walls and mirrors, and needing to report and problem-solve destroyed plumbing can cost custodians many hours of extra work outside of their typical duties.

It’s disgraceful to witness Wildcats committing vandalism and destroying our beautiful campus. Instead of feeling proud of one of the nicest high school campuses in Orange County, we’re embarrassed by our bathrooms and the litter left behind in the quad. Worse, we’re embarrassed by the behaviors and low character of some members of our student body.

Our students are entitled to sanitary and safe access to all campus facilities, which is only possible if everyone shares these spaces respectfully and responsibly.

BOHS is a second home for much of us. We spend seven or more hours a day on campus, in classes from sun-up to the early afternoon, and then sports, performing arts, and other extracurricular activities for many hours after.

Yet some students undermine the community, this second home of ours, with senseless vandalism. 

It is our duty as Wildcats to maintain and care for a campus, to act in ways that reflect the good character of the students who attend BOHS.

This year, we need to stop the cycle of destruction, take pride in our campus, and show some much-earned respect to our custodians.