Typically, if you walk into any public bathroom in America, like a school bathroom, you’ll find a few things: stalls, sinks, soap dispensers, hand dryers, paper towels, and mirrors on the walls. Mirrors have been around for a long time and are widely considered a basic necessity. Other schools across America, schools featured in movies, and even EPHS two years ago had mirrors in the bathrooms. So, as students at Elmwood Park High School today, shouldn’t we expect them as well?
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. As of the beginning of last school year, mirrors have been removed from all bathrooms inside the building (excluding locker rooms). Want to fix your hair? Do you have something on your face? Good luck with that! There are no mirrors in the bathroom, the locker rooms are locked throughout the day, and you’re not allowed to bring your phone into the bathroom. This basic necessity is no longer available. Why? According to EPHS administration, students were taking too much time looking at themselves in the mirror and taking mirror photos.
Let’s think this through logically. Since the mirrors have been removed, what are students left with? By force of circumstance, students will take out their phones in class or try to use their computer cameras to check their hair, makeup, outfit, or teeth. Do teachers really want us to do that? No, because, as we all know, phones can be a disruption in class. This behavior can detract from instructional time and lead to more distractions. While it is understandable that teachers want us to stay off our devices in class, this means students have even fewer options when it comes to checking their appearances during school hours.
As teenagers, we’re already in a phase marked by self-consciousness, low self-esteem, and a constant desire to be aware of how others perceive us. Limiting our ability to feel comfortable in our own skin is detrimental to our mental health and can seriously lower students’ confidence. By taking away mirrors, a simple means of alleviating appearance-related stress, high school becomes even harder. According to Psychology Today, looking in the mirror helps young people find a sense of self, shift their perspective, and navigate social situations, among other benefits.
Now let’s think about our futures. One day, we will all be independent adults, working in various jobs, communities, and environments. But we can assume that no matter where we are, we will not be denied this basic right. Should we expect to walk into our bathrooms at work and find the mirrors ripped off the walls? Without mirrors in the bathrooms, we’re not being taught proper accountability. How can we learn to manage our time effectively if we aren’t given the freedom to do so?
Mirrors are a basic necessity that students should be able to rely on in a public high school. Removing them does more harm than good and serves little purpose. It’s unfortunate that this decision was made based on the assumption that students spend too much time looking at their reflections. In reality, it takes only a minute to check one’s appearance. Denying students access to mirrors, something nearly every adult uses daily, feels unfair. High school is meant to prepare us for adulthood, and part of that is learning how to manage basic needs. Bring back the mirrors!
Works Cited:
- Well, T. (2018, August 15). Why Is Seeing Your Own Reflection So Important?. psychologytoday.com. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-clarity/201808/why-is-seeing-your-own-reflection-so-important
- VanSickle, A. (2020, March 27). These photos show California prisoners packed in. The Marshall Project. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/03/27/photos-show-some-prison-beds-are-only-three-feet-apart
