This is a very serious topic, and it is not for the squeamish. While suffering the Okeechobee Boulevard commute to PBA, a talk radio subject caught my ear. It was a discussion about the selfishness and lack of care for humanity - all exhibited by the way individuals leave a restroom after use. The commentary really got my mind firing on all eight cylinders.

What does it say about individuals who leave a visual “gift” for the next restroom patron or perhaps invent their version of the slip-and-slide on the toilet seat? What does this say to the many guests, prospective students and parents who come to our campus daily? Trust me, it’s not a good message.

When someone leaves the stall in disarray, they are saying that they are the center of the universe and they couldn’t care less about anyone else. When water is left streaming off of the vanity, the next user walks away with a defined line of water across their shirt.  But wait, it gets worse.

How many of you have opened a stall door and exclaimed, “Don’t you people know how to flush!!” It’s quite simple actually; there is a silver handle above the toilet - push down and the toilet refreshes itself. Cool concept, huh? Speaking to the men, either get bifocals or take more target practice. For the ladies, I can only go by what I’m told; evidently you do better than the men.

By the way, I’m not just talking gas station, restaurant and Wal-Mart restrooms; this is occurring rampantly on PBA campus. I feel for the janitorial crew who has to clean some of these restrooms.

In Mark 12:30-31, Jesus said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” Did you read those words carefully? Seems to me, if you follow Christ you would take a few extra seconds to wet a paper towel and clean up after yourself. Do you not care about anyone else? Do you not love your neighbor?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not perfect, but I clean up after myself if I make a mess. My paper towels make their way inside the trashcan and I wipe up any water I drip on the countertop. You see, I was given the chore of bathroom cleaning at the tender young age of eight. I had four younger brothers and hated to clean after them. Naturally, I developed a compassion for anyone who has to clean public restrooms; therefore, I make all attempts to leave them as I found them. I have even found myself picking up other abandoned paper towels that didn’t make their way to the trashcan.

I have queried a few different students and staff concerning the aesthetics of various restrooms across campus. The answers I received were quite interesting. Keep in mind, these restrooms start the day so fresh and so clean but run ragged throughout the day due to the lack of care.

The worst restroom that was mentioned resides within one of the newest buildings and perhaps the most important to a student: Warren Library. The ladies said that the first floor restroom is often unsightly in appearance and toilets go unflushed. The smell is also cited as “ugh!” I would probably say the same of the neighboring men’s restroom.

The Green Complex also gets a low mark. I have been in the first floor restroom and I  thought it had rained inside. Toilet paper is left on the floor in abundance, yellow water fills the toilets and guys seem to practice jump shots with their paper towels; lots of bricks, though.

The first floor Lassiter restrooms can use some TLC, too. Once again, urinals go unflushed, man-made ponds take form on the countertops and it is quite odiferous (usually happens from urine sitting on the floor).

My most appalling experience came in the restroom of Sachs Hall; let me just put it this way, “HOWDY HO!” That is the last building on campus in which I think this would occur.

The aforementioned restrooms have been noted as the abused. The other restrooms across campus seem to fall victim to the occasional littering of paper towels and water puddles. Some of the older restrooms appear to be the better kept ones. Special recognition goes out to the following restrooms: the Financial Aid/OARA restrooms, Johnson Hall second and first floor (by Math/Psych departments, the restrooms of Vera Lee Rinker, Gregory Hall restrooms, Borbe Hall, second floor Lassiter, Okeechobee Hall and last, but certainly not least, DeSantis Chapel.

The restrooms that tend to have less traffic are naturally going to appear better than the poor ones. Nevertheless there should be no unkempt restrooms if we are taking care of our community and caring for the next user.

Where do we go from here? I simply encourage the faculty, staff and students to think and ponder about some of the little things. How can the campus achieve its objective of taking care of the earth and “going green” if we can’t even clean up behind ourselves in the restrooms? We are the ambassadors of Christ and future leaders of our communities. This is a community of training for the future; let’s make it a point to take care of the little things and then maybe we will learn to take care of the bigger things.

Jesus put it best when he said, “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” (Luke 16:10).