I’ve never been one of those people to refuse to use the school bathrooms. In fact, I probably frequent the bathroom three times a day. But, if you’re unlike me and don’t drink four bottles of water on an average school day, maybe you go to check yourself out in the mirror or fix your hair. The bathrooms are unavoidable.

Many say that the bathroom situation in our school is gross. This is unarguable. You walk into any given washroom on any floor and your nose is bound to fall upon the sensational combination of sweat and urine. So it makes sense why some people choose to use them sparingly.

Besides the bathrooms unfortunate smell, there is also something quite entertaining about using the john. Don’t be gross. I’m speaking of the posters that languish the tiled walls we know and love. We have the Tinkle Times, of course, but there seems to be a new specimen of posters popping up… in the girls’ bathroom, specifically.

Signs that read “You are beautiful” or “Smile” or “Love yourself” hang across the mirrors and walls. Most of the posters are typed but some are hand written, therefore, they are anonymous.

This proclamation of positive self-image was even turned into a small book! Yes, at one point there were limited copies of a small, eight paged, paper book titled “The Little Book of Realizing Your Natural Beauty.” The book was tucked neatly in a folder that was taped onto the mirror in the third floor girls’ bathroom. I grabbed one out of curiosity and flipped through.

Text read, “Messy hair? Work it girl! Show it off. Remember if you believe, others will too” or “Got acne? We all have it. This is high school, the good thing is, it’s not permanent.” Each page is equipped with a crafty drawing and immaculate hand writing. Nonetheless, I found the content absolutely hilarious. Not just because I read it in a sarcastic, satirical tone, but it was kind of comical. The funny drawings, misspelled words, and an “inspiring” Coco Chanel quote made me laugh out loud.

Maybe I’m just cynical, but I find these “self-help” posters kind of, for lack of a better word, stupid. The boys’ bathrooms don’t reek with desperate quotes and posters.

After doing a little inventory, I learned that the boys’ restroom is filled with inappropriate words written across the walls and at one point, a detailed Jesus sketch.

Does anyone else even care to notice the bathroom walls? Posters are the least of it. Occasionally, one will find signage from the years past.

Some stalls even have full conversations written on them. Someone will write something totally ignorant on the wall and then the next person will add to it or “comment” as though it was Facebook post. One time, someone had written a verse of a song which then leads the next person to complete the song and so on. Kind of bizarre, right? Sure, we spend ample time in the bathroom, but save the corny lyrics and dull conversations for your tumblr wall.

So next time you’re in the laboratory checking yourself out in the mirror (or whatever it is you’re doing in there), take a moment to amuse yourself with the frequent posters and mindless messages. You never know what you may find.