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St. Teresa’s showers aren’t as dirty as people may think

An opinion by | KYLIE HORNBECK

It’s 6:53 a.m. I enter the dark and gloomy dungeon surrounded by slimy stone walls. I cringe at rusty cobweb-covered faucets and grimy drains overflowing with roaches. Plugging my nose to avoid the musty stench of the abandoned quarters, I walk in. I clench my teeth, take a deep breath and prepare myself for the terror of what I am to face. Creaking doors close behind me. Soon, the lights will blink out and I’ll be alone in the dark to fend for myself against whatever creatures , from bats crammed in a decaying hole in the ceiling or tarantulas crawling on mossy walls. Lonely and afraid, I enter the showers of the STA locker room.

Maybe I am exaggerating…

After going to morning swim conditioning workouts in the gym four days a week for two weeks, I entered the STA locker room Nov. 24 with low expectations. I had not showered once at school, arriving at school a little smelly each day. This particular morning I was drenched in sweat and could not resist.

STA’s showers in the gym locker rooms are not popular, simply because they are not inviting. After gym class, girls reeking of sweat head off to the rest of their classes. After volleyball and basketball games, each player heads home sticky with perspiration. No one wants to shower at school because it is not encouraged, no one else is doing it and, honestly, upon first glance, the showers appear especially old, creepy and deserted.

My fate rested in the hands of the locker room that Tuesday morning. Trembling, I prepared for my shower, only to be pleasantly surprised.

The curtain was a bit sticky, there was some graffiti on the wall with the words “Boys are stupid” in sharpie and the lights were flickering, but overall, the shower itself was, to my surprise, extraordinarily clean.

Maybe my fear of showering at school came from the fact I would be cleansing my body at school, “the home of the teachers,” before most teachers even arrived. Maybe it was because when I was younger, my first-ever shower at home had been a disaster (I was rushed to the hospital for stitches after I slipped and split my chin open on the side of the tub). Or, maybe my fear of showering was a fear of the unknown, a fear of the ‘what-ifs.’ What if I was not the only one in the locker room? What if the power went out and I was trapped in the dark? What if some freak accident happened and I slipped (again) and no one heard me?

I was scared out of my mind walking into that shower for the first time expecting cobwebs, roaches and rats. However, I found none. In fact, there was nothing gross about it and no dingy smell. Soon after my shower, I learned that the basketball team had had them cleaned about a week before for their own morning practices. I wasn’t the first to shower at school this year. A number of girls showered before me, all of whom survived the experience…as far as I know.

What a relief to find hot water and cleanliness in the locker rooms of STA. I don’t think I will be going to school with the sticky sweat of my morning workout lingering on my skin again. With my fears of showering at school disappeared, I may be showing up to class a little cleaner and getting to know the showers a little better for the next few months. Although unfamiliar to the majority of the student body and a little old, STA’s showers are safe and clean. If you find yourself sweaty and at school, head to the showers to freshen up. You won’t be disappointed, trust me.

I was brave enough. Are you?

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