Double standard with high school faucets

In the past few years, Long Beach High School has gone through many changes in order to reduce health risks for students. In cutting down on fattening foods on the lunch menu, taking away snack machines, and adding hand sanitizers, the Board of Education feels it’s trying to create a better environment. Yet is the board equally keeping students safe from harm 100 percent?

Earlier this school year, letters were sent out to parents or guardians of every student about H1N1 (swine flu) season that continued as school began. It’s great how the school sends out these letters to warn the parents and students to be aware of the flu and give suggestions on how to stay sanitized, but now the question is how will they help students stay healthy aside from giving warnings?
In most of the teachers bathrooms, the faucets are double standard, which are designed to lower the risk of infection. Using the double standard faucet, you are able to push the handle with your back hand and not touch a possibly germ infested handle.

This is unlike in the student bathrooms where they have to hold a rotating handle to wash each hand. The letter stated “wash your hands” along with other instructional advice to help protect oneself from the seasonal flu. But how can students was their hands properly if the bathrooms are ill-equipped for use?

Most of the time students wash their hands and there is constantly no soap, no paper towels, and a third of the sinks do not function. The school wants to prevent any type of outburst of additional diseases among the students. Threats of the swine flu now state that it’s affecting more of the younger population. Schools in general should do their best to prevent transmission of bacteria because the issue can become serious and some may die.

Students and faculty should have the same faucets and anything else that will apply to help create a safer and healthier place for both groups. It’s easy to make a statement or recommendation, but what makes a difference is taking action.

Jennifer Zarate is a junior at Long Beach High School. Comments? JKellard@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.