Going to classes creates a long day. During the time between 8:09 a.m. and 3:09 p.m., there is no doubt that students will need to use the restroom at some point. And, hopefully after, they wash their hands.

Using the school’s hand dryers is probably one of the worst parts of my day. It only dries about 20% of my hands in about 30 seconds. How am I supposed to get to class on time when I have to stand under the blow dryer for four minutes to get my hands completely dry? You can’t! It’s impossible! 

I walked in the men’s restroom the other day, and substitute teacher Merle Bryant was blow drying his hands when I walked in there. I used the restroom, washed my hands and Merle was still blow drying his hands – a solid two minutes of trying to get one’s hands dry.

The only solution to cutting down on time spent drying hands is to go back to paper towels. Paper towels actually get my hands dry within 10 seconds. If the school would install paper towel dispensers, or give paper towels as an option along with hand dryers, I would be able to make it to class on time. 

Hand dryers are almost encouraging students to not even wash their hands. Hand dryers are known to blow bacteria onto people’s hands, which would make their hands even dirtier. 

The only reasonable explanations to keep hand dryers in school are that over time they would cost less than paper towels and hand dryers are more environmentally friendly. 

In talking with several people, I believe almost every student at Gibson Southern would rather have paper towels – especially when 15 out of 16 “The Southerner” staff members said they preferred paper towels to hand dryers.