Germs are every where

Germs are lurking all over in your residence halls; the shower, the sinks, your shared refrigerator, all threatening your health.

            "Sharing a small suite with 16 other people could be one of the nastiest things I've lived through," says freshman Courtland Hanley who lives in Whitelaw. "The kitchen area is repulsive; I wish the guys in the suite would do their dishes as opposed to letting them rot in the sink."

            Letting food sit on a counter for days, even weeks, is a major health risk. Food that is not properly refrigerated or disposed of can cause gastroenteritis, otherwise known as the stomach flu. Once someone has the stomach flu, it can be spread by failing to wash your hands after using the bathroom. Unfortunately there are things your hands need to touch before you reach the sink, such as the stall door and the faucet handle.

            "I feel like the bathrooms are so germy, it seems like everything I touch is contaminated with something. It's also pretty gross when guys don't clean up after themselves, especially when they shave. I feel bad for the cleaning lady," said sophomore Brett Glantz, who resides in Rogers.

            It's not only male students who are living in this kind of filth; ladies have the same tendency to let the dishes pile up. Women who share personal items like make-up, or clothing also increase their risk of spreading bacteria.

            "In my suite we all do our best to keep the space as clean as possible," said freshman Cassie Warrenm who lives in Crevecoeur. "I think we do a fairly good job of keeping up with it. Why wait for a cleaning lady to take care of something that you yourself can clean? It just makes the space more pleasant."    

            Washing your hands and wiping down areas that you know are prone to germs are two very simple steps to reduce your risk of becoming infected.