VMI may seem clean and decent to the outside world, but on there inside there are many problems. Alcohol abuse, a basic lack of sleep, an obscene amount of demerits being given out, and even Crozet food. The worst issue at VMI though should be a core issue to all who attend the Institute and value their health. This issue is with the showers and facilities inside of barracks, specifically Old Barracks. Although they are “cleaned” about twice a week, they still are filled with mold, muddy floors, flooding issues, and cold, unresponsive showers. This should be a foundational issue to all cadets who value their health and safety. The facilities in Old Barracks, although usable, possibly pose a risk to any person’s health and wellbeing. Although the facilities and showers are an obvious issue at VMI, are there any real solutions to help fix it?
There are obvious answers to this question, although it may not be popular. The first, and the most simple answer, is to start cleaning the facilities and showers every single day, or at the very least every other day. This would not cause an excessive amount of extra money to be paid as the workers and cleaners are here almost every day anyway. All that would have to be done is rotate the cleaning schedule, either per staff member or per area of cleaning, so that the
bathrooms are done every day or every other day. This would at least start to alleviate the problem of the mold in the showers and the general dirtiness of the facilities.
An interviewee and Brother Rat, Rhodrick Camacho was interviewed about the state of the showers and restrooms at VMI. He states “They are very nasty, and especially after any kind of PT. The floors are always flooded and it seems like there’s mud on the floors too.” When asked about the showers specifically, he states “It’s like the half of the showers don’t work. They are either missing the nozzle to start them or even the shower heads, and the other half don’t even get hot.” Camacho was also asked what the Institute could do to better the facilities in barracks. He responded, somewhat sarcastically, but still with seriousness “They could probably start by actually cleaning them (them being the showers) and fixing all of the broken shower heads and nozzles”. This brings up the next point of what to invest extra money and outside help into.
Following a more regular schedule of maintenance would be to invest a little extra money to maintain the standard of decent showers and stalls. This would start by bringing in someone to fix the hot water pumps. As it is, the water will get lukewarm at best, and when there are multiple (read: about 30-45) cadets in the facilities and showers at a time, the water will never get warm. As the cold, harsh winter months are coming, this could very pose a threat to entire corps, especially in the form of hypothermia.
Another upgrade to the facilities and showers at VMI could be to bring in an exterminator. On multiple occasions, there have many bugs and cockroaches that roam the halls and floors of the restrooms. Not only is this generally disgusting, it also poses many health risks, as some of these insects could potentially carry and transfer any kind of disease or sickness.
Next, is the state of massive flooding on the floors of the restrooms and showers every day. There is about an inch of water on the floors at any given time, and trekking though starts to become a real problem. Another Brother Rat, Tyler Atkinson, was interviewed about the showers, and said “I think it is a problem with the leveling of the floors. Whenever I take a shower in one of the stalls that is the closest to the doors to outside, the water doesn’t run down in to a drain. Instead, it hugs the wall and runs around the side of the wall to gather together and make a massive pool in the middle of the bathroom.” When asked about a possible solution, he stated “I think that they need to find a way to level the floors. If that is not possible, then I think they should put up some sort of short, maybe just a few inches high, barricades around the stalls to keep the water at least trapped in the shower area so it doesn’t run into the main section of the bathroom”.
Lastly, I believe that some issues with bathrooms and showers might be able to be solved with an upgrade to the workers equipment. When watching the cleaners, it looks like they have older, outdated gear. I believe that with newer, better gear the staff will have an easier time keeping up with the cleaning of barracks. This would be at the bottom of the list for solutions, as the cost may outweigh its effectiveness, but it is a solution nonetheless.
Some may go against this noble cause of having cleaner restrooms, but to them I say at what cost? If the restrooms, facilities, and showers are going to be managed the way they are right now for long term, what will become of them? They are already flooding, dirty, ridden with insects and bugs, and many of the showers do not work. If they stay in this state of disrepair for much longer there are two things that could come of it.
First, there could be medical problems. With the mold in the ceilings left untouched, and wet, dark, and warm(ish) atmosphere of the facilities, the shower areas are perfect breeding grounds for even more bacteria and mold to grow and flourish. When someone is exposed to this kind of mold, it can result in nasal congestion, rashes, wheezing, and sore throat. The symptoms could become more severe if they prolong their exposure to the mold or if they have some kind of allergies to mold.
Next, is the student population starts to get angry. If this happens, cadets may start to protest in the little ways they can. Mass skipping of SRC and BRC, keeping their hays down for extended periods of time, and even missing parades and other military duty are some of the ways that the cadets of VMI can protest the grotesque bathroom and shower situation. Although this may seem like an extreme, events like this have happened in the past, and could very well happen again if the school continues to not look after the health and wellbeing of its student population.
Considering all of the facts of the bathrooms and facilities at Virginia Military Institute (mold, non-working showers, flooding in the center of the room) it is blindingly apparent that there are updates that need to be done in order to keep the health of the Corps of Cadets. The upgrades can be on the cheaper side, like rearranging the custodial staff’s schedule. They can also be on the more expensive side of the spectrum, like upgrading and updating the shower pipes and shower room and bringing in an exterminator to fix the bug and roach problem.
Works Cited
Atkinson, Tyler. Personal interview. 16 November 2021.
“Basic Facts about Mold and Dampness.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Aug. 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/mold/faqs.htm.
Camacho, Rhoderick. Personal interview. 16 November 2021.
“Is the Black Mold in My Shower Toxic?” MedicineNet, MedicineNet, 14 Dec. 2020, https://www.medicinenet.com/is_the_black_mold_in_my_shower_toxic/article.htm.
Help Received: See Works Cited