LETTER: Be wise, rinse and sanitize

To the editor:

In the past century men have accomplished many things – built computers, landed on the moon, and discovered DNA. So why can’t we seem to do something as simple as wash our hands after using the restroom? I have noticed this phenomenon a lot during the first two weeks of school. As a graduate student, I spend a lot of time in the library and use the facilities there often. It is guaranteed that if another person comes in while I am in there, he will not wash his hands on his way out. “Why wash my hands” you ask? Well, according to kidshealth.org, “Washing your hands is the best way to stop germs from spreading. Think about all of the things that you touched today – from the telephone to the toilet. Maybe you picked your nose and then went outside to dig around the dirt. Whatever you did today, you came into contact with germs. It’s easy for a booger on your hand to end up in your mouth. Think about how many foods you eat with your hands.” So it’s more than just touching yourself, it’s a conglomeration of many things. Now imagine if someone came up to you, warmly shook your hand and said, “Hi, my name is Joe. I just went to the bathroom and didn’t wash my hands!” What would be going through your mind? While doing my undergrad work I was employed as a preschool teacher. I worked with kids of all ages. It was great to see a child come out of the bathroom and not be reminded to wash his or her hands. If a child can do it, so can you. If not, consider this your reminder. So men, let’s step up to the faucet and spend 15 seconds (or .00017361 %) of our day and wash our hands.

Trevor Rowe