All it takes is a Sharpie and a girl with something on her mind. What was once a plain bathroom stall has now become the canvas for Fleetwood Mac lyrics, motivational quotes, political opinions and male hatred.

Welcome to the Summit girls’ bathroom. Upon entry its common to detect the undertoning scent that can only be described as a mixture between Rio Sol De Janeiro perfume and vape fumes spewing from the big stall. If visiting during any passing period, it’s likely to find not only a line to the stalls themselves, but also crowds at each sink, occupied by girls touching up their hair and makeup.

This zoo is a widely known yet misunderstood sanctuary for girls at Summit. Not only does it offer a break from class, but the bathroom harbors an entire community of its own—reflected in the roadmap of vandalism that is present in nearly every stall.

Vandalism as a concept is widely viewed through a negative lense, due to the damage it can cause. However, there’s a communicative and artistic side that is often overlooked. How impactful is it that one girl wrote “love ur self” on a bathroom stall as a reminder to other girls at school, or another writing “i love you” on the locker room tiles? How could janitors and staff feel the need to scrub off these comments, when they serve as such a positive and uplifting message that is heavily lacking in high school culture?

Sophomore Autumn Junker admits to experiencing the positive impact that these messages have.

“It makes it feel like it’s okay to be normal humans and it makes me feel good when I read those little little tidbits. I love it,” said Junker.

Unfortunately, this positive bathroom culture is often misinterpreted and used as an insult towards women. In a society where men constantly criticize and question women for using the restroom “too often” and in groups, it’s easy to miss the true reasoning behind these frequent visits. This ignorance is often presented through one-liners in television sitcoms, and a general lack of awareness. 

An article by FEM Magazine explains this phenomenon, highlighting that while one of the many reasons girls use the bathroom in groups is to gossip and socialize, the root of the reason can also come from safety instincts. 

“[From a] straight cis male reality, one does not have to shape their individual behaviors around the avoidance of threats — or maybe one does, but certainly not during a routine trip to the restroom,” explained FEM Magazine.

And this difference in attitude is also prevalent in the consequences of vandalism on the boys’ versus girls’ bathrooms at Summit. While both bathrooms have been vandalized, the boys’ bathrooms have been closed multiple times in the past school year, and the girls haven’t. What is the difference between the boys’ and girls’ bathroom vandalism at Summit? Why doesn’t the girls bathroom receive the same treatment?

Senior Tyler Morgenson acknowledged these cultural differences between the girls and boys bathrooms and his dislike for the vandalism and nature of the boys bathroom. 

“I don’t go to the school bathrooms, I avoid them,” said Morgenson.

It’s been found that universally, vandalism in female bathrooms tends to be more polite and interactive, while male bathroom graffiti leans more anger driven and negative. While men may turn their anger outwards on others, leaving cruel and inappropriate comments, women instead express their anger in a collective manner, with relatability.

This is clear through another common theme among the Summit Girls Bathroom vandalism, which is the angstily expressed opinions—marorily surrounding topics of men, politics and general upset over school. These feelings tend to come out in bursts of humor, expression and emotion—scratched onto the stalls.

“People probably vandalize because it’s where you can get your opinions out in a not so serious kind of way, but still get them out if you’re scared to share it. You can express yourself,” said Junker.

From an outside perspective, vandalism and graffiti is viewed as an inconsiderate and unnecessary violation, and this view is very understandable. But from its core, vandalism is clearly also an outlet for self expression and a way to connect people from all walks of life. 

The key difference is the intent behind the Sharpie-holder. Are you writing something to be an asshole? Or are you hoping to make someone smile?