Campus bathrooms have seen it all
This story appeared in the 2021 President’s Report of Onyx Anneau.
By Jen Fredericks Dorsey ’97
Ask any Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College alum what they cherish most about our campus, and you’ll no doubt hear about the visceral memories deeply rooted in a sense of place. Our recollections of time spent at the College are woven together by the common thread of the beauty of this campus and her physical spaces: cozy rooms in Le Fer, the soaring areas of the Conservatory and O’Shaughnessy, or the earthy grace of the Grotto.
Some of the best memories, though, happen in places where you least expect them — like in the bathroom. At first glance, you would not think there is anything exceptional about the restrooms on campus. None are particularly awe-inspiring in their beauty. They are functional rooms meant to get the job done and not much else. But whether you spent your mornings getting ready for class in a Le Fer shared bath or had to wait your turn in the common-area shower rooms, you probably have some fond (or at least interesting) memories of your time spent in the SMWC bathrooms.
Julianne VandeWater ’95 remembers using the massive tubs in Guerin to her advantage. “One summer, I stayed in a two-room with a private bathroom,” she said. “It was big! My roommate and I washed dishes in the tub.”
The Conservatory restroom behind the stage was also a memory-making spot, especially for many a Chorale, Madrigal, or theater student who used it to get ready for performances. On one occasion, it also provided shelter to students trying to get some distance from an unwelcome visitor. “I remember a bat suddenly flying toward me in the hallway during a late night at the Conserve,” said Jessi McGuire Blessinger ’00. “The ‘haunted’ bathroom was my refuge until it went away.”
Of all the buildings on campus, Le Fer Hall is the most unlimited source of bathroom lore and even adventure. Beth Bell Kyle ’00 remembers coming home to find her bathroom ceiling in a most unusual place — on the floor. “My sophomore year, Marcia Eppich-Harris ’98 and I were suitemates, and the ceiling in our bathroom had a leak and caved in during the first week
of class,” she said. “Luckily, neither of us was in the bathroom at the time, but it was a bummer that we had to move to the suite across the hall right after moving in!”
The Le Fer bathrooms, in particular, had their quirks. They could be highly humid all year long, which came in handy during winter. Erika Van Sandt Chapman ’02 used the radiant heat to her advantage. “I used to put my towels and clothes on the radiator in the bathroom when I was
taking a shower, so I had warm towels and clothes when I got out. Talk about luxury!”
Water pressure and temperature in the Le Fer bathrooms were always a little hit-or-miss. Would you get a hot shower that day or have to wait until everyone went to bed, so the “good water” was available? Would you get a power washing or just a trickle of water? And don’t forget about all of the mystery noises. Knocking pipes at all hours of the day and night often conjured talk of spirits communicating from the great beyond.
Speaking of spirits, Jenny Cox Key ’95 had all sorts of interesting bathroom visitors. “In the basketball room on 4 North, the water in one of the sinks would turn on by itself a few times a week,” she said. “We would talk to whoever turned it on. I can’t remember what we named our little ghost.”
Key said she and her friends also had some furry suitemates in the bathroom, by invitation, of course. “We pet sat for a Rose guy’s mice for a week and kept them in our bathtub!” Good thing the maintenance staff never caught wind of those little visitors.
Speaking of unique “visitors,” no story about bathrooms on campus would be complete without our most famous special guest, Traveling Jesus (a statue of Jesus commonly known to students and alums as “TJ”).
Many of us may recall a time when men were not allowed on campus past curfew. That rule never applied to TJ, who could often be found being spirited from one bathroom to another, ready to offer surprise “blessings” to anyone who peeled back their shower curtain.
Bathrooms seem to be the prime location for a TJ sighting, especially after a night of partying off-campus. “I’m pretty sure I put TJ in someone’s shower once,” Blessinger said. But lest you think shenanigans are reserved for students, it’s worth noting that TJ sees more bathrooms at Reunion than any other time of year. “Yes, I had TJ in my tub at Reunion,” said Rory Gillingham ’96, “but never as a student.” So when your next Reunion rolls around, be sure to check behind your shower curtain — you never know who (or what) you might find.
The restrooms on campus aren’t just functional. They are part of where life happens on campus in all its messy, irreverent glory. They can be locations of joy, laughter and even drama as we move throughout our days at The Woods. That is why the College is working hard to renovate and update these vital parts of our campus infrastructure. With the support of our alumni, we will update our facilities so we can keep making memories — even in the most surprising places.