Private changing stalls added to locker rooms
Over winter break, private changing areas were added to to the P.E. and swimming locker rooms. The administration decided more privacy was necessary in the locker rooms, and the school was also influenced by recent events in Township High School district 211, where a transgender student wished to use the locker room of the gender they identify with. However, any students, transgender or otherwise, are welcome to utilize Vernon Hills’ new enclosed stalls.
“The transgender issue definitely brought this to light more, but the stalls are designed for any students who want to use them,” said Director of Student Services Mr. Greg Stilling. “Kids have come to us for years and said, ‘I’m really not comfortable changing in front of other students,’ and have wanted to use the nurse’s office or a bathroom somewhere close to the PE area, so we decided we really needed more of a private atmosphere in those areas.”
Two stalls were added in each P.E. locker room, and one per swimming locker room. For transgender student Ellis Gaidamak (11), he thinks the stalls are a positive addition to the school.
“Many kids who are not transgender have body issues and may feel safer in the new stalls,” Gaidamak said. “Trans students face harassment almost daily, and I think these new stalls can help them feel safe in at least one part of their lives. Often times, using the bathroom is one of the toughest challenges I have as a transgender person, and I am always afraid of being made fun of if I use the male bathroom and someone sees me as a female.”
The administration is also considering updates to the locker room showering area. Currently, the showers are in a relatively open area and offer very little privacy, and the school is thinking about adding similar-style shower stalls instead.
“Our showers almost never get used, because kids just aren’t comfortable standing there showering in front of other people,” Stilling said. “There are schools that have private showers, and their kids actually shower after PE. A lot of our kids do work very hard in gym and get a workout, and would probably shower if they had more privacy.”
However, some students feel the showers’ lack of use is more of a time issue than a privacy issue. Gym teachers typically let students leave to change between five and ten minutes early, but sometimes it can be even less if an activity goes long.
“In all seriousness, people will probably only shower if they have morning practice, which they do now already,” said P.E. senior leader Isabella Kosoglaz (12). “Gym teachers leave very little time to make showering a serious possibility, so they’ll only be used, whether they’re more enclosed or not, by the same people who use them now.”
Adding private shower stalls would likely occur over the summer, when the school has more time to completely shut down the locker rooms without hindering gym classes. While the private changing stalls were a quick job over winter break, bigger changes to increase privacy will likely occur before next year.
“I think the new changing stalls are a great addition to our school,” Kosoglaz said. “Anyone can use them, which is probably the best thing about them. Many girls are insecure about their bodies and used to have to change in small toilet stalls, but now they can change in a more or less comfortable area. That’s only one example, of course, so there are definitely more people who would benefit.”