Water main shut down causes minor concern

Melissa Sagaseta

Students wait patiently to use the restroom during the beginning of the water main being shut down, knowing that water can’t flow until it gets fixed.

Danielle Osakwe, Photographer, Artist/Cartoonist

Although finally fixed in all bathrooms and fountains during the end of third period, students, teachers, and administrators expressed concern about the water main shut down that occurred today throughout the school’s water sources from the end of first period until almost the beginning of fourth.

“Nobody really thought they had to go to the bathroom ‘til they heard that there was no water,” Admin 1 clerk Connie Woolsey joked, commenting on the current situation. “And then, everybody had to go at the same time.” Ms. Woolsey provided insight into how the situation became a major issue in the first place.

“There was zero water pressure,” she explained. A hole opened up near the water main, and in the interest of the school, they shut it off for the time being.

Most students took the news of the lack of water with little major concern, but some worried about how long NC would have to go without running water.
Melissa Sagaseta
Most students took the news of the lack of water with little major concern, but some worried about how long NC would have to go without running water.

The initial reaction among students seemed to display clear annoyance at the state of affairs. Lines extended from the hallway bathrooms while others asked friends for a  dollar in order to buy a bottle of Dasani, while the water fountains remained out of order.

“People complain that students and other people don’t drink enough water,” senior Crystal Osueke affirmed. “But when you try to get water, there’s none to drink and when you have to use the bathroom, you have nowhere to [urinate].”

The PE department seemed particularly concerned.

“In the PE Department, we have to manage how, how long we extend activities because water’s something that we need to replenish and hydrate athletes with while we compete,” Coach Joseph Davis commented on the event over the sounds of students playing football in the old gymnasium.

When asked what he would do to remedy the situation in the heat and humidity, he answered, “We’re trying to cut down on the amount of points in activities.”

Ms. Parisay sent out a victorious email with the subject line in all CAPS at 1:03 PM that exclaimed, “WATER IS ON AGAIN!!” and panic began to subside as slowly, but surely water came back on in bathrooms and fountains.