Clean Hands for a Clean Campus SCC

The signs of the great H1N1 flu scare of yesteryear are still apparent in everyday life around the SCC campus these days. Hand sanitizer dispensers and health awareness flyers have popped up all around campus, promoting cleaner handshakes and the proper way to cough. These additions to the school are fantastic in a world where flu pandemics and the less likely but real threat of biologically spread terrorism are out there—but is anyone really actually taking advantage of the sanitary stations? I decided to camp out and observe a few of these spots during the highest traffic times to see whether or not people are.

I visited three different locations; the Administration Building, Social Science Building, and the Cafeteria, patiently waiting across from the quick and easy cleansers during the 10 minute passing period between classes through the 12:00 to 3:00 PM hours. I patiently stood and waited across from these quick and easy cleansers. As classes began to let out, students flooded the hallways, stampeding to get to their next class. I would estimate at least 100 students per passing period went through the area. Many of them were talking to friends, some of them had their hands full with books or refreshments, others were texting away to somebody about how boring their class was, but surprisingly not one stopped and used the hand sanitizer. Students either seemed too distracted or too rushed to care, and it seemed that these recourses were being neglected. But wait! During my wait at the Humanities Building, there was still hope. A group of three girls began to gravitate towards the dispenser, teasing the idea of using the hand sanitizer. They slowly made their approach and—YES! They stopped right in front of it, and it was only a matter of time before they used it. I waited with high hopes, but unfortunately these girls just chatted away, totally oblivious to the potential palm purifier just inches away. I left disappointed and made my way to the Social Science Building.

During my observation near the main entrance, I was approached by a fellow student, Jerry Pollock. I guess I was not as inconspicuous as I thought I was. After I filled him in on my little experiment, he gave me some interesting insight on the subject. “Hand sanitizers aren’t even that effective, compared to washing your hands at least. I guess they’re still better than nothing though,” he said.

His statement helped me conclude that washing your hands with soap and water is still the best way to stay clean and prevent spreading germs. Studies at Perdue University help support this, by showing that hand sanitizer works by removing the outer layer of oil on the skin, destroying the bacteria that reside there. Ironically, the bacteria in this oil residue are not the kind that makes us sick, making washing your hands the best way to rid yourself of the real dirt and grime; an interesting yet obvious discovery I found in my investigation. I can just only hope that people wash their hands a little more than they use the hand sanitizer.