Wash those nasty hands!

It appears that some \nuniversities recognize that not everyone remembers the advice our moms gave us back when we were just 2 years old: Always wash your hands. \nThe University of Central Florida is trying to make sure people wash their hands. UCF has created a campaign that features a student walking around campus with one hand on a urinal and the other free for high-fives. And if the toilet-handler doesn’t deter people from not washing, UCF has also installed 32 new hand sanitizer dispensers throughout its campus. \nEveryone probably agrees cleanliness is good, but some ways to promote this can get out of hand. If schools want to promote hand-washing, they should do that – not waste money on providing an alternative. Implementing hand sanitizers gives people an out from actually washing their hands. It’s like telling everyone, “You should wear pants, but if you can’t, you should at least wear underwear.”\nInstalling hand sanitizers probably wouldn’t be all that costly, but still, money would be lost that could have been used for a different cause. We appreciate IU’s sensible approach to this problem – the University has put some sanitizer kiosks at food courts. We agree this is a good idea because people should clean their nasty hands before eating. But there is no reason to put them anywhere else on campus. We hope our administration doesn’t follow UCF’s lead. If you’re on campus, there’s always a bathroom with soap and water just a few minutes away. And if you’re a total germaphobe, carry your own pocket-sized hand sanitizer. Problem solved. And let’s face it, if people don’t wash their hands after going to the bathroom, what makes administrators think they will use hand sanitizer?\nSome could argue that schools are only using these dispensers to create the illusion that germs aren’t being spread as much; it’s just another fact they can throw on an info packet for prospective students. Mary Rick, health director at Spring Arbor University in Michigan, did admit that Spring Arbor only installed dispensers to make people feel better about the situation. \n“We put the dispensers up because we like thinking they help,” she said. “We are in huge denial.” Sure, providing students with sanitizer could stop germs from spreading, but, like we said, chances \nare the people who don’t already wash their hands aren’t going to start using hand sanitizer because it’s suddenly there. The availability of soap and water doesn’t seem to \nstop them from spreading the filth around.\nWe know what you’re thinking. Rarely does the IDS Editorial Board commend IU for how its administrators are managing money. But today we say to them: Stick with your current plan, and save the cash. Campus-wide hand-sanitizer dispensers are anything but a worthy investment.