Germs; they’re everywhere.
You can’t escape them.
They’re on your food,
Your phone,
In your bed,
In your mouth,
Floating in the air.
They. Are. Everywhere
As of right now, we are in the thick of cold/flu season. We can thank give our thanks to germs; the little guys who grace us with their mesmerizing talents to make us sick. Some are benign and even help you digest food and whatnot, and then there are some that can kill you. Yes, these little microscopic beasts can end your existence. Some people never think about them, some live in absolute fear. These people who despise the little buggers are called germaphobes. The idea of germs is disgusting to them and they do everything in their power to avoid or kill them. Oyster River has a couple renowned germaphobes, maybe they’ll give you a reason to be scared of the tiny demons too.
Meet Henry Bulkley (‘18), a young adult who is very open about his hatred for germs: “I try not to think about them unless any sicknesses are going around,” says Bulkley, “but I’m very cautious about making sure I don’t have any.” He particularly hates it when students show up to school when they’re sick: “It’s disgusting. If you are sick, you should not be in a public place,” Henry says in a firm tone, “This school is like a germ breeding factory. You’re supposed to stay home”
“The grossest thing I’ve seen in school? I’ve seen throw up on the sides of the toilets. IT’S DISGUSTING!” he points out, “There are some people with bad bowels and there’s, you know, some that’s left on the side of the toilet. It’s so gross.”
Meet Taylor Mills (‘18), she is often spotted in the hallways with a container of Clorox wipes disinfecting door handles: “I have a fear of getting sick. I hate people who cough in their hands, show up to school with the flu, and don’t wash their hands after going to the bathroom.” Mills hand-sanitizes “at least three times during class.” High school is home to many gross things, according to Taylor, “I’ve witnessed students who blow their nose INTO THEIR HANDS. They do! People also eat food off the ground, too. The five second rule does not apply in school!”
I hope these brief and gross accounts from a couple of Oyster River’s fearful germaphobes gave you a sense of how gross and negligent people can be with their health in school. It’s nasty. Please take care of yourselves this flu season!