ABOUT the only thing worse than writing a pair of five-page papers in a week and preparing for a test at the same time is doing all of that while you have a cold that is sucking the energy out of your body. College students know - being sick is no fun.
The aversion to catching some kind of bug is probably the reason that people constantly are tapping into the wells of hand sanitizers that are readily available in various locations on Grounds.
Whether it is in automatic dispensers or smaller pump bottles, in the dining halls or in the libraries, it is a safe bet that there is hand sanitizer available.
Nobody seems to question, however, whether using hand sanitizer is really the best way to keep your hands free of germs. Sandra J. Murray, director of nursing at Student Health, recommends turning to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for guidelines to hand hygiene. The CDC clearly states on its website, "Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them." They do go on to say that an alcohol-based sanitizer can be used if soap and water are not available; however, that statement is qualified with the fact that "sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs."
That seems pretty black and white. Though using the hand sanitizer is quicker and more convenient than going to the bathroom and washing your hands, in this case, the faster option is not the better one. Opting for the hand sanitizer may leave you with a spare minute, but it may also leave you with some germs on your hands that can make you sick. That one minute you devote to hand washing will be worth your while if it prevents you from contracting a virus, since even minor ailments ultimately set you back several hours with all of the extra time that must be devoted to sleeping, complaining and going to CVS for more decongestant.
Now, there is nothing wrong with trying to encourage students to keep their hands clean. It is a healthy habit. Yet given the above information from the CDC, the University's approach to promoting this practice seems in need of some modification.
There are three main problems. First, there are no signs accompanying the hand sanitizer dispensers in University facilities saying, "Only use this if hand washing is not an option." Second, these dispensers often exist in locations where the bathroom, containing the more effective soap and water, is just a 30-second walk away.
The third problem is the sheer abundance of hand sanitizer available. Just walking into Clark Hall, I passed one automatic dispenser by the caf
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