This new school year has just begun but there is already a new bathroom policy. The new policy is an upgrade to last year’s system, and it comes from the 5Star Students app. The app works by having students type in their student ID number to leave class or use the bathroom. The app tracks who has been out, when they come back, and why they are outside of the classroom.

The app assigns a time limit to use the bathroom, for Edison it’s 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, students are marked in red and their bathroom privileges are suspended for at least 2 periods. This new bathroom policy really benefits the teachers and the staff members because it keeps track of who’s out and how many minutes they have been out. However, students are skeptical and worried that long lines in the bathroom at lunch and break will cause other students to lose the chance to use the restroom at all. 

The app is being piloted in freshman classes first. As time passes, it will soon be rolled out to all class levels. While it may be new, it’s something that has already made an impact on student life – with students being expected to use the app to attend football games. 

The app 5Star app has so far only been used in freshman classes. One student, Audrey Xiong, said “I think it’s dumb because why are we gonna get in trouble for going longer than 8 minutes, like how come the staff can go as long as they want like during lunch and all, like we gotta share a bathroom.”

Another student, Jasmine Yang, said “The new bathroom policy is trash. It sucks for us students. It makes us students rush over to the bathroom and rush ourselves, but I also think it’s good for the teachers to know where the students are at and how long they have been gone.”

Since the app has only been used in freshman classes there are not many teachers who have used it in their classes yet. One teacher, Mr. Yang, said “It has its advantages and disadvantages. Highly dependent on how it is used.”

While students may not be thrilled about having to use 5star or the time limits on the app, it has cut down on the number of students roaming around campus and limited the number of bathroom fights Edison has experienced this year. Based on improvements even in the initial rollout, the app seems here to stay.