In an effort to address growing concerns over the unsurprising lack of hygiene in Michigan Tech’s computer science department, Rekhi Hall has installed an airlock shower at its entrance along with security. The move comes after years of jokes and complaints about how computer science students, often glued to their screens for hours on end, tend to overlook basic self-care. The new airlock shower, a clever combination of motion sensors and car wash pressure jets, activates when students walk through the door. According to the project lead, a researcher from the environmental engineering department, the idea is simple: “We just wanted to make it a little harder for students to skip the shower. If they want to get into Rekhi, they’ve got to wash off the code and maybe a little of that energy drink smell.”
Reactions have been mixed about the car wash. Some students, who often show up to class looking like they’ve spent a week in the library, are surprisingly in favor of the new system. “Honestly, it’s kind of a relief,” said one student, brushing soap suds out of his beard. “I get so caught up in my project that I forget to take care of myself. This way, I’m forced to hit pause for a second and walk through a car wash.”
Others, however, are less than thrilled by the new initiative. “I’m just trying to finish this Python assignment. Why am I soaked,” said another student, who declined to reveal their last shower date. “I don’t need a shower to work on algorithm homework, man!” Despite the mixed feelings, the airlock shower is here to stay, with plans to expand the initiative. Next on the agenda is “batch processing towels for Linux users” and “debugging deodorant,” because apparently, hygiene isn’t something you can just code your way through.
