After a hard workout, the first thing anyone really wants to do is take a shower. Personally, it’s nice to know that when I come home from a sport, I can rid myself of the awful stench and one-inch layer of sweat that coats my body in search of a new, cleaner self.

So why is it that the gym locker rooms do not provide students the opportunity to hop into these wonderful water machines after P.E.? I’m not quite sure.

We have the equipment, as each locker room has a section devoted to showers. Yet, these rooms are filled to the brim with old balls, foam mats, and any other gym equipment from before the 21st century.

It’s not just a concern purely for the enjoyment of those who would be using the showers. According to “Men’s XP,” a cold shower after a workout can both recover muscles and boost immune-system health.

Additionally, students already normally receive anywhere from 3-10 minutes to change out of their sweaty outfits at the end of each period, so allowing for the proper amount of time it takes for one to take a quick shower would not be too much of an issue. Phys-Ed participants could be off to their classes that much more physically and mentally refreshed with just a slight change to the schedule.

Staples isn’t running out of money, either. The high school recently received a $936,000 grant for physical education alone, already using some of the funds to purchase canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddle-boards for students to use in the pool. Taking even a small portion of this money could be enough to clean out the showers and turn the pipes back on. To me, a more rejuvenated student body seems like it would be in Staples’s best interest.

Who knows, the school might smell that much nicer.