Choosing where to go when you are on the go can be a daunting task.

It is a question of when, not if, the need will arise, and a poor selection can mean discomfort at least and embarrassment at worst.

The best bathroom on campus is in the first floor lobby of the Computer Science and Technology Building. To understand why this restroom wins the game of thrones, one must consider the criteria by which to judge the options. Of primary concern are space, privacy and cleanliness.

No one enjoys the clever writhing required in a narrow stall, knees and elbows canted, back bent while hiking up one’s trousers. This is not a problem for the CST bathroom. Not only does the spacious new construction offer four stalls, but it also has a baby changing station.

A lack of privacy raises the possibility of being discovered while in the midst of porcelain passion. However, because this is a women’s restroom in a CST building, it is used less often. The bathroom is clean and smells pleasant. Gone is the ancient tile flooring, which allows germs to fester in its cracks. Here, you will find a shiny new cement floor. The bathroom includes a large trash can, so there are no worries of stuffing one more balled up paper towel into an already bursting bin.

Secondary concerns include lighting, availability, cell signal and amenities. Motion-sensor lighting is the bane of bathroom breaks. One moment you are sitting in serenity, and the next, you are plunged into darkness with only the light of your cellphone. This was a major issue with the restroom in Tinsley Hall pre-renovation. The CST restroom has ample lighting provided throughout the room. This includes recessed lamps in the ceiling overlooking the well-spaced stalls.

If a particular potty place is private but often used, you run the risk of it being unavailable when the need arises. Secluded bathrooms seem promising. The ones located in the lower levels of the University Center might be enticing, but you will quickly find your cell signal has vanished. The less secluded CST bathrooms, with three standard stalls and one handicapped, are likely to be available when your need arises – cell signal need not be sacrificed.

Amenities for consideration include sink type, method of drying hands and size and placement of mirrors. The perfect bathroom would have at least two mirrors, one above the counter for checking upper body appearance and a full-length mirror placed elsewhere for a head-to-toe view. The CST restroom offers a counter-to-ceiling mirror, which spans the length of the wall.

The best sinks offer a choice of hot and cold water and have turn-style knobs for flow control. The worst ones pick your water temperature for you and have push-style knobs, which means it is anybody’s guess when your water will disappear. On the subject of sinks, my restroom choice is deficient. Though there are four sinks, they are all knob-less and motion-sensor.

Hand dryers never run out of air and often use motion-sensor detection to start operation. By contrast, paper towel dispensers run out of napkins. Their arms or levers break or become wet, and it is common to find balled-up, wet towels strewn about restroom counters and floors.

Here my restroom choice is again deficient. The CST restroom offers three paper towel dispensers, not air dryers. However, they are dispersed on either side of the counter and by the door, which helps prevent pedestrian traffic jams. As a bonus, there is an electrical socket under one of the dispensers.

The main drawback of this restroom is its location. The CST building is on south campus, not a central location, and it may simply not be an option for those in dire need farther north. Regardless, the restroom checks off most of my boxes, which truly makes it a room to rest.

“I would say McClimmans just because it’s cleaner and it doesn’t smell as bad as the rest.”

“The third floor of the union’s pretty vacant and pretty clean, so I’d say that’s probably the best location.”

“Greek commons ‘cause it’s private, so nobody’s ever really there, and it’s always clean.”

“Third floor of the union ‘cause it’s really big and nice.”

“Either the one in Starbucks or the one in the Mane Dish, and I think because they are places where you eat food.”

“The ones in the library.”

“In the breezeway, and I would say because there’s not a lot of traffic.”

“My favorite restroom, in my opinion, is the first floor restroom of McGehee Hall ‘cause it’s like stepping back into 1955 or whenever that bathroom was built. It’s all old-fashioned faucets, commodes, doors, walls, floors, everything.”

“Starbucks because it’s in between dorms and classrooms, and you can get your coffee and snacks too.”

“Fayard, and it’s just easiest to get to.”