Top 10 Pieces of Bathroom Graffiti In UCC
University is a time of personal development, a time of reflection and a time of learning. We learn everywhere in university. We learn in our lectures, of course, but we learn the same amount in different social circles, new situations, unique challenges, and most importantly, in the toilets. There are few of you whose hearts and bottoms have not been touched by the contents of the toilets. UCC’s lavatories have a rich history of insight and debate, a mantle gravely passed from year to year, generation to generation. The brave, the wise and the lonely take pencil to wall and create masterpieces. Every bit of graffiti in UCC is a masterpiece- but here's a celebration of some of these magnificent pieces that will touch our soul and haunt our pisses for a long time to come.
10. “Something vulgar, Something obscene”
Boole Basement, mens’A thoughtful deconstruction of the genre of bathroom graffiti, an understated piece that breaks the art form down to its bare essentials. Thoughtful, simple, and reflective.
9. “My plants don't need no stats! #LetPlantsBePlants2k17”
Butler Building 1st Floor, ladies’A commentary on the juxtaposition between the wild beauty of nature and the clinical construction of the study of botany. Most of UCC’s bathrooms have at least fifty different statements per cubicle, but the Butler Building’s ladies’ upstairs features only two. My two personal curator’s choice pieces, position #9 was a close call between this and the only other piece of graffiti in the other stall of the pristine bathroom, “Continental breakfast is NOT real breakfast!”
8. “Discussion Time: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve overheard on UCC campus?”
Boole Basement, ladies’An excellent frontier for discussion, to which only one solitary reply has been made: “Nugget porn”.A work in progress. We await the continuation with baited breath.
7. “Fair weird a room full of lads shitting and pissing together”
Boole Basement, Mens’A piece that reminds us to question everything; an examination of the simplicity and absurdity of the modern world.
6.
“My bf says he loves me but he’d find me more attractive if I were thinner”“All lads with small willies say that”Student Centre, ladies’Along with several other comments along the lines of “Dump him”; an empowering piece examining gender roles, body image, and solidarity.“Do you ever feel so alone?”“Yes I do right now!”“me too lets start a group chat”Boole Basement, ladies’A short story about the hardships of isolation, the emotional struggles of youth, and the power of unity.
4. Small changes to help the environment (Collaborative piece)
Kane Building, Ground Floor, ladies’A collection of conscientious advice from many student contributors. Thoughts include, “Switch to roll on deodorant”, “Say no to straws & other one use plastics”, “Don’t bring any more children into this world”, and “Only shower once a month.”An essential piece, both artistically and practically, for the modern era.
3. Just the complete lack of any graffiti whatsoever in the Western Gateway bathrooms
Western Gateway BuildingWhat do the computer science students DO in there?
2. The Abortion Debate That Takes Up An Entire Wall
Boole basement, ladies’The famous, shining jewel of UCC’s toilet facilities. Known to all, contributed to by many, this heated, intelligent, startling debate on the 8th Amendment has taught us all a little about our fellow students. BECAUSE IT’S ILLEGAL TO MURDER! Is surrounded by comments, angry, supportive, thoughtful and touching; “Savita was murdered by the 8th.”, “The core of the argument is women’s rights”, and many heartbreaking and touching anecdotes of the lives of people touched by the 8th amendment, along with other contributions, like “Voldemort was just misunderstood” and, enigmatically, “Women!”
1. “You can't spell biscuit without CIT”
Food Science Building, Ground Floor, mens’Understated. Elegant. Profoundly true.Nothing more needs to be said. To the artists of the above- if you are out there, somewhere, reading these words, know that your contributions will live on in the cubicle walls of our hearts forevermore. To those of you who sit by and simply watch the evolution of the graffiti as it grows, join me in applause to the thinkers of UCC that bare their souls as well as their privates in the bathrooms, enriching the experience for all. And may we all take a moment to think upon the deep questions, the shallow questions, and the stories all around us in the stange old world we live in every now and again. Don’t forget to give a shit, while you take a shit.