As Samo bathroom art gets recognition, students face a difficult decision

On March 1, “Samo Women’s Restrooms” opened for display to the public at the LACMA. This exhibition has been long awaited by the Santa Monica community, as word of the impressive art drawn and painted on the stall doors has swept through the city. The doors feature short conversations of absolutely no substance, explicite yet poetic rants commenting on the struggles of teenage life, artwork pushing boundaries, challenging social expectations and, of course, girls plugging their instagrams.The stand out piece included an incredibly well replicated hello kitty head wearing a pink hat alongside a profound and thought provoking discussion regarding someone’s lash lady.The doors have been auctioned off in the I House quad raking in upwards of 200 thousand dollars a piece. Samo parents and museum curators alike have been the primary  clients.“I was astounded by the sophistication and detail of the artwork. I am thrilled to add them to our permanent collection. They act as a glimpse into the mind of youth and address an exciting narrative I have never before witnessed with such simplicity,” Micheal Govan, director of LACMA, said.Yet, all of this attention has negative consequences for Samo students. SMMUSD superintendant Dr. Ben Drati has refused the school's request for new bathroom stall door replacements. Instead, he has suggested that students bring their own bed sheets from home to drape over the open doorway for privacy. Unfortunately, this method of privacy has led to many complications.“It's like totally cool that the girls’ bathroom doors are in museums now or whatever… but now I have to choose between having sheets to sleep on or privacy in the bathroom. It's super weird, so my friends and I have just stopped drinking water at school,” Justina Biber (’21) said.The recognition that these doors are receiving is a great step forward for some students' careers in art and literature, but a few steps back for many girl’s privacy. Eight clubs have been formed to address the issue and say they are all working to raise money for new doors. The future of this issue is unknown, but students will continue to fight.