Georgetown University has taken steps to ensure that one of the basic needs of its students will be met within the next few years: hand washing.

All common area bathrooms across the Georgetown campus will soon be furnished with hot air hand dryers and soap dispensers, according to InterHall representatives. The renovations will come because of the recently combined efforts of InterHall Council and GUSA.

According to InterHall President Heath Carter (COL ’03), University Facilities and Student Housing has agreed to replace the Purell Instant Bacterial hand gel and paper towel distributors currently in use with the requests. The appeal was prompted by student initiatives and information indicating that hot air is a safer, more effective method for hand washing.

Although the 1999-2000 InterHall Council also made similar requests during their term, Carter attributes this year’s success to the continued persistence of the organization.

“I’ve been working on this with GUSA representative issy Foy [COL ’03] on this since last year, but we were told then that it was about money,” Carter said. “They thought the Purell was sufficient, and our request for soap was more of a convenience issue.”

Carter said 182 residents of LXR recently submitted a petition with the request of soap dispensers in common bathrooms.

While there is presently no official installation schedule, the tentative order includes Harbin Hall, Darnall Hall, LXR, Copley Hall and later New South. New South’s installation will be last to receive the future renovations because wiring and electrical capacity of the building will not accommodate the hand-dryers, university officials said. New South community bathrooms will receive both the hand dryers and soap dispensers when the building is renovated in the next few years.

Jon Olson (SFS ’04), a member of InterHall’s External Affairs Committee, regards the agreement as a victory for InterHall and students alike.

“Purell makes sense for de-sanitizing hands only, that is why it’s located by the door,” Olson said. “It just doesn’t make sense to have to bring your own soap to the bathroom to wash your hands.”

New South residents, however, are generally displeased with the delayed installation.

“Compared to other dorms, New South is typically ignored in many aspects. Because it’s one of the oldest dorms, I think the school feels like it doesn’t need to keep it quite as nice,” New South resident Brian Conologue (COL’04) said. “However, the atmosphere here is so incredible that it makes up for the lack of renovations.”

Arthur Oberhofer (MSB’04) agreed with Conologue’s assessment.

“This is exactly what I would have expected in New South . It gives so much and asks so little,” he said.